 |
| Pillar with the date "1884" on Wagner Ave. April 16, 2016 credit: Nancy Knisley |
 |
| Pillar with letters on Wagner Ave. April 16, 2016 credit: Nancy Knisley |
 |
| 269 Wagner Ave. Google street view October 2013 |
But if you were one of the street's occasional pedestrians, and particularly observant, you might have been struck by the odd pillars and stopped to take a better look. They are worn and look old and unlike anything else in Ambridge. On them, near the top, are carvings of six pointed stars, near the bottom are what appear to be letters. In addition, below their stars, the right pillar has the date 1884; the left, the letters "H" and "L" separated by a symbol. What do the carvings and letters mean? And why are the pillars in the tiny front yard of 269 Wagner where they seem out of place?
Here's what I know:
John Frederick (Fred) Knoedler, a stonemason by trade, helped carve the pillars. Fred and his wife, Katherine Kroll Knoedler, were long time employees of the Harmony Society, performing a variety of duties, but not Harmonists themselves.
The pillars originally stood in front of Economy School, built by the Harmony Society for the area's children. The letters "H" and "L" on one pillar stood for Jacob Henrici and Jonathan Lenz, the two Harmony Society trustees at the time the school was built in 1884, the year on the second pillar. (Beaver County Times, August 20, 1974)
The Economy School was built at the corner of what is now the northeast corner of Church and Laughlin Sts. You can see it in the left foreground of the photo below. The building to the right is the Blaine House, used as a school before the Economy School was built. The building in the background between the Blaine House and Economy School is Ambridge's Fourth Ward School.
The photo below shows students in front of the Economy School in 1898. You can see the pillars on the sides of the student group.
The former Economy School building is now an apartment building:
After the Economy School was closed, its pillars were relocated, although I don't know when they ended up in front of 269 Wagner, once the home of Fred and Katherine Knoedler's daughters, Christiana Knoedler and Katherine Brown.
Here's what I know:
John Frederick (Fred) Knoedler, a stonemason by trade, helped carve the pillars. Fred and his wife, Katherine Kroll Knoedler, were long time employees of the Harmony Society, performing a variety of duties, but not Harmonists themselves.
The pillars originally stood in front of Economy School, built by the Harmony Society for the area's children. The letters "H" and "L" on one pillar stood for Jacob Henrici and Jonathan Lenz, the two Harmony Society trustees at the time the school was built in 1884, the year on the second pillar. (Beaver County Times, August 20, 1974)
The Economy School was built at the corner of what is now the northeast corner of Church and Laughlin Sts. You can see it in the left foreground of the photo below. The building to the right is the Blaine House, used as a school before the Economy School was built. The building in the background between the Blaine House and Economy School is Ambridge's Fourth Ward School.
 |
| "All Three Economy Schools" Manuscript Group 354: Old Economy Village Collection Photo Number 2404 courtesy of Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission Old Economy Village used with permission |
The photo below shows students in front of the Economy School in 1898. You can see the pillars on the sides of the student group.
 |
| "Economy School - 1898" Manuscript Group 354: Old Economy Village Collection Photo Number 2369 courtesy of Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission Old Economy Village used with permission |
The former Economy School building is now an apartment building:
 |
| Former Economy School building, now converted to apartments 1514 Church St. April 6, 2016 credit: Nancy Knisley |
 |
| Christiana Knoedler standing with one of the pillars in front of her Wagner Ave. home Beaver County Times August 20, 1974 |
No comments:
Post a Comment