The iconic Lindenwold Castle still stands til this day looking over the new housing development. But was this Dr. Mattison's first home in Ambler? Did his wife live somewhere else outside the Gothic castle while her husband was busy?
The Early Life of Dr. Richard V. Mattison: Before the Lindenwold Castle
Dr. Richard V. Mattison (1851-1936) was born and raised in a Quaker family in the rural section in Solebury Township in Bucks County, PA. From his educational background, he was admitted to the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy on a scholarship. There, he would meet his future partner Henry G. Keasbey (1850-1932).
Fun Fact # 1: Dr. Mattison had an older brother named Asher whom he never discussed about to anyone. Not even his own family knew about Asher.
The story of how he discovered asbestos came from his lab in Philadelphia when he accidentally spilled the milk of magnesium on his concoctions on a heated pipe, and didn't burn at all. This was the moment Mattison's "light bulb" began to light up. He began to research this new phenomenon, and soon realized he could use this material for homes and other buildings. Thus, asbestos was introduced.
After partnering up with his college classmate Henry G. Keasbey, they began to think about how to ship the asbestos from Quebec, Canada to a nearby train depot. That was when in 1882, they stumbled upon a humble mill town outside Philadelphia with a train station.
Before settling in Ambler, he met his first wife Esther Dafter (1855-1919), daughter of a retired British officer whom Mattison met at her New Jersey home in Cranbury. They married in 1874.
Fun Fact # 2: Esther was one of the rare individuals who witnessed Dr. Mattison's upward spiral ever since she accompanied him to visit his birthplace in Bucks County.
10 years after his marriage to Esther Dafter, the couple moved to Ambler at the corner of Forest and Ridge Avenues in the eastern part of the town. It wasn't long until Mattison decided to build a multi-towered Victorian building before it was officially reconstructed into a Gothic castle as we know it today.
After Lindenwold Castle
Even after Mattison's Lindewold Castle was built, his wife's name still appeared at their original home in Ambler (seen below). There were evidence where she developed an acute ailment, and she had to stay at their summer home in Newport, Rhode Island to recover. The only place in Ambler where she could recover was inside an icehouse wearing a fur coat. It was possible there were times she stayed at the Lindenwold Castle, and sometimes at their original home.
Another possibility that the Mattison family still kept their original home in Ambler was due to Dr. Mattison wanting to take a break from his Lindenwold Castle, and want to relax at a small home.
The only true information I found about this home was it was called "Gardalawne/Gardelawne" as seen in the clipping below:
Architecture
The home the Mattison family stayed at was a Second Empire-style home with its iconic Mansard roof, an all-around porch, and bay windows. The home also displays many decorative features surrounding the porch.
Whoever owned a Second Empire-style home displayed wealth and status.
Bibliography
"104 Forest Ave, Ambler, PA 19002." Redfin. Accessed November 12, 2023. https://www.redfin.com/PA/Ambler/104-Forest-Ave-19002/home/38028125.
"Dr. Richard V. Mattison, Chemist And Manufacturer, Passes At 85." Ambler Gazette. November 19, 1936. Pages 1 & 6. https://digitalarchives.powerlibrary.org/papd/islandora/object/papd%3Awivp-gazett_23687.
Godshalk, Dutch. "The life, times of Dr. Richard V. Mattison, who built an empire in Ambler Borough." The Reporter. Last modified April 30, 2015. https://www.thereporteronline.com/2015/04/30/the-life-times-of-dr-richard-v-mattison-who-built-an-empire-in-ambler-borough/.
"Google Maps Area Calculator Tool." DaftLogic. Accessed November 5, 2023. https://www.daftlogic.com/projects-google-maps-area-calculator-tool.htm.
Philadelphia Real Estate Record and Builders' Guide, v. 3, n. 1 (1888): 563, 624.
Talese, Gay. Unto the Sons. (New York: Random House, 2006): 380-383, 386-389.