I've wondered about its origin - envisioning perhaps the remnants of a local farm - so I thought I'd take the opportunity to research its history. I came upon a very interesting article entitled "Sore point or selling point? West Whiteland pitches images of farms long gone Former farmland inspires, saddens". In it, the writer states the shopping center developers "trucked in the three-story silo" from some 130 miles away. So much for it being of local origin. And so much for ever finding a "sepia photo" of this silo.
BUT, not to be daunted, I searched for photos old photos of the area pre-shopping mall. I came upon this wonderful photograph from 1937 courtesy of Penn Pilot, a project sponsored by the Pennsylvania Geological Survey, which maintains historical aerial photographs of Pennsylvania.
But even more interesting than just this photo, is the blog post where I actually found this photo. The post is called "Exton, PA through the ages from above" and includes additional photos, such as a closeup of this 1937 photo with an overlay photo of the same area from 1971. There is another overlay of the area from 2007.
But wait, it gets better! Reading through the whole post and also browsing the whole blog, I realize it's the history of a wonderful family restaurant called The Guernsey Cow. The site is full of photographs, memorabilia and stories from the original owners and family as well as former employees and patrons.
The Guernsey Cow site is truly a labor of love -- it seems The Guernsey Cow restaurant was as well -- and I think it epitomizes what Sepia Saturday is all about.
Intriguing post. Your story is much more interesting than the silo which just shows how much we take for granted. When I saw The Guernsey Cow my immediate thoughts were of the Channel Islands where the cows originated. Then to a TV detective called Bergerac. It just shows how one topic leads to another if we bother to investigate.
ReplyDeleteWho could not love a Guernsy cow? This is a very interesting photo.....and I'd stop at that restaurant too!
ReplyDeleteWhat an interesting find - this post about the PA maps. I have ancestors who lived in PA and this link to Penn Pilot will be really helpful. I'll have to look at The Guernsey Cow website tomorrow. Thanks!
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