Our first clue of a mill having been in “Scroggie Valley,” now Glen Providence Park, was in local historian Dr. Anna Broomall’s 1700’s Newlywed Ghost Story – a bit of local folklore with details that launched much research about the valley’s early history, and yielded the discovery that the park had once been called Scroggie Valley! I gradually found more evidence of a mill in early newspapers, maps, and local history books. It turns out the 1800’s shingle mill was the site of some unfortunate events – and there is possibly even an 1864 photograph of the mill!

A millrace through Glen Providence Park?

The 1700’s Newlywed Ghost Story had this intriguing hint of a mill having been in the park: “The ghost of this unfortunate woman was for many years afterwards reported to walk up and down the valley to the west of Media along the old race bank which extended from Scroggie about as far up the valley as the present Broomall’s Lake. The remains of this race bank are still visible.” These sentences led to a determined search for any reference to a millrace (mill stream) or mill in Glen Providence Park, and the eventual compilation of several pieces of evidence that it existed!

A 1909 map shows the residence of the Little family, at the southwest end of Glen Providence Park in Upper Providence, named Scroggie. The 1948 obituary of Louis Little indicates that his family estate Scroggie “was named for an old shingle mill that was located in the valley where Glen Providence Park is now situated.” According to this, the Scroggie home and Scroggie Valley were named after the shingle mill!

1855 Close-up showing the Shingle Mill Stream that was diverted from Broomall’s Run within what is now the park – to power the shingle mill near Ridley Creek.

This seemed anectodal until discovering the shingle mill stream clearly marked on an 1855 map of Media, starting just below 3rd Street (the future location of Broomall’s Dam), and running along the western (Upper Providence) side of the valley, while the natural stream continued along the Media side of the valley. An 1860 map of Chester County marks the location of the shingle mill near Ridley Creek!

So what is a shingle mill, and when was it built?

A shingle mill is used to slice a section of log into tapered wedges to make wooden shingles. Before asphalt shingles, most roofs were covered in wooden shingles. You can see photos and videos of antique shingle mills in use on the Ontario Steam Heritage Museum website. Being water-powered, the Scroggie Shingle Mill used a millrace that diverted a portion of water from the natural stream. The millrace would be engineered to accelerate the water down a manmade channel through the valley, turning the water wheel that powered the sawblade at the mill.

According to Dr. Anna Broomall’s notes from 1909, in 1848 John Hill “built the mill for splitting shingles, but, owing to some deficit in the method, the work was soon abandoned… It is not known with whom the name “Scroggie” (pronounced Scrogie, long o and hard g) originated, it dates, at least, as far back as the Hill ownership.” It would seem the shingle mill caused Mr. Hill some headaches over the next decade…

1861 drawing of the Scroggie house – from Anna Broomall’s collection at Delaware County Historical Society

Media’s first fire, and a lawsuit!

The shingle mill was the location of the first fire in Media on June 20, 1851, which, according to the 19th century historian Henry Ashmead, was “the first untoward event in the infant village” (Media was founded in 1850). He indicates “There was no similar disaster until after the lapse of eight years.” The newspaper reported, “The shingle factory of John Hill, at Media, together with a quantity of lumber was destroyed by fire on Friday last. We have heard no estimate of the loss.”

Mr. Hill apparently rebuilt the mill, only to be sued by his neighbor in 1857 over its operation. The outcome of John R. Lewis vs. John Hill is detailed in the local papers. Mr. Lewis alleged that he was entitled to ½ the water of Scroggie’s stream (according to an undocumented 999-year lease), but that the flow of water was frequently interrupted by the defendant placing gates in the run to power his shingle mill. The judge ruled that Mr. Lewis had the right to only about 1/6 of the stream’s water, for the purpose of watering his meadow, and for which he paid an ear of corn annually. The jury returned a verdict of $5 in damages for the plaintiff. It is unknown whether Mr. Lewis was satisfied with this outcome.

The shingle mill location… and an 1800’s photograph?

I have found no records of the Scroggie Shingle Mill in operation after 1861, but I did come across an intriguing photograph on Facebook of a “lumber mill on Ridley Creek in 1864.” The origin of the photo is unknown, but I decided to visit the likely site of the shingle mill within Glen Providence Park to compare the landscape to the 1864 photo. This is the location where the millrace that hugged the Upper Providence side of the valley would have been funneled by topography to join the natural stream, making it the logical location of the mill. The result is similar topography, as shown in these photographs!

“Lumber Mill on Ridley Creek in 1864” posted by Harvey Martin on “I Grew Up In Media” Facebook page – origin of photo unknown.

Probable Shingle Mill location in Glen Providence Park in January 2015 – the shingle mill would be just behind the large tree in the center of the photo

If this 1800’s photograph is of the Scroggie shingle mill, this would make the latest documentation of the mill in 1864, which, according to Anna Broomall, is the same year that Judge John M. Broomall purchased the Scroggie estate, then razed the original wooden house and built the current stone house in 1867. It is plausible that he would have razed the property’s shingle mill around the same time.

If anyone has more information on the source of the 1864 photograph, please contact us! Even if it were not an actual photo of the Scroggie Shingle Mill, it would be an example of a local mill during the same time period.

Observant hikers may find what seem to be signs of the old millrace along the western edge of the valley, bordering the wetlands. You can see the approximate location of the shingle mill marked on our 2011 Annotated Trail Map, which includes the “Shingle Mill Trail” nickname for the path leading to the mill site.

Click on the photos below for more evidence of the Scroggie shingle mill. Coincidentally, the Scroggie name seems to originate from the 1840’s, the same decade in which Charles Dickens was inspired by the gravestone of Ebeneezer Scroggie to write “A Christmas Carol.” 

Sources:

• 1848 Map of Delaware County by Joshua W. Ash, M.D. from original surveys with the farm limits, courtesy of Delaware County Institute of Science, Media, PA
• 1855 Map of Media the Seat of Justice Delaware County, Pennsylvania by Thos. Hughes, C.E., courtesy of Media Historic Archives, Media, PA
• 1860 Map of Chester Co Pennsylvania by T.J. Kennedy, on display in the 2nd floor lobby of the Delaware County Courthouse, Media, PA
• 1909 Map from the “Property Atlas of Delaware County East of Ridley Creek,” courtesy of Media Historic Archives, Media, PA
• “Burned, ” Delaware County Republican, June 27, 1851
• “Error,” Delaware County American, June 17, 1857
• History of Delaware County, Pennsylvania, Henry Graham Ashmead, L.H. Everts & Co.,Philadelphia, 1884, p. 590
• “Lumber Mill on Ridley Creek in 1864,” I Grew Up In Media PA Facebook page, posted by Harvey Martin September 9, 2013, origin unknown.
• “John R. Lewis vs. John Hill,” Delaware County American, June 10, 1857
• “Local “Witches” of Long Ago Described by Dr. Broomall,” Chester Times, May 15, 1931
• “Louis Little, Rifle Expert, Broker, Is Dead,” Chester Times, November 13, 1948
• Ontario Steam Heritage Museum, http://woodgears.ca/steam_museum/shingle_mills.html
• Photograph album collection of Dr. Anna E. Broomall, Delaware County Historical Society, Chester, PA
• The Rose Tree Families, Jane Levis Carter, KNA Press, 1984

For those who love history, maps, or both(!), it is interesting to track the progression of development surrounding the land that is now Glen Providence Park! We’ve compiled over 20 maps in chronological order, starting with property lines of European settlers in 1681. Early maps were of Chester County, before Delaware County was founded in 1789. Some of the locations and property owners play a part in the park’s history and folklore, as noted in the captions.

Most of these maps are zoomed in from larger maps, focusing on the valley that is now Glen Providence Park. Not all maps are oriented with north at the top, some are almost sideways! The best way to orient yourself is often to find Broomall’s Run, which runs the length of Glen Providence Park, and is shown on most maps.

Thank you to the institutions and organizations that have preserved and displayed these wonderful maps: Delaware County Institute of Science, Media Historic Archives, DelawareCountyHistory.com, Delaware County Courthouse, Delaware County Parks & Recreation, and Brandywine Conference & Visitors Bureau at Rose Tree Tavern. Below the map gallery, there are links and more information about each institution, along with a listing of which maps we found there.

Scroll through time below – you can click on any map for a closer look!

Sources:

Media Historic Archives:
Archival material about Media Borough and vicinity – including photographs, manuscripts, and maps! Located in the Media-Upper Providence Free Library, Media, PA. You can visit by appointment, during library hours.

1855 Map of Media the Seat of Justice Delaware County, Pennsylvania by Thos. Hughes, C.E.
1892 Map of Media
1909 Map from the “Property Atlas of Delaware County East of Ridley Creek”
1941 The Nature Guide to Glen Providence Park issued by Delaware County Park and Recreation Board
1951 Borough of Media, Delaware County, Penna

Delaware County Institute of Science:
One of Media’s hidden treasures, with a wide array of collections, right on Veterans Square in Media! Open most Monday, Thursday, and Saturday mornings, 9:00am – 12:00noon.

1681 Fac-simile of Holmes Map of the Province of Pennsylvania with the names of the original purchasers from William Penn – begun in 1681 (reproduced in 1846)
1683 A draft of some part of the county of Chester in Pensilvania by Charles Ashcom Surveyor
1810 A Map of Delaware County as Divided into Townships
1848 Map of Delaware County by Joshua W. Ash, M.D. from original surveys with the farm limits
1870 Plan of the Borough of Media, PA by G.M. Hopkins, C.E.

DelawareCountyHistory.com:
An impressive collection of documents and maps (more than we show here!) are scanned and well organized on this website – available 24/7!

1785 Township Map of Chester County Pennsylvania by Joshua W. Ash, M.D.
1862 Map of the Early Settlements of Delaware County, Penna – from George Smith’s 1862 History of Delaware County
1875 An Historical Map of Pennsylvania by P.W. Sheafer and others – Historical Society of Pennsylvania
1875 Map of Upper Providence Township
1882 Map of the Township of Upper Providence showing the Early Grants & Patents
1946 Map of Delaware County, Penna. produced by Office of Engineer of Delaware County, A.C. Throne, County Engineer

Delaware County Parks & Recreation:

1945 Plan of Glen Providence Park by J. Earl Kirk, Engineer

Delaware County Courthouse:
On display in the 2nd floor lobby by Council Chambers, along with an 1860 map of Philadelphia and Vicinity:

1860 Map of Chester Co Pennsylvania by T.J. Kennedy

Brandywine Conference & Visitors Bureau at Rose Tree Tavern:

1870 Map from the Atlas of Delaware County, Pennsylvania by Henry W. Hopkins

Personal collection:

1892 Plan of Upper Providence Township from Atlas of Delaware County by J.L. Smith
1995 USGS Media Quadrangle Map

We will add more maps of interest as we find them!

What do Glen Providence Park and Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol have in common?  Origins in the name Scroggie, of course!  The land that is now the park was called Scroggie Valley in the 1800’s, and evidently a man named Ebenezer Scroggie inspired the character of Ebenezer Scrooge.  Coincidentally, both origins date to the 1840’s.

In his diaries, Dickens wrote that Scrooge originated from a gravestone he saw in 1841, while taking an evening walk in the Canongate Kirkyard in Edinburgh, Scotland. The headstone was for Ebenezer Scroggie, a relative of economist Adam Smith. The marker identified Scroggie as a “meal man” (corn merchant), but Dickens misread this as “mean man”. Dickens wrote that it must have “shrivelled” Scroggie’s soul to carry “such a terrible thing to eternity” and “To be remembered through eternity only for being mean seemed the greatest testament to a life wasted.”  Ironically, the actual Scroggie was known for his generosity and jovial nature!  Dickens published A Christmas Carol in 1843.

Back in the States, the land that is now the park was called Scroggie Valley from around the 1840’s to at least 1900.  The valley was heralded for its beauty in writings in 1889 and 1900.

The valley shared its name with the house called Scroggie, which Isaac Cochran Sr. built around 1844 at Ridley Creek Road and Kirk Lane. This is at the base of the valley, near where Broomall’s Run meets Ridley Creek.

The Scroggie property along Broomall’s Run became the site of a shingle mill, also said to be called Scroggie, built in 1848 (see our annotated trail map).  An 1855 map of Media shows that the Shingle Mill Stream ran parallel to Broomall’s Run through what is now the park, and an 1860 map of Delaware county shows the Shingle Mill.

Even when the original Scroggie house was torn down by John M. Broomall to build a larger house around 1864, the new house continued to be called Scroggie until at least 1952.

According to the Surname Database, Scroggie is of early medieval Scottish origin.

If you enjoy one of the many versions of Charles Dickens’ classic A Christmas Carol this year, you can think about the “Scroggie” beginnings of the story and Glen Providence Park!

For another park reference to a classic Christmas story, see our post on It’s a Wonderful Life.

December 2012 update:
Locally, you can see A Christmas Carol each year in Rose Valley at the lovely Hedgerow, America’s First Repertory Theatre!  Intriguingly, its building is a grist mill built in 1840… one year before Dickens discovered Ebenezer Scroggie, and about 4 years before the house called Scroggie.   What is it about those 1840’s?

Sources for Ebenezer Scroggie:

Wikipedia entry on Ebenezer Scrooge (last modified 11-30-2011)
Scroggie Scrooge was not so tight after all, find historians 12-17-2010 on scotsman.com
Scotland’s books: a history of Scottish literature By Robert Crawford, Oxford Press, 2009

For more information about Scroggie Valley, with endnotes, read our post Pre-park history: Scroggie Valley.

It’s our historically annotated trail map!  These are not official trail and place names- they are whimsical names based on our research of the park.  Sprinkle a little historical perspective into your next visit to Glen Providence Park!

Just how much of the park have you explored?

Each trail has its own personality and treasures.  The wildlife on the Shingle Mill Trail, the views from the Mountain Laurel Trail, the evergreens on the western hill of the Switchback and Scouts Loop- and of course the waterfall and wetlands of the Ice House Trail… we highly recommend exploring it all!

This is our first version of our annotated map, which we adapted from the Delaware County Parks & Recreation trail map.   We plan to develop it as our research continues.

You can preview it below or print the Annotated trail map PDF (we recommend color printing).

Enjoy the park!

Annotated trail map - September 2011 version

Stepping stones & stairs

First we learned a little about the history of Broomall’s Run: quarries, waterworks, mills, springs- and Broomall’s Dam! Then we learned interesting information about native plants including Witch Hazel, Ginger, Jewelweed and Spicebush, and invasives including Japanese Honeysuckle and Multiflora Rose!

Then we went hard to work!  There used to be three footbridges between Broomall’s Dam and the park’s pond. All three collapsed due to stream bank erosion.  We reclaimed one of those stream crossings by installing stepping stones at the site of the middle footbridge!  We also installed stairs on the steep stream bank down to the stepping stones, and we cleared the trails on both sides.

Then, we cleared the overgrown trail leading to the old springs on the west side of Broomall’s Run, near the waterfall– they used to be a source of drinking water in the park! We found the sources of two springs, and a (Common Garter or Eastern Ribbon?) Snake nearby.

Those with younger kids helped pick up trash along the trails.  Many thanks to the volunteers who came out- it was fun!

Witch Hazel

either Common Garter or Eastern Ribbon Snake

From a description of Media in 1900:  “Turn to the west, and you shall see a landscape not devoid of wildness. Scroggie valley… with its lake and its rill; [2] the wide vale of Ridley Creek…; Mineral Hill, rugged and scarred; the heights of Lima and the stately dome of Elwyn. And when the sun sinks of a summer evening behind those western hills, and the hues of that landscape shift and change; or when of an afternoon, a thunder storm comes slowly down the valley; then does one at last perceive the full charm of this little bit of the world which is at his own door.”  [3] [bold added]

Wood Thrush ("wood-robin")

In 1889, T. Chalkley Palmer wrote about “Scroggie”, [4]  fondly recounting his exploration of Scroggie Valley since early childhood.  “As for the valley and its hills as they now are, I have known all their nooks since the beauty, the quietness, and the nameless charm of Scroggie drew my steps through the opening, and by degrees toward the far, blue, woody ending thereof more than twenty years ago.” [5]

T.C. Palmer admired Scroggie’s plants: trailing arbutus, laurel, blackberries, purple lady’s slipper, “jewel-weeds”, oaks and chestnut trees; [6] its birds: chewink, oven-bird and “wood-robin”; [7] and its fish: redfins, minnows, sunfish and roach. In Scroggie Valley, a young T.C. Palmer learned to distinguish frog and toad eggs. His tales of wildlife encounters include lizards, black snakes, woodchuck, snappers, grasshoppers, crickets, and a story about catching a watersnake named Joe, who refused to eat in captivity: “A council was held, and as a result we carried him back to Scroggie and liberated him.”

Northern Water Snake - Joe's descendant?

Who was T. Chalkley Palmer?  He grew up at a mill house along Ridley Creek where the Aqua plant is located- at the mouth of Scroggie Valley. He went on to become the president both of the Delaware County Institute of Science, and of the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia!

It is fortunate to have this detailed 1889 description of Scroggie Valley as a reference for today’s Glen Providence Park!

Scroggie House:

We don’t know which was named first, the house or the valley.  A house at Kirk Lane & Ridley Creek Road, near the mouth of Broomall’s Run, was called Scroggie as late as 1952. It was said to be named after a shingle mill that was once in Scroggie Valley where the park is now located. [8]

End Notes:

[1] Scroggie is a Scottish word which means “covered with underwood, bushy.”

[2] The lake is Broomall’s Lake, and a rill is a small brook.  The brook is now called Broomall’s Run.

[3] Quote from the “Semi-centennial of the borough of Media, Penna, May 19, 1900”

[4] T. Chalkley Palmer’s 13 page essay “Scroggie” was published over three issues of  a Philadelphia monthly The Student, the 1889-1890 issues being compiled in one volume:

– “Scroggie: Where and What It Is,” December 1889, pages 91-94

– “Scroggie: Early Memories,” January 1890, pages 122-126

– “Scroggie As It Is,” February 1890, pages 169-172

1909 Map of Upper Providence Township

[5] That the valley of Broomall’s Run is Scroggie Valley is confirmed in T. Chalkley Palmer’s December 1889 essay, stating “Scroggie stream meets Elwyn stream face to face at Ridley Brook.”  You can confirm this on Google maps!

[6] Oak remains a predominant tree in the valley, but the majestic American Chestnut tree was virtually eliminated in North America by a blight in the early 1900’s.  Decades of research have been done in an effort to bring them back, including at the Chestnut Nursery at Tyler Arboretum in Media.

[7] Chewink is a towhee of eastern North America.  “Wood-robin” is a common name for the Wood Thrush: its flute-like song can still be heard in Glen Providence Park!

[8] We found this 1909 map in the Media Historic Archives that shows the Scroggie house (spelled Scrogie on the map).

The November 13, 1948 Chester Times obituary of Louis Little indicates that his family estate Scroggie  “was named for an old shingle mill that was located in the valley where Glen Providence Park is now situated”.

We will update these notes as we gather more information!

Researched by Stephanie Gaboriault