The Montgomery County Community College was established in Blue Bell in 1964. But what was there before 1964? Let's take a dive into prehistoric times before the community college was placed on the corner of Morris Road and Dekalb Pike.
The Tale of Two Colonial Houses: The East House
Out of the two homes standing on the MCCC campus, the East House was considered the most historic property. Its origin began with 418 acres of land owned and held on by Anthony Morris, Stephen Amiet, Jr., and Zachariah Whitpain. In 1745, Anthony Morris sold 100 acres to Andrew Ecart, who built his home and likely planted the pear tree that was picked and eaten by General George Washington.
"It was chiefly remarkable for the size of the trunk which in bulk more resembled an oak of the forest than a fruit tree. At the height of four or five feet, from the ground it measured 10 feet six and a half inches in circumference equivalent to three and a half feet in diameter... It is told, that long ago when it was but a youthful scion it had the honor of furnishing George Washington with some of its luscious fruit picked by his own hand."
- Ambler Gazette, September 29, 1910
Andrew Ecart's heirs sold his property to Christian Hoffert in 1760, but it only lasted for one year when he sold it to Baltzer Spitznagle. It was Baltzer who divided the lot, selling 50 acres to George Renner in 1768, and the other half to Peter Bisbing in 1772.
After the death of Peter Bisbing in 1819, Sheriff Justus Scheetz put up the sale of his property. At the time of the sale, Henry Greenawalt (1768-1835) purchased the former Bisbing property, and lived there for 17 years. His son Henry Greenawalt, Jr. came into possession of his father's home after Samuel Kneedler temporarily lived on the property. For 40 years, the Greenawalt family lived in the old home.
In 1868, Jacob Walker (1816-1903) purchased the former Greenawalt home from Joseph Jarrett, who lived there since 1859.
In 1897, after living on the property for 30 years, Jacob Walker and his wife sold the home to his son in-law David K. Bernhard (1863-1934), who married his daughter Hannah, for $9,500.
The architecture of this home is very unique compared to the West House on the MCCC campus. Right away, the most noticeable feature on the home is the mansard roof. Mansard roofs were very common on 19th century homes, specifically used in Second Empire-style homes. Since this home was built in the early 1800s, I would say the mansard roof was added some time later in the 19th century, possibly done by Jacob Walker. It still maintained its colonial look with its pent roof and pedimented dormers. Physically, the home looked like it was originally a Georgian-style home based on its symmetrical facade. Georgian-style homes were still popular in the early 19th century.
NOTE: Pictures and details on this home can be found in the PA Historical Resource Survey Form link.
The Tale of Two Colonial Houses: The West House
The West House belonged to the Bernhard family since the early 19th century. It began with Andreas/Andere Bernhard who emigrated to Philadelphia from Germany in 1798. In 1821, he owned a tavern and a store on Cowpath Road in Hatfield for two years.
His son George A. Bernhard (1784-1859) purchased a farm on Morris Road, possibly the West House. After he died, his sons Anthony, Jacob, and George came into possession of their father's property. It was possible that the Bernhard brothers spilt their father's lot, dividing it into three. Out of the three brothers, Jacob C. Bernhard (1824-1910) was the one who came into possession of the West House, and lived there for over 80 years!
After Jacob's death, the home was sold to William C. Moore.
Unlike the East House, the West House maintains its colonial-era appearance. Based on an old photograph, the home used to have two end chimneys. It's a simple, side gabled home that was left untouched until the community college included this home on the campus.
NOTE: Pictures and details on this home can be found in the PA Historical Resource Survey Form link.
Alexander Thayer and the Gwynllan Farm
Alexander D. Thayer (1888-1968) was the son of Brigadier General Russell Thayer, and followed a family tradition to play football at the University of Pennsylvania as the quarterback on the 1910 team.
In 1926, he married Marjorie "Hooley" Bourne and lived at the 500-acre farm that was named the "Gwynllan Farm." At the farm, they raised dairy cattle and poultry.
Fun Fact #1: Marjorie Bourne was the daughter of Frederick Gilbert Bourne, president of the Singer Manufacturing Company who made the company the "first modern multinational industrial enterprise of any nationality."
Besides farming, Alexander was a talented tennis player and yachtsman. He won two titles in the NCAA Collegiate doubles tennis (1908) and the Delaware State doubles (1913), both with Herbert M. Tilden. In 1931, Alexander purchased the Queen Anne, one of the largest yachts in the United States. The yacht was later used during World War II for the US Navy. It was renamed to the USS Sardonyx.
In 1938, he and his wife built a mansion in Miami, Florida.
The Montgomery County Community College
The Montgomery County Community College was established in 1964, and began classes two years later at the former Conshohocken High School on 7th and Fayette Streets.
After the first graduation was held in 1968, the college received a $1 million federal grant to build a new campus. They immediately chose the former Thayer farm and estate, and purchased it for $700,000. The ground breaking ceremony of the new MCCC Blue Bell campus was held on February 16, 1970. The campus did not officially open until the fall of 1972.
In 2009, one of the Thayer farm buildings was renovated into the Fine Arts Center, introducing the Associate in Fine Arts degree program.
The West House is used as the office of Marketing and Communications while the East House is used as the offices of the Government and External Relations and the Alumni Resources Foundation.
Bibliography
"Alexander Thayer, 79, Dies at Miami Beach." The Philadelphia Inquirer. January 17, 1968. Page 32. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/31272850/alexander-dallas-thayer-obituary/.
"Google Maps Area Calculator Tool." DaftLogic. Accessed February 20, 2022. https://www.daftlogic.com/projects-google-maps-area-calculator-tool.htm.
"George Adam Bernhard (1784 - 1859)." Ancestry. Accessed February 26, 2022. https://www.ancestry.com/genealogy/records/george-adam-bernhard-24-gxrfhf.
"Henry Greenawalt (1768 - 1835)." Ancestry. Accessed February 26, 2022. https://www.ancestry.com/genealogy/records/henry-greenawalt-24-27llh7k.
Herman, Andrew Mark. Eastern Montgomery County Revisited. (Charleston: Arcadia Publishing, 2005).
"History of the College." Montgomery County Community College. Accessed April 11, 2022. https://www.mc3.edu/about-mccc/timeline.
Hutto, Richard Jay. Their Gilded Cage: The Jekyll Island Club Members. (Macon: Henchard Press Ltd., 2006): 144-146.
"Jacob C Bernhard (1824 - 1910)." Ancestry. Accessed February 26, 2022. https://www.ancestry.com/genealogy/records/jacob-c-bernhard-24-4f8ryx.
"Lieut Alexander Dallas “Alec” Thayer." Find a Grave. Last modified July 14, 2007. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/20443525/alexander-dallas-thayer.
"Local History Sketch. Interesting Local Matter Collected by 'E.M.' The Bernhardt Homestead in Whitpain Township--First Habitation Erected About 1763--Andrew Bernhardt--Jacob Kurr." Ambler Gazette. February 28, 1918. Page 3. http://digitalcollections.powerlibrary.org/cdm/compoundobject/collection/wivp-gazett/id/6707/rec/1.
"Local History Sketch. Interesting Local Matter Collected by 'E.M.' The Former Walker Farm, Whitpain--D.K. Bernhart, Jacob Walker--Henry Greenwalt--Joseph Jarrett--Peter Bisbing--Charles Hoffert." Ambler Gazette. September 29, 1910. Page 7. http://digitalcollections.powerlibrary.org/cdm/compoundobject/collection/wivp-gazett/id/5545/rec/1.
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/.
"The Bernhards, at Franklinville." Ambler Gazette. June 29, 1905. Page 5. http://digitalcollections.powerlibrary.org/cdm/compoundobject/collection/wivp-gazett/id/2687/rec/2.
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