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St. Davids, East Lancaster Ave.
1891
Destroyed by fire
Villa Florenza was built as a wedding present by Mrs. Charles Griffiths for her daughter and Dr. George Lee Jameson. Mrs. Griffiths came with the house, so to speak, and Jameson insisted on paying rent to his mother-in-law. The house was named for the Italian city of Florence, which Mrs. Griffiths and her daughter both loved and frequently visited. The house had a Norman tower, which was copied on the top of the stable. Next to the stable was an ornate pigeon house. Dr. Jameson built a Maine woods-type log cabin on the estate, which had a cathedral ceiling and walk-in fireplace. The cabin was later used for board meetings of the Neighborhood League, which was founded by Dr. Jameson and Mrs. Thomas Walton. In the 1950s the stable was sold on one acre as a separate property. It was bought by Virginia and David Moylan, who lived in the stable, a mere shell when they bought it, for over 50 years. Mrs. Moylan, formerly the owner of the Old Store in Wayne, still lives there. In the mid-1970s the house burned down, leaving only the stable and pigeon house. The Sheldrake Arms Apartments now occupy most of the land.
1891: Villa Florenza built
1912: Neighborhood League founded
1951: Stable sold as separate home
197?: Villa Florenza destroyed by fire
Click on the images to see larger versions
Sources:
© 2005 Wayne History Online / Greg Prichard
Page Last Updated : 4 November 2005
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