Tacking Up Thorncroft: A History

Below is the history behind the land and family of Thorncroft written by Sydney Francis:

Tacking Up Thorncroft

In 1825 Henry Purdy, an oyster huckster, and his wife, Priscilla, purchased a small, four acre plot of land in Ardmore, Pennsylvania on Montgomery Avenue. The Purdys built a charming white house, but was later demolished when Dr. William Anderson bought the property. However, Dr. Anderson constructed a cozy cottage on the land, and resold it to Mr. Blumner. Yet, Blumner envisioned a grand estate- one that would prominently overlook the townsfolk in their locomotives as they drove by. His project proved to be wonderfully successful, resulting in a large and impressive gray stone edifice, surrounded by a piazza, and framed with stunning dormer windows and striking chimneys. One can envision the mansions dominant presence over the street gawkers and passersby, since it resided there until 1926.

Edwin Dixon, Saunders' Grandfather

After dwelling on the estate, Mr. Blumner sold to Mr. Allen Bearly Rorke, a Philadelphia builder and contractor. Rorke had been looking for a country house in the rural lands of Ardmore. His wife, Mrs. Elizabeth Thorncroft Rorke, not only embellished and improved the residence, but personalized it by naming the house “Thorncroft” in memory of her English heritage. The Rorke’s built an impressive porte-cochere along with artistic stables, whose gleaming red tile roof shone in the sunlight. Surrounding the mansion were massive stone gateposts and a luxurious lawn encompassing a natural terrace. The property no longer resembled the cozy cottage built by Dr. Anderson! Mr. Rorke eventually sold the house to Edwin Saunders Dixon Sr., but after his death in 1920, Dixon left the house to two of his sons, Edwin Saunders Jr. and Morris H. But, Edwin Jr. wanted to live on a large farm, and the mere four acres was not enough. So, he looked westward at a plot of land Morris owned in Malvern, PA, and bought the entire 180-acres from his brother.  Edwin Jr. and Morris decided to sell the Ardmore property in 1926 to the Suburban Square Co., who used the land to construct the first shopping center in the United States. In Malvern, Edwin Saunders Jr. resided peacefully in the countryside with his wife, Florence, and children, Sally Hopkins and Edwin Saunders Dixon III (“Saunders”). After his death, Edwin Saunders Jr. left the property to Saunders, who would later use seventy-five of the acres to establish Thorncroft Equestrian Center.