My dad read through the recent posts about my brief trip to
Pennsylvania and my nagging hope to explore my early-childhood neighborhood,
sorted out that my one day was spent in West Chester, PA and presented
these photos to me at dinner last Sunday. 
I may not have made it to Cranberry, where I first lived, but it turns out that my father was born in West Chester, where I did go. I wish I had known. This was his first home. 
And here he is, the baby, being held by my grandmother, Bernice,
whom I never had the pleasure to meet. Third from the left is Joyce,
Bernice’s sister, the same Joyce from August’s trip down memory lane.
Two of her children, the young man on the left and the teenage girl in
the middle, are the "double-cousins" I met that same day last summer.
Joyce has since passed, at a well-lived 96 or 97, as have many of the
folks in this photo, including my father’s older brother and sister,
his uncle and his grandmother. My grandfather was undoubtedly the one
behind the camera — photography was his chosen hobby. I know, funny
that I married a photographer, but I only have one memory of my
grandfather, so it’s sadly just a coincidence.
Anyhow, it looks like I’ll have even more exploring to do in
Pennsylvania one day. It turns out my dad remembers all of his old
addresses.
That is really (really really) neat. What a cool thing for you to WANT to do.
oh my goodness! West Chester is where I work and is soon to be my new hometown. My husband and I looked at a house for sale a few weeks ago that looked soo similar to your father’s house pictured above. It is not an uncommon house type so I can’t be sure it is the exact same one. The house we walked through was right on High Street, one of the main streets through town. We decided on another home, but I loved the other one for its character and charm. How interesting, and what a small world. Best!
I love looking at old scrapbooks of my parents’ and grandparents’ homes and prior lives. It is always so wonderful to dig into your heritage, your family past. Enjoy!
I just love old pictures. The house is absolutely beautiful, and the family picture is telling some kind of great story….I can’t help but wonder what kind of event is unfolding just to the right of the picture…catching all those glances. Thank you for sharing that with us.
I lived in Penn Hills, PA from age 2-6. My kindergarten teacher was even named “Mrs.Love”…great name! We went back to Penn Hills, PA when I was a teenager. My recollection of the house we lived in was that it was huge. We went back and saw it and it was actually quite small. I guess I remembered it in child’s perspective.
Thanks for sharing your family photos with us.
Vivian Love, the other “Mrs. Love” 🙂
That is a beautiful house! And how wonderful that your Dad still remembers the addresses! I love going down memory lane. I try to go visit my hometown in Oconomowoc, WI at least once a year. Every time I go back I feel like all the little details I have forgotten over time are given back to me. I catch myself just driving around and smiling as I recall memories. Good stuff!
🙂
I love your blog and eagerly look forward to each post. You are an inspiration!
Such wonderful photos!
West Chester is about 40 minutes from where I grew up! In fact, I nearly went to college there! We go back to the general area quite often.
Those photos are very cool!
What a nice post… I love the group portrait. I’m picturing the photo with your fabrics composited over the girl’s dresses. It would be a lovely promotional card, with a personal touch. Beautiful family.
That is a wonderful house to have grown up in I am sure. But, to have lived in a town named Cranberry. That would be incredible.
I love old pictures and memories. I want to go to Mt. Carmel, Illinois to the second farm my gr gr grandfather owned. There is supposedly a picture of him there. It is now a bed and breakfast – http://www.bbonline.com/il/legacy/
I think there is something inside all of us that wants to find ways to reconnect with our family/ancestors. I always try to imagine what it was like to live during those time periods and what they must have been like.
Great photographs! Makes you realize how important it is to make and remember the memories that you have now to to preserve them for the future.
Oh, you are so right. I think I better step outside and take a picture of my current house. Who thinks to do that?
That’s just so touching. I love the photos and the little peek into the past. Have fun exploring on your next trip!
Oh my gosh, how fantastic to have such great family history known to you. I can barely trace past my grandparents. :o(
Amelia
I have only been to West Chester a few times but I thought it was utterly charming. One of the best drives I’ve ever taken was just after I moved to Philadelphia. I was trying to get to West Chester, actually, and turned south on rte 100 instead of north. It was an absolutely beautiful day and a gorgeous drive — kids playing in streams, flowers blooming, trees dancing gently in the wind, perfect radio music — and then I looked around and every car had a Delaware license plate. Oops.
(I foudn your blog not long ago and love it.)
I know you posted this a few days ago but I stumbled across your blog and could not resist responding to this post since I got married at Greystone Hall in West Chester a few years ago. It is definitely a town worth exploring, even moreso if your family has a history there. I think it would be wonderful if you could visit that house and it still looked similar to that picture!
I posted on the QVC post that WC is my hometown– and I’m pretty sure that house is on my corner! Maybe not, but it sure looks like Sharpless St to me! Just a quilter in West Chester enjoying your pictures… 🙂
It must be the house mentioned because I live on sharples Street for the first three years of my life. So how is that for reaching back in history.
Dad
I live in West Chester as well and I agree with my friend Kate (above) that it looks like Sharpless street to me!
Next time you come to town let us know!
I just found your lovely blog. It was great to read your Pennsylvania post. My husband’s family is from Lancaster and West Chester. We lived in Pittsburgh for a few years, prior to moving to the UK. I’ve been to Cranberry many times. Western PA is a pretty part of the world. I will add your blog to my mine.
All the best!