Darby & Darby history

In 1900 he sold most of the Kent property, exclusive of the Kent Mills, to Hannah K. Schoff who paid $11,000 for five large parcels of land and all the houses thereon.

Henry Kent was one of the organizers of the First National Bank of Clifton Heights in 1902 and participated in many local and national societies.

In 1905 he purchased twenty-five acres and a beautiful mansion still standing where Palmer Mill Road meets Sycamore Avenue.

The Garrettford-Drexel Hill Fire Company was organized as the Garrettford Fire Company on January 25, 1907 and it was Upper Darby’s first fire company.

The mills are gone, but there are remnants of the Western Ice Company plant built around 1920.

The Crawford family moved to 531 Bloomfield Ave. in 1921.

September 19, 1922 Darby the Scott tract development

A plan to develop the 400 block of Kent Road and the 6800 of Montgomery Avenue was submitted to the Planning Board In 1923.

Plate 20 Darby, Collingdale 1928

Kershaw declared bankruptcy and closed his mills in 1934.

Doctor James Dunn, who purchased the mansion house in 1936, believed that portions of this house were built by the Levis family in 1720.

Kershaw died in 1939 at his son’s home at 433 Burmont Road and is buried in Arlington Cemetery in Drexel Hill.

The January 28, 1943 issue of the Clifton Heights News commemorated the 100th anniversary of the mills.

Plate 101a Darby Boro Main St at 9th St 1955

Another row of old mill houses, demolished in 1956, stood near the Rosemont Avenue bridge.

In 1976, Upper Darby purchased the Burnley mansion, two nearby mill houses and eleven acres along the Darby Creek for $125,000.