Local historical societies are an invaluable part of any community. Serving as the guardians of a region’s history, they ensure that the stories, traditions and heritage of the past are not lost to time. Thanks to a dedicated group of community members, the Edgmont Township Historical Society is now official. These members will no doubt help preserve the town’s cultural identity, foster education and promote Edgmont pride.
The idea for the society first came about after our history spotlight expert Doug Humes and Edgmont Township Supervisor Annie Thorne, along with other members of the community, expressed a growing interest in Edgmont’s historical roots. Doug and Annie knew that establishing an official Edgmont Historical Society could significantly impact the preservation of Edgmont’s rich history and heritage.
With a bit of help from our Friends & Neighbors magazine, Doug and Annie were able to gather interested history buffs and local residents for general interest meetings this past fall. The Edgmont Township Historical Society became official in January, and they proudly announced their new officers, which include Bob Steiner, President; Chip Miller, Vice President; Meg Greene, Secretary; Randy Bates, Treasurer; Christian Freyli,Webmaster; and Ann Guinan, Events Coordinator. “The wonderful thing is that for every interest and every skill, there is a unique place for members to lend their expertise and talent,” Doug said.
Doug, who is the Curator, Communications Liaison and Program Director for the Newtown Square Historical Society, said that he sees the value of volunteering through his 30-plus years of doing so. “Joining a community organization like the historical society is one of the ways to plug into your community, make new friends, and lend your skills and talents to the activities and events that make a community an enjoy-
able place to live and raise a family,” he said proudly.
Annie is the co-founder of the Connect Edgmont community group, where she shares her love of the outdoors and advocates for outdoor recreation, open space and community building in Edgmont Township. She is also a frequent contributor to the Edgmont Township Historical Society’s Facebook group. “I’m delighted so many Edgmont residents answered the call to get the Historical Society up and running. Our new officers and board members are enthusiastically crafting the Society’s 2025 goals, one of which will be to host a table at Edgmont
Township Community Day on September 6,” she said.
The society’s mission is to uncover, preserve and share the history of Edgmont with the community and beyond. “It’s important to document our historic resources so we can understand and share the value of structures like the Gradyville Hotel or The John Worrall House, also known as the ‘Hospital House,’ which is one of just four remaining seventeenth-century brick houses in all of Delaware County,” Annie added.
Bob Steiner, who will serve as the society’s President, is a longtime resident of Edgmont and a member of the township’s Zoning Hearing Board. Since 2000, Bob and his family have lived in one of the township’s historic homes. Bob said he has enjoyed researching the town’s history, especially reading the minutes from past Quaker meetings. “What struck me is that hundreds of years later, people aren’t much different,” he said.
“We are still the same town where neighbors help neighbors.” As an officer of the new historical society, Bob said he is looking forward to connecting people through stories about Edgmont. “I’m excited to work with this talented group who share an interest in making history accessible to everyone,” he added.
The society’s new Vice President, Chip Miller, is a lifelong Gradyville resident with a rich history in the community. His ancestors first settled in Edgmont in the 1860s. While he was growing up, Chip said it was instilled in him that he should give back and actively participate in improving his community. “The historical society gives us the opportunity to uncover the written, oral and physical history and bring it to light,” he said.
One of the historical society’s goals will be to create a digital archive, which would make it easier for residents to look up information about deeds, land grants and other information. “This information is valuable to planners and elected officials to have knowledge of properties in Edgmont.” he added.
Randy Bates will serve as Treasurer. Randy, a lifelong Edgmont resident and the owner and operator of Arasapha Farm, spent 25 years as a volunteer with the Edgmont Fire Company, four years as an elected township supervisor and 12 years on Edgmont Township’s Planning Commission. “Being raised here and also being inspired by my father, who was heavily involved in serving Edgmont Township as an elected Supervisor and on various planning commissions, I’m very interested in the goings on in Edgmont,” Randy said. Randy also said he’s proud of
the dedication of the volunteer and elected boards of Edgmont township to open space and preserving our community as a great place to live and work.
“As Edgmont grows, we’re still able to preserve plenty of open space and maintain that hometown feeling that makes it such a special place to live,” Randy said. Although the historical society is just getting started, one thing the group is looking to offer is historical home tours. “Growing up, I remember being able to visit some of the historical homes in Edgmont,” he recalled. “We’d love to bring something like that back again.”
The Edgmont Township Historical Society welcomes members of the community to come out and get involved! For more information about the Edgmont Township Historical Society, please visit Facebook.com/EdgmontHistoricalSociety or stop one of these officers when you see them in the community and tell them about your interests.