After researching the history of her Berwyn Heights home, a historic Sears, Roebuck & Co. bungalow, Ann Harris Davidson found she had almost enough information to fill a whole book.
So, after a little more work, she did.
Davidson recently published a book about Berwyn Heights for Arcadia Publishing’s ‘‘Then and Now” series. Arcadia focuses on local and regional U.S. history and the ‘‘Then and Now” series makes such comparisons in communities. Davidson’s book, called ‘‘Berwyn Heights: Then and Now,” shows vintage photos alongside contemporary images and chronicles how Berwyn Heights has evolved over the years.
Davidson, who has lived in Berwyn Heights for19 years, discovered that a real estate agent had owned her home and had bought and sold houses extensively in the town, then discovered a family had lived in the town since 1896. She was fascinated, and decided the town’s history needed to be told. She contacted Arcadia about the possibility of a book in 2005.
Davidson’s background isn’t in history. She has a master’s degree in public health and was trained as an epidemiologist. But, she said, she wasn’t deterred.
‘‘I’ve lived in six countries, four continents and have learned how to adapt, have fun and be useful wherever I am,” said Davidson, who was born in Swaziland.
‘‘I think it’s marvelous. I think Ann has done a terrific job. And it fascinated me, too, that even being born out of this country, that she could come in and be involved and be so interested in Berwyn Heights history,” said Mary Louise Milstead, 79, a longtime Berwyn Heights resident who contributed photos to the book, as well as shared stories with Davidson.
Milstead said she believes it is important to record the town’s history because it creates a sense of pride in residents.
Davidson, who also writes educational grants, used the research skills she’d gained as a scientist. And the more work she did, she said, the more interesting the information became. She learned about dozens of the town’s families, including the Carringtons, for which Carrington Avenue is named.
‘‘Every one of them is interesting,” she said of the families she researched, recalling tales of the men and women who once lived in Berwyn Heights.
But in a town that is less than a square mile in size, Davidson didn’t have vast archives at her disposal to learn about Berwyn Heights’ history. But she did online research, talked to current residents—many of whom have lived in the town more than 50 years—and tracked down descendants of early residents to learn more, as well as to obtain old photos, and now has several large binders filled with her findings.
‘‘It brought back a lot of memories,” Milstead said, recalling old friends and how her son worked at the town’s McDonalds the year it opened. An old photo of him in front of the McDonalds the year it opened is printed in the book. Above it is a more recent photo of him and the restaurant, taken by Davidson, who took the majority of the ‘‘Now” photos featured in the book.
Another photo shows a young Joseph R. Chlopicki being held in front of his home—one of the oldest in Berwyn Heights—which was built in 1888 on Ruatan Street. Chlopicki, 75, still lives there. He and Davidson became friends while she was researching her book. He contributed several of the photos used.
Chlopicki said he’s pleased about Davidson’s book, though he hasn’t really taken a good look at it yet, and enjoys living in the town.
‘‘Why leave?” he asked.
Davidson feels similarly. The town is close to Washington, D.C., and has all the advantages of a major metropolitan area, ‘‘but at the same time, has a small-town feel where everybody knows everybody,” she said.
E-mail Meredith Hooker at mhooker@gazette.net.
