211 Lansdowne Road - Llanerch Presbyterian Church

Built in 1912

Pastors

Starting in 1924, Albert C.(G.?) Williams was the church organist, and he played the organ until at least 1949. John B. Siegfried was mentioned as a substitute organist in 1956. Charles B. Allison was active as the organist director between at least 1966 and 1973.
In 1957, James W. Hoffman was listed as a deacon of the church.
In 1977, Georgia Lee Marshall began her tenure as minister of music and served at least through 1978.

History

Prior to its formal existence, the Presbyterian Church of Llanerch had an existence before its modern land aquisition, to which William Dunwoody of 21 Tenby Road was the elder. Reverend William Boyd was its pastor.

West Chester Daily Local News, June 30th, 1909, page 6

Llanerch Presbyterian Church was established in 1912 on land that was originally part of R.G. Kennedy's plot next to Mary Albertson's tract. It was designed by architect George Nattress. The congregation applied for a charter on March 29th, 1912, and that charter was granted on April 22nd, 1912, officially granting the congregation its status, although it less formally had been in operation beginning in 1909. It was creating with the original trustees as follows:

• George Denton Moore (of 101 West Chester Pike, then-2 Llandaff Road)
• Jessie Edward Dunwoody (of 15 East Park Road)
• Wilfred Lawrence Coates (of 318 Bewley Road)
• John Campbell MacAlpine (of 204 East Park Road, then-15 Pembrey Road)
• Wilbur Pyle Hall (of 12 Tenby Road)

The first pastor to the church was Reverend Dr. Charles Richardson, who moved from Syracuse to take his position.

In 1914, a man named John P. Tobin, who had recently been released from his sentence at the Eastern State Penitentiary, stole a bunch of tools from the church. He was swiftly caught and penalized.

Delaware County Daily Times, February 4th, 1914, page 6

In 1915, Lucy Biddle Lewis, a prominent peace activist and suffragist, spoke at Llanerch Presbyterian as part of a series of Quaker peace-speaking events in Southeastern Pennsylvania. She was one of the American delegates to the International Congress of Women.

Philadelphia Inquirer, September 5th, 1915, page 6

In 1920, Richardson retired to Pasadena, California. He was 74 years old at the time and had worked in the Presbyterian ministry for 45 years. He died 2 years later of a heart attack. He had spent much time in the Near East and taught for years at the prestigious Robert College, an American-founded Protestant secondary school in Constantinople, then part of the Ottoman Empire. He was succeeded in his position by William Kieffer.

Evening Public Ledger, February 14th, 1922, page 2

By 1924, William Brooke Dunwoody of 21 Tenby Road was the superintendent of the church's preschool. Around the same time, Martha D. Kuhnle of 115 Tenby Road held a similar position in the "junior department". In 1936, a Bostoner, William Evans, was arrested after robbing the "poor boxes", a donation box located in the Sunday School. He made off with 68 pennies, or, adjusted for inflation in 2025, an incredible $15.84.

Pottsville Republican & Herald, April 6th, 1936, page 8

The congregation had another prominent speaker in 1937, Dr. Merle Middleton Odgers, then-president of Girard College and later of Bucknell University. He spoke to the local federation of Womens' clubs and iterated the importance of education on the preservation of democratic ideals.

Philadelphia Inquirer, May 1st, 1938, page 46 (written by Helen Scheehle of 323 Davis Road)

In 1939, the church was host to a luncheon to crown Annie Mullen Cowan as the "First Lady" of Llanerch. She had lived in Haverford Township longer than any living resident at the time (stated since 1846), and had helped found every local civic organization in the community. She lived on Coopertown Road with her husband, who died in 1913 in a tragic accident at the Llanerch Public School, and she later moved to 310 Darby Road, which is now a business closer to the Manoa neighborhood of Havertown. In 1940, the church honored her again, along with the larger community. She was apparently one of the founders of the church, and was one of the first women to be named Elder. She died in 1947.

Philadelphia Inquirer, June 7th, 1939, page 12 & June 7th, 1940, page 17

The Church was an early promoter of racial equality in the country. In 1939, the pastor hosted a choir to sing for a "Race Relations Sunday" event dedicated to the improvement of relationship between the White and Black communities of the region.

Delaware County Daily Times, February 11th, 1939, page 15

In 1945, Reverend Kieffer was elected to the position of moderator for the Presbytery of Philadelphia. He succeeded Dr. J. Howard Bell from Carmel in Glenside. He retired from the position a year later and was succeeded by Dr. Edward Burns Shaw.

Delaware County Daily Times, April 7th, 1945, page 7

In 1946 was not a kind year to Kieffer. A trolley collided with the side of his car, although it's unclear who had the right of way. His car was flung 30 feet and he suffered injuries, however he was sent to the hospital and survived, recovering reasonably well.

Philadelphia Inquirer, December 19th, 1946 page, 3 & December 23rd, 1946

Rev. Eli Fry Wismer succeeded Kieffer in 1952. He originally worked at the New Hope Presbyterian Church.

Pottstown Mercury, April 30th, 1952, page 2 & Philadelphia Inquirer, May 15th, 1952, page 22

In 1957, artist Clint Bradley completed an imitation stained glass window for the church. 1956 was the year that Wismer retired. He was replaced by Rev. John W. Howard.

Red Bank Daily Register, January 12th, 1960, page 16

In 1962, Mrs. Wilfred L. Coates died. She, at the time of her death, was the oldest living chart member (and maybe the last?). 2 years later, Paster Emeritus Kieffer died as well. He was 81 years old. A third notable death in the 60s happened in that same year, Mrs. Lila Pearl Davis (née Roop), the oldest member of the church, died at 82 years old. In June of that year, Rev. John Franklin McCleary became pastor of the congregation. In 1967, the church began renovations of its sanctuary, lasting three months. New pews and carpeting were installed, and the walls and floor were refurbished. That same year, George Clayton Ames, III. was announced as assistant minister for one year.

In 1990, the church had work done on its ceiling at a cost of $2,000.