Radnor's Threatened and Demolished Buildings

1. The former Radnor High School
Currently the Middle School building, this large brick building was built in the twenties as the High School. The school board wants to build a completely new Middle School building and the public wants to keep the school in Wayne, so it looks as if the old High School, home to memories for so many, will have to go.
Link to page about the school’s history

2. The former Wayne Grammar School
Currently the RTSD Administration Building, located next to the Middle School on South Wayne Avenue. The school was designed by David Knickerbacker Boyd, one of Wayne, and also Philadelphia's most renowned architects. Many other Wayne landmards were designed by Boyd. The Administration Building may also fall victim to the Middle School rebuilding, which is sadly planned to take up the building's site.

RECENTLY DEMOLISHED:

1. Carriage House on Bloomingdale Avenue
The Bloomingdale Avenue development of 1870 was the first planned community in Wayne. When one of its houses was bought to be turned into an office building, its original carriage house, clearly pictured in an engraving from the 1880s, was torn down to make room for additions.

2. Waldheim
The mansion formerly known as Waldheim was demolished in March, 2001 by the Valley Forge Military Academy, who owned it since the 1950’s. Waldheim, previously the residence of William Henry Sayen, waas renamed Sullivan Hall by the Academy, and was much disputed between the Academy and North Wayne residents for a number of years. Interesting note: During demolition, a chimney fell on the bulldozer and broke its hydroulic system. Revenge!

::: Deconstructing Waldheim: A visual account of the mansion's demolition

3. The Peterson Mansion
The Radnor School District demolished the mansion that once belonged to the Peterson family. The mansion was tudor style and was situated on a rather large plot of land along King of Prussia Road.

4. House on Poplar Avenue
Located on Poplar Ave. at the corner of Woodland Ave., address 201 Poplar. The house, from around the turn of the century, was bought by a developer known as Premier Concrete. The developer demolished the house and built two new houses on the property. This was an outrage to North Wayne residents, and the NWPA handed around a petition to stop the progress of this project.

5. House on Lancaster Avenue
Located next to the CVS store in Wayne. An original South Wayne house, it was originally to be demolished in order to make room for an expanded CVS. The CVS did need redoing, but not at the expense of this house. The MAB paints planned to move into the house, and it's old location two doors down was to be demolished and used for the new CVS property. Instead, for some reason things didn't work out, and in the summer of 2003, the hosue was demolished and the land paved over.