The Normandy Farm is located on the corner of Dekalb Pike and Morris Road in Whitpain Township. Before it became one of the most famous farms in Montgomery County, it was originally a hotel built and owned by the Heist family.
The Franklinville Inn
The story of the Normandy Farm began in 1730 when Jacob Levering (1701-1793) purchased 100 acres from Rees Thomas and Anthony Morris.
The land was passed down to the grandson of Jacob's older brother Henry Levering (1699-1778), Daniel Levering (1756-1817), who was appointed as his executor. When it came into the possession of Daniel's daughter Catherine Levering (1789-1872) and her husband John Heist (1782-1854), they built the Franklinville Inn, known as the Main House on Normandy Farm. The hotel operated from 1835 to 1877.
William M. Singerly
William M. Singerly (1832-1898) grew up in the city of Philadelphia where he developed his career as a businessman. No one even knew he would transition to being in charge of a big, giant farm running herds and cattle.
In the 1850s, he obtained a position with J. Palmer & Co. where he gained knowledge in business. He then went to Chicago and became a commission merchant until he was recalled by his father to return to Philadelphia to become a manager of the Germantown Passenger Railway Company, which his father was a larger stakeholder of.
In 1877, he purchased the Record newspaper, and in 1881-1882, he built a building for the Record newspaper. Before William purchased the newspaper company, it had a small circulation of 5,200 copies. With William, the newspaper went up to over 100,000 copies. His impact had journalists look up to it as "one of the most complete newspaper establishments in the country."
When his father died in 1878, William was left with his stocks that was valued $750,000. It was then sold to the Work syndicate for $1,500,000. William ended up retiring from the street railway management, and moved to a different career path.
His health began to decline in 1872, and after listening to his father's advise, William decided to purchase 68 acres of farmland in Whitpain where he began his mini-farming empire. It was stated that his love and taste for healthier freedom and the outdoors motivated his farming business.
Thus, the Record Farm was born!
His farm was known to have the "finest herd of thorough-bred Holstein cattle in America, and an extensive herd of high-grade Cotswold sheep." As a horse lover, William owned horses from Kentucky with "steeds of a finer strain of blood and higher spirits."
Fun Fact #1: He was known as the Holstein King!
In total, he had 200 cows, both heifers and calves, 130 fattening steers, 850 sheep, and 10 selected mares.
Ever since running his farm, he improved the place with latest technologies and systems to help his animals stay healthy. He provided pure running water provided for the cattle to drink from. He supported the system of "soiling," or stall-feeding cattle, and demonstrated it in his farm.
"The main barn is two hundred and fourteen feet in length by forty-four in width, and two stories in height. The first story is built of brick, resting upon a substantial stone foundation, and the second story is frame. Other structures, extending from either side of the barn proper, increase the line of buildings nearly four hundred feet, while from the centre of the main building a having, thirty feet in width, extends one hundred and fifty feet forward, dividing the yard into equal portions ... The system of soiling cattle and feeding ensilage, inaugurated in this portion of the country by the proprietor of this farm, made requisite a very large silo, one sufficient to hold three hundred tons of ensilage, an amount which will keep the entire herd of cattle for six months. There is an extensive creamery, in which golden butter is made from the rich milk of the Holstein cows; an engine-house, in which lies the motive-power that is made to serve various purposes; a blacksmith shop, where the horses of the farm are shod and tools repaired, and dwellings for various employees, all well adapted to the uses for which designed."
- Bean, 1176
Ralph Beaver Strassburger
The next owner who continued the success of Singerly's Record Farm was Ralph Beaver Strassburger (1883-1959). He was the son of Jacob Strassburger, former district attorney of Montgomery County.
After graduating at the United States Naval Academy in 1905, he was stationed on the USS Mayflower where he accompanied President Theodore Roosevelt on his trips. He served in the Navy for five years until entering the Babcock & Wilcox Engine Company in New York where he served as a representative for London.
Fun Fact #2: Ralph was one of the star football players on the team, and played at the famous Army-Navy game throughout his years in college.
With his father's influence in government, he became involved in politics, and was appointed by President William Howard Taft as a consul general of the Balkan states, specifically in Romania, Bulgaria, and Serbia. When the states were in turmoil and resources to survive were scarce, he immediately became the second secretary to the embassy in Tokyo.
After his mother died, Ralph left his position at the Tokyo embassy and settled down in Whitpain where purchased the Record Farm in 1913. From there, he made significant changes on the farm. The architect firm Furness, Evans & Co. were responsible for the renovations. Thus, the Normandy Farm was born!
"An army of workmen have been engaged to work out the plans of a French architect to alter the old farm into a modern French chateau. The house is being torn to pieces and a residence is slowly rising. The old stone all has given away to a mammoth Norman feudal gateway. The barns, said to be among the largest in Montgomery county, are being repaired and enlarged. They are to house a herd of Jersey cattle which Mr. Strassburger is importing and a number of Suffolk Punch horses. The latter acquisition will give to this vicinity one of the finest breeds of horses in existence. There are now only a few in this country."
- Ambler Gazette. October 16, 1913
It was said that after he settled down on the former Singerly farm, Ralph would return to diplomatic and political work. Unfortunately, he made an unsuccessful campaign in the 1914 election when he ran for the United States House of Representatives in Pennsylvania. Henry Winfield Watson won the Republican nomination over Ralph, and won the general election.
Impact
After William Singerly passed away, others began to follow into his footsteps in innovative agriculture technology in Montgomery County. The silo was first used at his "Sheep Farm" in Spring House until it was used at his Record Farm. As a result of his silos, his cows' milk flow increased and the quality of butter and cream was superior.
Other farmers in the county and Singerly's neighbors at first questioned his silos and the process of ensilage, but later on they began to understand the benefits. As a result, the farmers who criticized Singerly ended up using silos and using the process of ensilage.
Fun Fact #4: In 1908, William Singerly was mentioned in a graduation essay by Ambler High School graduate B.S. Russell, Jr. as one of the greatest men in Montgomery County.
During Ralph Strassburger's occupancy of the farm, many residents in Whitpain were disappointed of how he did not improve the property to its highest standard. It was unknown what Ralph Strassburger's response was in this criticism.
Bibliography
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Bean, Theodore Weber. History of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, Volume 2. (Philadelphia: Everts & Peck, 1884): 1172, 1175-1177.
"County Men In History." Ambler Gazette. July 9, 1908. Page 7. http://digitalcollections.powerlibrary.org/cdm/compoundobject/collection/wivp-gazett/id/5951/rec/18.
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"Glory Was Once Franklinville's." Ambler Gazette. September 15, 1927. Page 10. http://digitalcollections.powerlibrary.org/cdm/compoundobject/collection/wivp-gazett/id/15644/rec/1.
"HOLSTEIN-FRIESIAN CATTLE." Pictorem. Accessed January 23, 2022. https://www.pictorem.com/76136/Holstein-Friesian%20Cattle.html.
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Jones, Horatio Gates. The Levering Family, Or, A Genealogical Account of Wigard Levering and Gerhard Levering. (Philadelphia: King & Baird, 1858): 152-154, 156, 161, 170.
Knickerbocker, Ken. "Normandy Farm, Blue Bell Country Club to Receive Multimillion Dollar Upgrades." Montco.Today. Last modified January 20, 2022. https://montco.today/2017/01/montgomery-county-hotel-country-club-receive-multimillion-dollar-upgrades/.
Meredith, Mark. "Normandy Farm." House Histree. Last modified July 3, 2021. https://househistree.com/houses/normandy-farm.
Morris, Charles. Men of the Century, an Historical Work: Giving Portraits and Sketches of Eminent Citizens of the United States. (Philadelphia: L. R. Hamersly & Company, 1896): 232.
Morris, William E, and Smith & Wistar. Map of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania: from original surveys. [Philadelphia: Smith & Wistar, 1849] Map. https://www.loc.gov/item/2012590207/.
Philadelphia Real Estate Record and Builders' Guide, v. 29, n. 9 (1914): 143.
"Races at Normandy Farms." Ambler Gazette. October 19, 1919. Page 5. http://digitalcollections.powerlibrary.org/cdm/compoundobject/collection/wivp-gazett/id/7411/rec/28.
"Singerly Led; Others Followed." Ambler Gazette. November 19, 1903. Page 4. http://digitalcollections.powerlibrary.org/cdm/compoundobject/collection/wivp-gazett/id/1793/rec/2.
"Strassburger For Congress." Ambler Gazette. April 16, 1914. Page 3. http://digitalcollections.powerlibrary.org/cdm/compoundobject/collection/wivp-gazett/id/9054/rec/2.
"Strassburgers To Live Here." Ambler Gazette. October 16, 1913. Page 6. http://digitalcollections.powerlibrary.org/cdm/compoundobject/collection/wivp-gazett/id/7818/rec/1.
"The Strassburger Horses To Race." Ambler Gazette. April 24, 1924. Page 9. http://digitalcollections.powerlibrary.org/cdm/compoundobject/collection/wivp-gazett/id/13253/rec/2.
Great job