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Donna West Remembers
I was born in Doylestown in Jan. 1939 in the first Doylestown Emergency Hospital located at the corner of Oakland Avenue and Pine St. The brown stone building today is an apartment house.
I did most of my growing up in a house at the corner of Maple Avenue and Swamp Road that was a dirt road! To this day I still feel Maple Avenue is one of the most beautiful blocks in town. Across Swamp Road was only farm land.
Back then, I could look out back and see all the way to the ridge on the other side of Route 202. There were chicken houses and acres of tomato plants. (Campbell Soup tomatoes as we called them) Across Maple Ave. were the horse stables and a quarter mile race track.
I attended the four room Catholic School in town called St. Bernards. But what I really looked forward to was the summer, the swimming lessons and playtime at the pool. Mrs. William R. Mercer donated the pool to the town in memory of her husband’s Aunt Fanny Chapman. The place has sure grown with 4 pools now! Also I remember all the sports and activities at the Burpee playground. They had a big picnic at the end of the summer but we had to walk in a group to the big field at the other end of town. We packed a small lunch and they supplied roasted corn and drinks for us. (The field is now the location of CBHS West)
Doylestown was a very quaint town. Kind of old fashioned. There was no industry so most people commuted for jobs. We were lucky to have a train station in town. Growing up you knew everyone personally and if not you at least knew their name. We used to joke they rolled the sidewalks up at 5 o’clock.
The town has sure grown since those days. It’s actually nice to see how the town has progressed. The family downsized a few years ago but only moved two miles. (From the borough to the township) We have always enjoyed living here. |
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