In 1687, The “Providences” were separated into Upper & Nether Providence and remained a part of Chester County until 1789, when Delaware county was created.

Nether Providence remained predominantly a farming community through the 18th century.

Due to the strength of two large creeks (Crum Creek & Ridley Creek), mills began to be established along both and continued to prosper through the industrial revolution.

In 1853, the West Chester & Philadelphia Railroad opened the countryside to the city and development began in earnest along the newly laid railroad.

What today is known as the Moylan-Rose Valley Station was originally called Manchester Station.

In the 19th century, one of the prominent families in the area were the Lansdale’s. Mr. Lansdale was an attorney as well as a Vice President of the Pennsylvania Railroad. He constructed a country house on Rose Valley Road called “Stance”. For the locals, that estate is now known as Coles Hill.

On January 26, 1886, a small article was published in the Delaware County Daily Times that stated the following;

“Mr. Lansdale, the gentleman who has recently erected a new house near Manchester Station, on the West Chester and Philadelphia Railroad, has presented a petition asking that the name of the station be changed to “Moylan” in honor of a Revolutionary general; also to have a post office established at the same place. This will be a great convenience to the inhabitants of Rose Valley and South Media.”

Brigadier General Stephen Moylan served with honors during the Revolutionary war and was an “aide-de-camp” to George Washington.

“While stationed at the Continental Army Headquarters in Cambridge, Moylan wrote a letter to Col. Joseph Reed, a fellow officer and Washington's military secretary concerning the need to procure armaments and gunpowder from the Europeans to replenish their own depleted supply. In the letter dated January 2, 1776, Moylan stated that he wished to carry the “full and ample powers from the United States of America” to Europe to support the revolutionary enterprise. This was the first recorded written usage of the term United States of America. The following June, the United States of America was the prominently displayed heading for Thomas Jefferson's Rough Draft of the Declaration of Independence. Irrespective of whether the term was used in conversations by Washington or others prior to Jan. 2, 1776, Moylan was the first to commit the term to paper.”

So while Lansdale’s petition to the railroad was to honor Brigadier General Stephen Moylan, it was actually also self-serving, as Mr. Lansdale’s full name was William Moylan Lansdale, the great grandson of the above general!

It sure took me a while to piece together the history of where the name Moylan came from!

By the turn of the 20th century, all of the lands surrounding the railroad station were being subdivided to provide for country estates of the “new wealth” of Philadelphia.

Woodward Road (named after Huizinga P. Woodward) was laid out in the early 1890’s and lots along the railroad line were subdivided and sold. In 1911, Reese M. Fleischmann acquired the acreage on which my listing now sits, for $2,000!

When Mr. Fleischmann passed away in 1927, he was the personal assistant to Rodman Wanamaker (the Son of John Wanamaker & the heir that took over the department store upon his Father’s death). While I cannot ascertain if Mr. Fleischmann worked for the Father as well, John Wanamaker passed away in 1922 (six years after my listing was constructed), and the Wanamaker ties run deep!

One might normally think of a personal assistant by today’s standards as a “Secretary” but back in the day, this was a position of critical importance (and wealth!).

In 1915, Mr. Fleischmann hired J. Wilmer Thompson to design his country estate in Moylan on the land he had acquired 5 years earlier. Mr. Thompson was an Architect on the John Wanamaker Company payroll, and also employed by Daniel H. Burnham, the chief Architect that designed the Wanamaker building that we all know and love today at the corner of Market Street and Penn Square!

Mr. Fleischmann’s city dwelling was located at 2221 Delancey Street, and for those of you that know the downtown Philadelphia real estate market, that address is one of the more expensive locations in the Rittenhouse/Fitler Square area!

He named his country estate “Floradale” and whether that name was derived from the abundance of flora in the region, or as an ode to his wife Florence, it’s a lovely name for a lovely home!

Mr. Fleishmann passed away in 1927 at the young age of only 54 years. It remained in the family for 2 more years after his passing, then was sold in July of 1929 to Mr. & Mrs. Shmidheiser who remained in the property until 1966. What is intriguing about this acquisition is that Mr. Shmidheiser was a stock broker, and he acquired the property just 2 months prior to the Great Crash of 1929! Somehow, they were able to retain ownership of the property through the Great Depression!

With only 3 owners since its construction, Floradale retains many of its original elements and the grandeur of the early days remains evident today.

Sited on over an acre of ground and surrounded by an abundance of shrubbery to provide privacy from the road, this 5,500+ Sq. Ft. estate home is a hidden oasis. Pull up to the circular driveway and you will find a 2-car garage tucked into the far rear corner of the property. There is an outside entrance to the 2nd floor that formerly housed staff. While it has not been used for decades, it could be restored for functional space once again as a home office or gym.

A modern shed is placed next to the garage to allow for the storage of lawn & gardening equipment.

Approach the driveway entrance to the home, and a large glass enclosed entry portico with a tiled floor provides the perfect break from the weather prior to entering into the residence.

One enters into a massive formal living & dining area that is 40’ x 22’ with matching stone fireplaces flanking each end. With windows on three sides and an abundance of high-hat lights, one could have huge parties in this great room. The staircase is immediately in front of the entry door and a series of built-in bookcases and cabinets provide an abundance of storage.

A small hallway down the left side of the staircase will take you to the front door facing Woodward Road. The front porch is enclosed to provide a cozy space to sit and enjoy the nature outside during all four seasons.

Directly off that hallway, one will find another living area that has a corner fireplace, French doors to the sun porch and direct access to the kitchen.

In the hallway under the main staircase, one will find the coat closet & the powder room.

The former butler’s pantry and the kitchen area were reconfigured by the current owners that now provides for an abundance of storage on all four walls of the enlarged space. A unique “catwalk” was designed along the ceiling with recessed lighting and a tongue & groove ceiling. There is a rear door to the back yard as well as the rear staircase to the 2nd floor or the basement.

On the second floor, there are a total of 6 spacious rooms (3 dedicated to the owner's suite) and 3 full bathrooms. At the top of the rear staircase is the former staff bedroom with its own hall bathroom.

The owner’s suite occupies the entire length of the eastern side of the residence. Within this space, the original sleeping porch overlooking the driveway is now a fantastic space for a home office, studio or dressing room. One can also access the 2nd floor library from the primary suite where the 4th fireplace can be found. Within the primary bedroom is the 5th fireplace as well as a walk-in closet and an ensuite bathroom.

Down the hallway, one will find the 2 remaining bedrooms that share a full bathroom. The washer & dryer were relocated from the basement to this bathroom.

But wait, there’s more!

Ascend to the third floor, and there is an attic storage closet on the landing prior to reaching the massive, full-depth ballroom! This amazing space provides so many options for a playroom, billiards room, media room, home school area or an art studio! Over the sleeping porch is additional space tucked into the roof line, while over the guest bedrooms below, the 5th bedroom & 4th full bathroom can be found, along with another room that would be perfect as another possible home office.

Lastly, the full basement provides additional options for workshop areas and storage with direct access to the side yard and rear yards through 2 full-height doors (not through a Bilco door).

There is also a back-up generator that services the entire house.

Now that we go outside, there are a few other key features of note. An octagonal gazebo is located off of the kitchen. In the side yard, the current owners constructed the most amazing, 3-story playhouse and there is also a swing set.

A pathway down the side of the playhouse will take you to a little bridge over the Minquas Run to the remainder of the property’s land on the other side of the creek.

Just a couple blocks away is the Moylan-Rose Valley SEPTA station mentioned at the very beginning of this long description!

Directly across the street, one can walk down Chestnut Lane and access all of the various trails that are located within Rose Valley. No need to install a pool, as the Rose Valley Swim & Tennis Club (https://rosevalleypool.com) is located at the terminus of the Minquas Run at the end of Chestnut Lane!

I had shared the below details in February, but since this listing is similarly convenient to the listing I shared earlier, it bears repeating!

The location is so convenient to so many things! One can access I-476 in less than 5 minutes. That gets you to the airport in under 15 minutes (without rush hour!).

Just 5 minutes away are all the fabulous shops & restaurants of downtown Media (and all of the various festivals that are promoted & sponsored by the Media Business Authority), a farmer’s market along with a very unique Trader Joe’s that is housed inside the historic Armory building! Just 15 minutes in the either direction, you can get to the Whole Foods in Newtown Square or the beautiful campus & arboretum at Swarthmore College along with the Swarthmore Coop.

Into the arts? Within 15 minutes of the property, you can explore, participate or volunteer for so many artistic venues.

1. Hedgerow Theatre Company - https://www.hedgerowtheatre.org
2. The Media Theatre - https://www.mediatheatre.org
3. Media Arts Council - https://www.mediaartscouncil.org
4. Players Club of Swarthmore - https://pcstheater.org
5. Spotlight Theatre - https://spotlighttheatrepa.org
6. Lang Center for the Performing Arts - https://www.swarthmore.edu/lang-performing-arts-center
7. The Park Avenue Cummunity Center - https://thepac.center
8. Community Arts Center - https://communityartscenter.org

Will you (or someone that you know) be the 4th Steward of this amazing estate, and carry it forward into the 21st Century?

Come explore Floradale, and you too will fall in love with its quiet grandeur!