Seeking stories of Little Crum Creek Park

Swarthmore resident Bill Titus’ grandfather, with cows, in what would become Little Crum Creek Park. Photo courtesy of Bill Titus

To the Editor,

Cresson Lane, circa 1903. Photo courtesy of Bill Titus

As we are all looking for safe outdoor spaces during the pandemic, many people have been enjoying Swarthmore’s local gem, Little Crum Creek Park. Although you surely have been appreciating its tranquility and beauty, you may not be aware of its interesting history. The Friends of Little Crum Creek Park is a recently established nonprofit whose mission is to support and enhance the park, and among its projects is the writing of its history. To get this project started, we have been going through records and interviewing past and present residents to discover the park’s past.  

Here’s some of the information we have uncovered so far. The first 1.5-acre parcel of what would later become the park was purchased by the borough from the Swarthmore Improvement Company in 1894, a year after the borough was incorporated. The rest of the park was originally a small estate established by Anton Wagner, an immigrant from Austria who had made his fortune in Philadelphia as a tailor. In 1901, when most of Delaware County was still farmland, Wagner bought a 5-acre lot at the corner of Yale and Swarthmore avenues, and built a summer residence on it at 218 Swarthmore Ave. Over the years, the family built two more houses and a barn, which border the park today on the Swarthmore Avenue side.

Anton Wagner’s house at 218 S. Swarthmore Ave. Photo courtesy of Bill Titus

We’ve also discovered that the Wagner estate was at one time designated by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as part of the proposed Red/Yellow Route, a highway that would have connected the Pennsylvania Turnpike with I-95 by cutting through western Springfield Township and crossing Swarthmore at the intersection of Swarthmore Avenue and what is now Cresson Lane. It would then have exited Swarthmore at Yale Avenue following Little Crum Creek. However, the commonwealth ultimately determined that the costs of construction and acquiring necessary rights-of-ways were prohibitive so opted instead for the present path known as the Blue Route. 

By the 1960s, the Wagner estate (which had become known as the Titus-Rumble Tract) was one of the last privately owned open spaces in Swarthmore. When citizens learned that the owners were considering developing it, they organized to have the question of a borough purchase put on the ballot. The referendum passed overwhelmingly in 1968, and the borough purchased the land. 

As we continue our research, we would love to hear any stories you have that could contribute to our understanding of the park’s history. If you have information about the park, whether through your personal experience on the land or your involvement with its establishment, construction, or upkeep, please write to Mark Taylor at markstaylor80@gmail.com or John McKinstry at John.mckinstry1959@gmail.com.  

If you are interested in participating in a park event or workday, please contact Susan Kelly, president of Friends of Little Crum Creek Park, at susankelly339@gmail.com. 

Sincerely,

John McKinstry
Mark Taylor
Swarthmore