An Amateur Historian Examines Bryn Mawr's History

Nineteenth century big cities, it should come as no surprise, were incredibly dangerous places to live. Crime rates were high, but even more problematic were the rates of disease, which were effectively medieval. And before inoculations and germ theory took hold, there were few sound palliatives.

"Back in that era there were a lot of diseases and plagues, believed to be caused by bad air and unsanitary conditions," said George Harding, a Bryn Mawr native who self-published "" over the summer.

The antidote, it was widely thought, was to move to a higher elevation.

"People thought the higher they were the cleaner the air and the less likely they were to get sick or die. There was cholera and all kinds of stuff around," Harding added.

The Pennsylvania Railroad took advantage of this perception and touted Bryn Mawr's elevated position over Philadelphia as a way to lure health conscious city dwellers to the . The Bryn Mawr hotel became a destination of choice for high air seekers.

"The whole thing was kind of ridiculous," admitted Harding, "because we were only 400 feet above sea level."

Insignificance aside, the conceit worked. Wealthy Philadelphians flocked in mass to purchase weekend homes in Bryn Mawr and vacation in, among other places, the Bryn Mawr Hotel (now .)

The plan worked so well that other tourist starved communities soon embraced it. Chestnut Hill began boasting that they offered air just as high as Bryn Mawr's. The state eventually stepped in to weigh the competing claims.

"It was found that the height at the Bryn Mawr Station was four inches higher than the Chestnut Hill Station," said Harding. "Four inches. And the Pennsylvania Railroad"—which at the time owned most of Bryn Mawr—"advertised that galore. It doesn't make any difference when you really think about it, but it was a big competition."

"Main Line by Rail: Its History and Transformation" is available at www.mainlinebyrail.com for $29.95.