During the 19th century, Lower Gwynedd was home to the farmers who owned huge lots of land before the wealthy families lived in the area during the late 1890s and early 20th century. During that time, there was a wave of Irish immigrants coming to America to seek a new life and opportunities. One of the Irish immigrants to arrive in America was James Gillin.
Pre-Revolutionary War to the Early 19th century
In 1762, a man named Francis Titus sold his home and 124 acres of land to George Adam Snyder. George Snyder died in 1792, leaving his property to his four sons: John, Adam, Jacob, and George. The Snyder held onto the property until 1801 when they sold the home and the land to Jonathan Gilbert for 2,097 pounds.
"The house, which was built in 1768, is a good example of the old colonial style of architecture, being such a home as the prosperous German farmers of that day were wont to erect, having an eye to general convenience as well as comfort. It is a long two and a half story building, constructed of stone, with low ceiling; and great open fireplaces, in which are large iron cranes that were used in former times for a support over the fire for kettles in which were made the delicious apple butter for which that section of the county was famous. Everything about the mansion and the farm indicates thrift and abundance on the part of its fortunate owners."
- Ellwood Roberts, Biographical Annals of Montgomery County, Volume 1 (449)
James Gillin and his Family
In 1853, Isaac Ellis sold 105 acres to James Gillin (1805-1894), an Irish immigrant from Belfast who arrived in America, reaching the port of Baltimore in 1830. He then moved up north to Philadelphia and worked as a stone mason. He then found a place where they needed more people in the stone mason trade, so James went north in PA to Mauch Chunk (today Jim Thorpe, PA). It was winter when he arrived, and there was a lot of snow. There was little he could do in the stone mason trade, so in order to earn money, he shoveled out the snow on the street. When the spring season came, James made his return to Philadelphia where he reunited with his family, and continued his job as a stone mason.
In 1843, James moved out to Ohio to engage in the farming business.
Fun Fact # 1: James worked in Ohio with the brother of Jeremiah S. Black, Justice of the Supreme Court and Secretary of State under President James Buchanan.
He return to Pennsylvania after he married Anna Matilda Felten. He then purchased the Isaac Ellis farm in the spring of 1853 where he continued his farming and dairy business. In his will, James gave $500 to his married daughters; $1,000 to his other daughter Eliza; his sons Robert and Thomas became heirs to his estate and were executors. The sons worked on the family farm for a while until dividing the land: Robert purchased at least 54 acres of land next to the family farm where he built a new, colonial-style home for his family.
Meanwhile, Thomas retained the family farm where he improved the home and added a room for his specimen in ornithology.
Thomas S. Gillin
Thomas S. Gillin (1853-1943) was born at the old Gillin farm on September 27. He attended many schools, including the Eight Square School, a select school of William Arrott of Penllyn, and Sunnyside Academy in Ambler. Thomas then went to college at the Polytechnic College, founded by Dr. Alfred L. Kennedy, and graduated in 1877.
After college, Thomas became a railroad engineer in western Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio where the Gould and Vanderbilt conflict occurred. He then assisted the survey corps on the South Pennsylvania Railroad until 1882 when it was disbanded at Pittsburg.
He returned to his family farm and continued working as an engineer and a surveyor in Ambler after its incorporation.
Fun Fact # 2: Thomas was one of the local citizens to have a blanket woven at the Fulling Mill, owned and operated by the Ambler family.
Bibliography
Hough, Mary P. H. "Early history of Ambler 1682-1888." A Celebration of Women Writers. Accessed January 22, 2023. https://digital.library.upenn.edu/women/hough/ambler/ambler.html.
"Local History Sketch. Interesting Local Matter Collected by 'E.M.' The Old Gillin Homestead, Lower Gwynedd, Is a Landmark--House Conforms in Architecture to the Colonial Period--James Gillin--Thomas Gillin." Ambler Gazette. January 6, 1916. Page 7. https://digitalarchives.powerlibrary.org/papd/islandora/object/papd%3Awivp-gazett_10317.
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/.
Mueller, A. H. Atlas of the North Penn Section of Montgomery County, Pa., Plate 25, 1916.
Roberts, Ellwood. Biographical Annals of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, Containing Genealogical Records of Representative Families, Including Many of the Early Settlers and Biographical Sketches of Prominent Citizens, Volume 1. (New York, Chicago: T.S. Benham & Co. and The Lewis Publishing Co., 1904): 449-451.
Scott, J. D. Montgomery County 1877, Gwynedd, North Wales, Ambler, Royer's Ford, Limerick Station, 1877.