I moved to Pennsylvania in the late 90s after two somewhat lengthy residencies in New York City, and one short-lived adventure to Los Angeles.  Growing up north of Boston, I felt immediately at home on arrival in my adopted new city of Philadelphia.

My first few years were spent in a renovated warehouse loft in the Olde City neighborhood.  Walking to-and-from work via historic Elfreth’s Alley was a journey I particularly enjoyed.  So often I found myself wanting to peek through the curtained first floor windows, hoping to glimpse any number of secrets those old buildings held.

Craving more space, I relocated to a multi-bedroom row home on Umbria Street in Manayunk.  During this period, I enjoyed exploring the many shops on the bustling main street – boutiques that brought the best of everything to the popular borough nestled along the Schuylkill River.  On weekends, I would ride my bicycle via the towpath located just a short step from my front door.  It was those cycling excursions that first introduced me to the area where I now live.

I had always dreamed of owning a house.  Like all prospective homeowners, I spent years saving every available dollar in hopes of making that life-long desire a reality.  In late autumn 2007, a few weeks shy of my 39th birthday, I did just that.  

At its core, my century-old home is a brick farmhouse that sits, literally, below the state road that runs right past it just outside the official town line of historic Schwenksville.  Expanded by past owners over the years, it too has secrets that I always intended to uncover.  It took fifteen years, but in late 2023 I finally made my way to the Montgomery County Register of Deeds – a trip that sparked a deep passion in me to seek out the stories of those that came before.

My curiosity led me here….