Rose Valley is a 0.73 sq mi (or 0.74, depending on your source) former artist colony, just outside…read moreof Media Borough. Traveling down Rose Valley Rd, sneeze, and you might miss it! But when you know where you are, and what to look for, it is an enchanting community, now recognized on the National Register of Historic Places.
* * * HISTORY * * *
After the Leni Lenape tribe had lived in the valley, Quakers began settlement in RV on a Penn land grant in 1682. Mills were the industry there, along Ridley Creek for the 17thC. and 18thC.. Old Union Methodist Church is the only church in RV Borough; Revolutionary War vets are buried in unmarked graves in its cemetery. A tobacconist, Samuel Bancroft, lived in RV for most of the 19thC., and built tunnels and chambers in his home, Todmorden Mansion, for the Underground Railroad.
The old textile mill became the foundation upon which architect Will Price founded the Rose Valley Association as an artists' colony in 1901 (after the ideologies of William Morris' Arts & Crafts Movement). The association provided rented workspace, and housing to craftsmen. Works that met association standards were stamped with their logo: a wild rose with a V over it, inside a belt. Some of the works (furniture, ceramics, book binding, etc.) were sold at 1624 Walnut Street in Philly (Will Price's office), among other shops. Depending on the guide you get at Wharton Esherick's house in Malvern, you may hear a more or less uncensored version of the artistic orgy that went on down in Rose Valley. Esherick's wife and children resided most of the time in RV, where they were all active in the RV community.
* * * CURRENT DAY RV * * *
There are a couple pockets of Media that distinguish themselves by different names: Bowling Green, Moylan, Rose Valley, South Media, etc. As a fan of history, art, and architecture, I want to acknowledge Rose Valley's distinction because, yes, this is a section of town that has period architecture, and the residents keep up the homes to reflect their glory days, now over 100 years in the past. Kudos to them, for making Media proud! But Darlings, your zip is all still 19063, which means Media. I know you want to be special, but it's not Rose Valley, PA 19063. It's still Media!
Contemporary Rose Valley has a dilemma of character, IMO, because while they want (deserved) recognition, the community is not accessible to the public, which is necessary to facilitate buzz and interest. Rose Valley is a neighborhood of privately-owned homes, no sidewalks, and antiquated, tiny, one-lane streets, that are difficult to navigate. Their website is mostly municipal info, without developed highlights on the attractions (Great Minquas Path, Hedgerow, Randall Vernon House, Bishop White House, Thunderbird Lodge, Todmorden Mansion, The Old Mill, etc.). There is no visitor's center, not even as a function of the municipal office, as far as I know. There are few, esoteric publications about Rose Valley, as well, which makes visibility poor.
Essentially, there is no visitor-friendly infrastructure upon which to gain significant notoriety. The only tour I have ever heard of for RV's architecture was by a grandson of one of the original artisans, offered through Winterthur, many years ago (which I only heard about b/c I had a Winterthur membership at the time). RV is not a place where you can show up and feel at home to wander and guide yourself, like one can in nearby Swarthmore. It is a shame and a loss to the public, because Rose Valley is a special historical place.
Having grown up in the area, I had friends, family, and babysitting jobs, who all lived in some of these homes. But unfortunately, this is pretty much the only way you will get an interior tour of these houses, which are truly amazing.
* * * MISC * * *
Wiki the architect Will Price, and you will see photos of homes in Gladwyne, Overbrook, Merion, Wayne, but his life's passion was in Rose Valley including, "Bishop White House," "House of the Democrat," and RV mainstay, Thunderbird Lodge.
Rose Valley is also known for its alternative school, "The School in Rose Valley," which is a well-reputed k-6 that does things the rich hippy way. (I had a family member who attended, a neighbor, and babysat some of these [now] alums.) Moylan and Rose Valley are both split between the Nether Providence School District and the Rose Tree Media School District.
Your best bet for visiting RV is The Rose Valley Museum & Historical Society housed in the Thunderbird Lodge (see separate Yelp listing for info).
