The Richard Wall house is a historic home in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania, built in 1682. It was owned by the Wall family for 165 years,"The Richard Wall House Museum", an information sheet provided to visitors of the museum. and was in continuous occupancy from its construction until 1979. It is listed in the National Register of Historic Places as Wall House and is also sometimes referred to as The Ivy. ()
The home has undergone several renovations, and a section of the basement wall is the only original remaining construction. It was the site of religious meetings and weddings, and among the earliest locations of Quaker worship in the United States. It is now a museum open to the public, and is located at Church Road and Wall Park Drive in Elkins Park.
History
Richard Wall was one of the fifteen original founders of Cheltenham Township, Pennsylvania, likely arriving with William Penn's group of Quakers in 1682. They named the township for the main town in Gloucestershire, England, where they originated.
In 1692, the house was first constructed as a log cabin in the wilderness, with a stone fireplace wall, the masonry that can still be seen in the present construction. The Walls made renovations from around 1730 to 1805, many probably due to the growth of the Wall family.
The Wall family was joined in marriage by the Shoemaker family. The families owned a corn grist mill on Tacony Creek. Descendants of the Walls lived in the house until 1847,Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. "Wall House (The Ivy)" (historical marker), Church Road and Wall Park Drive, Elkins Park, Pennsylvania. 1982. when it was sold to the Bosler family.
In 1927, running water and electricity were added. The Bosler family remained the owners until 1932, when the property was purchased by the township and named Wall Park. The house was rented from 1932 to 1979. In 1941, Harold C. Pike, the township manager, moved into the home and resided there until his death in 1978.
Since 1980, the house has been managed by the Cheltenham Township Historical Commission, which opened the museum and orientation center in 1994.
The permanent exhibits display elements of life over more than 200 years of residence. Highlights include a fully furnished and electrified doll house created before 1920Hirsch, Lois. "The Doll House Lady and Her Doll House", an information sheet provided to visitors of the museum. Collected July 3, 2006. and a collection of over 100 antique tools.
See also List of the oldest buildings in Pennsylvania List of the oldest buildings in the United States
References
Further reading Rothschild, Elaine W., A History of Cheltenham Township. Pennsylvania: Cheltenham Township Historical Commission, 1976.
External links
Richard Wall House Museum at CheltenhamTownship.org Slideshow of The Richard Wall House by Russell Heimlich