The Winterthur Library

The Joseph Downs Collection of Manuscripts and Printed Ephemera

OVERVIEW OF THE COLLECTION

Title: Rose Valley Collection

Dates: 1859-1945 (bulk 1900-1927)

Call No.: Col. 41

Acc. No.: 82x273-275, 82x370, 83x210, 86x109, 87x177-179, 88x209, 94x11

Quantity: 23 boxes, 1 map case drawer

Location: 15 A 1-4, and Map case D, drawer 7

HISTORICAL STATEMENT

In 1901, William Lightfoot Price, a noted Philadelphia architect, and M. Hawley McLanahan, a real estate developer and architect, founded the Rose Valley Association near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as an artistic community adhering to the principles of the Arts and Crafts Movement. Their interest in the almost deserted mill village of Rose Valley was in its potential as a site for a community of artisans. Price and McLanahan wanted to promote the Arts and Crafts Movement by establishing a place where furniture workers, weavers, bookbinders, potters, and jewelers could live and work together, using their skills to beautify the world. Their dream became the Rose Valley Association. While the Association's active life as a community of artists only lasted about eight years, the name carried on (tax returns from the 1940s still listed the Rose Valley Association [Box 3]), and some projects associated with it continued at least until 1971. The Borough of Rose Valley (chartered in December 1923) continues the name, as do a chorus and theater group.

Will Price acquired eighty acres of the former Rose Valley Mills property on April 29, 1901, and the Rose Valley Association was incorporated on July 17, 1901. The association’s purpose was “the manufacture of structures, articles, materials and products involving artistic handicraft.” On the property were former homes of mill workers, the burned-out shell of the old mill, and a small gristmill, all in a neglected condition. The homes were refurbished into housing for guests and artists; the mills were rebuilt and renovated into workshop and studio spaces. Furniture making was the first craft established, beginning in October 1901. Other artists and artisans had studios in Rose Valley, and a magazine, The Artsman, was published, but the next real craft shop to be established was the pottery shop, begun in1904 by W. Percival Jervis.

The Artsman was published by the Rose Valley Press, whose editor was Horace Traubel (1858-1919). His office was in Philadelphia, not in Rose Valley. Thirty-three numbers of this magazine were issued from October 1903 through April 1907. Some other publications were also produced by the Rose Valley Press. Not only was Traubel editor and primary writer of articles for The Artsman, he also set the type for the publications, which were then printed by Innes & Sons. After The Artsman ceased publication, Traubel published another magazine called The Conservator under the imprint of the Rose Valley Press. This latter publication was issued by the Ethical Society of Philadelphia and had been started by Traubel in1890; it ceased with Traubel’s death in 1919.

However, all these operations were short-lived; by 1907 the pottery and the furniture shop had closed, and The Artsman had ceased publication. The Rose Valley Association’s precarious finances forced it to sell most of its property to Hawley McLanahan and his father-in-law Charles Schoen. Their Rose Valley Improvement Company developed the land into a picturesque suburb, with some of the houses designed by Will Price. Today, the offices of the Borough of Rose Valley are in the old furniture shop, which was part of the old burned-out mill. The small gristmill is the home of the Hedgerow Theatre.

SCOPE AND CONTENT

This collection consists of three groups of papers. The papers were created by the Rose Valley Association, the Rose Valley Press, and M. Hawley McLanahan.

The Rose Valley Association (RVA) papers document the formation of the Association. Minutes of meetings, financial records, land records, and tax records round out the collection. While most of the material in this group of papers deals with the business end of the operation (as opposed to the artistic or philosophical angles), it does include a letter book from the Rose Valley Shops that documents the production standards and schedule for their furniture. A few items relating to the Rose Valley Folk Theatre are also included (Box 2). In addition, there are photographs showing Henry W. Hetzel's home and furniture. Hetzel was the secretary of the RVA and a mechanical drawing teacher in Philadelphia who had his own small metalworking shop in Rose Valley.

The Rose Valley Press (RVP) items consist mainly of examples of their printing (which was actually done in Philadelphia) and over 100 line cuts (printing blocks of lines of type) used by the Press, from various publications. As well, there is a small amount of correspondence relating to the business of the Press.

The M. Hawley McLanahan (McL) papers include a great many papers generated in the course of his professional life as partner in the firm Price & McLanahan (P&McL), which was formed in 1903. The collection includes letter books, bills and receipts, tax records, project files, and bound account books. This partnership ended with Will Price’s death on 14 October 1916. McLanahan then joined with Ralph Bencker in a new partnership; McLanahan & Bencker was formed in the first half of 1920, although some clients continued to address correspondence to P&McL. This partnership dissolved in 1926, and McLanahan continued in independent practice until his death in 1929. From 1885 to 1890, he had been in a real estate partnership called Whiteside and McLanahan.

After papers relating to the RVA, the McLanahan group contains documents describing involvement in proposed or completed architectural projects. These projects include a bridge across the Hudson River designed by Gustav Lindenthal; the Flamingo Hotel at Alton Beach, Miami, Florida; the Miami [Florida] Aquarium (which includes virtually the only architectural drawings in the collection, and correspondence from John O. La Gorce of the National Geographic); and a proposed resort to be called "Overhanover" in New Hanover County, North Carolina (including correspondence from H. B. Wall, and a number of maps). The bridge and the resort were never built. The hotel was not built as designed because the bids were too high. The aquarium was built, but suffered a partial collapse.

The McLanahan papers also include records of McLanahan's involvement in the Musical Art Club of Philadelphia (1916-1927), and papers documenting his importing European antiques. McLanahan was involved in settling Price's estate (which papers give some interesting information on Price), and the estate of Georges J. Demotte (the record of which is in the bound account books in Box 19).

ORGANIZATION

Rose Valley Association papers are found in Boxes 1-3, with oversized materials in Box 20 and in Map Case D. Rose Valley Press Papers are in Boxes 4-12, with oversized materials in Boxes 4A and 20. Hawley McLanahan papers are in Boxes 13-19. Miscellaneous materials relating to Rose Valley are in Box 21.

PROVENANCE

Some of the papers were gifts from William Ayres and from an anonymous donor.

Other papers were purchased from The Americanist (Pottstown, PA), Hedgerow Partnership, and William Homer.

ACCESS POINTS

People:

Price, William L., 1861-1916.

McLanahan, M. Hawley, 1865-1929.

Demotte, Georges J. - Estate.

La Gorce, John Oliver, 1880-1959.

Wall, H. B. (Henri Block)

Lindenthal, Gustav, 1850-1935.

Hetzel, Henry W.

Traubel, Horace, 1858-1919.

Topics:

Price and McLanahan.

McLanahan & Bencker.

Rose Valley Association.

Rose Valley Press.

Rose Valley Folk Theatre.

Musical Art Club.

Miami Aquarium.

Overhanover.

Arts and crafts movement - Pennsylvania - Rose Valley.

Aquariums, Public - Florida - Miami.

Suspension bridges - New York (State) - Design and construction.

Resort architecture - North Carolina - New Hanover County.

Seaside resorts.

Seaside architecture.

Hotels - Florida - Miami.

Hotels - New Jersey - Atlantic City.

Furniture - Photographs.

Interior decoration - Photographs.

Rose Valley (Pa.)

New Hanover County (N.C.) – Maps.

Deeds.

Indentures.

Letters.

Bills of sale.

Receipts.

Minutes.

Tax returns.

Ledgers.

Maps.

Photographic prints.

Blueprints.

Histories.

Architects.

Related materials:

Some of this material is available at this repository on microfilm, reels 2805 and 2806.

Several books on Rose Valley are available at this repository; check the on-line catalog.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION

Location: 15 A 1-4, and Map Case D, Drawer 7

Box 1: Rose Valley Association papers

Indenture between L. Yarnell and M. Ogden, 20 Dec. 1898

Original bond between I. Osborne and Coates; Land drawing, 1898

Certificate of incorporation of Rose Valley Association, 1901

Title shares, 1901

Land title insurance, 1901

Land titles, deeds, 1901-1902

Bills for supplies and work, 1892?-1902

Statements of receipts, 1901-1902

Reports of loans, 1901

Auditors reports, 1901-1909

Ledger book of shares of RVA, 1902-1932

Minutes book, Organization of Association, Board of Directors and stockholders, 1901-1910

Letter book with records of furniture, 1902-1907

Box 2: Rose Valley Association papers

Mortgage deed with Swarthmore College, 1903

Minutes of Association meetings, 1903-1909

Accounts, 1903-1904

Accounts, 1905-1909

Proxies to buy shares, 1904-1908

Rights to buy shares, 1907-1908

Sketches of land, Association principles, Accounts, Paid and unpaid bills, [no date on folder]

Indenture between RVA and M.H. McLanahan, 1907

Tax receipts; agreement of division of stock among C. Schoen, Wm. Price and McLanahan; Description of divisions of lands of RVA, 1906-1910

Correspondence referring to financial conditions of RVA, 1908-31 October 1910

Papers and correspondence re financial conditions, 1 November 1910-1917

Finances, 1908-1910 (2 folders)

Financial papers and documents, 1906-1910

Financial papers and documents, 1910-1917

Rental agreement between RVA and Rose Valley Folk Theatre, 1913

Rose Valley Folk Theatre, Safety rules for theatre, 1921

Box 3: Rose Valley Association papers

Chartering paper (land title), 1932

Mortgage papers, 1925; permit to construct sewer line, 1934

Account book, 1932-1944

2 bonds, 1937-1941

Bank statement, cancelled checks, 1944-1945

Tax reports, returns, receipts, 1910-1922 (2 folders)

Tax reports, returns, receipts, 1923-1934 (2 folders)

Tax reports, returns, receipts, 1935-1941 (2 folders)

Booklet "Then and Now" [borough history], 1966

Hetzel Photographs (13 items, in 2 folders)

1. Hetzel in his workshop

2. Hetzel and his wife, Miriam, at home

3. Hetzel house, Price’s Land, Rose Valley, exterior

4-8. Hetzel house interior

9-13. Furniture attributed to Hetzel, some of which was published in The Artsman.

Guild Hall--Hedgerow Theatre legal papers, 1924-1930

"Discription [sic] of the ... lands of the Rose Valley Association ... to be divided" [photocopy}, 1909

Box 4: Rose Valley Press papers

Printed material from The Artsman, 1903-1908, includes subscription forms, photo of Traubel, etc. (2 folders)

Proofs of advertisements, illustrations (The Artsman), 1903-1910

Innes & Sons, printers, 1904

Printed material The Conservator, 1903-1917 [note: this was a publication of the Ethical Society of Philadelphia and was begun by Horace Traubel]

The Conservator, (copies, etc.), 1899-1917

Horace Traubel poems, 1910-1915

The Butterfly Quarterly, spring and summer 1908 (2 folders) [note: this was published by George Wolfe Plank of Philadelphia]

Related Arts and Crafts documents: includes materials from School of Industrial Arts (Trenton, New Jersey), Society of Arts and Crafts (Boston, Mass.), International Studio announcement, ad for Mosher Books (Portland, Maine), two items from the Roycrofters

Box 4A: Rose Valley Press papers (oversized; see also Box 20)

Rough sketch for cover for The Artsman

The words The Artsman printed in different type fonts

The Butterfly, summer 1909, copy no. 246, front cover is missing

Photograph of cover of The Butterfly, summer 1909

The Conservator, November 1906, proof copy, marked “OK Traubel,” printed for Rose Valley Press

The Conservator, September 1907, proof copy, marked “OK Traubel,”printed for Rose Valley Press

The Conservator, April 1915, printed for Rose Valley Press

The Conservator, October 1915, printed for Rose Valley Press

The Conservator, February 1917, printed for Rose Valley Press

The Conservator, September 1917, printed for Rose Valley Press

Box 5: Rose Valley Press papers

Accounts

Bills and receipts, Curits & Brother, 1903-1906

Bills and receipts, Duncan & Company, 1903-1906

Bills and receipts, Innes & Sons, 1903-1904

Bills and receipts, John Dickinson & Co. Ltd., 1905-1906

Bills and receipts, Keystone Type Foundry, 1903-1904, 1906

Bills and receipts, Liberty Binding and Mailing Co., 1903-1906

Bills and receipts, Photo-Chromotype Engraving Co., 1903-1906

Bills and receipts, United States Postal Service, 1903-1904

Bills and receipts, Various vendors, 1903-1904, 1906

Correspondence, General, 1903-1906

Correspondence, Henry McBride, School of Industrial Arts, Trenton, NJ, 1903-1906

Correspondence, The International Studio, John Lane, Publisher, 1904

Correspondence, The Upholsterer, Clifford & Lawton, Publisher, 1904

Documents, Miscellaneous

Subscription Correspondence, 1903

Subscription Correspondence, 1904

Subscription Information

Box 6: Rose Valley Press papers

Line cuts from various publications (20 folders)

Box 7: Rose Valley Press papers

Line cuts from various publications (20 folders)

Box 8: Rose Valley Press papers

Line cuts from various publications (17 folders)

Box 9: Rose Valley Press papers

Line cuts from various publications (18 folders)

Box 10: Rose Valley Press papers

Line cuts from various publications (14 folders)

Box 11: Rose Valley Press papers

Line cuts from various publications (10 folders)

Box 12: Rose Valley Press papers

Line cuts from various publications (10 folders)

Box 13: McLanahan papers

Price and McLanahan, Mortgage for property in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, 11 November 1859, William Chamberlain to Thomas Williamson

P&McL, Agreements between Price and McLanahan, 1900, 1902

P&McL, Receipts for applications for certificates to practice architecture, 1905-1917

P&McL, Bills and receipts, 1902

P&McL, Bills and receipts, 1903

P&McL, Bills and receipts, 1904

P&McL, Bills and receipts, 1905

P&McL, Bills and receipts, 1906

P&McL, Bills and receipts, 1907

P&McL, Bills and receipts, 1908

P&McL, Bills and receipts, 1909

P&McL, Bills and receipts, 1910

P&McL, Bills and receipts, 1911

P&McL, Bills and receipts, 1912

P&McL, Bills and receipts, 1913

P&McL, Bills and receipts, 1914

P&McL, Bills and receipts, 1915

P&McL, Bills and receipts, 1916

P&McL, Bills and receipts, 1917

P&McL, Bills and receipts, 1918

Box 14: McLanahan papers

P&McL, Stationery envelope from the firm, n.d.

P&McL, Letter book, March 1903-May 1904

P&McL, Letter book, May 1904-April 1905

P&McL, Letter book, April 1905-September 1905

Box 15: McLanahan papers

P&McL, Letter book, September 1905-December 1905

P&McL, Letter book, December 1905-March 1906

P&McL, Letter book, March 1906-December 1909

McL, Legal correspondence, 1923-1925

McL, Real estate correspondence (Whiteside & McLanahan Inc.), 1920-1922

Box 16: McLanahan papers

P&McL, Accounts and agreement, 1910-1913

P&McL, Hotel Traymore, Atlantic City, NJ and other accounts, 1915

McL, Accounts, 1916

McL, Settlement of William Price estate, 1917

McL, Tax records, McLanahan and Rose Valley Association, 1913-1914

McL, Tax records, McLanahan and Rose Valley Association, 1915-1916

McL, Tax records, McLanahan and Rose Valley Association, 1917

McL, Tax records, McLanahan and Rose Valley Association, 1918

McL, Tax records, McLanahan and Rose Valley Association, 1919-1922

McL, M. Hawley McLanahan diary, 1914

McL, Sale of Rose Valley property, 1917-1919

McL, Rose Valley properties (esp. Charles T. Schoen), 1911-1919

McL, Charles Schoen estate, 1920-1922

McL, Patents for new and improved train sheds, 1918-1922

Box 17: McLanahan papers

McL, Proposed "Overhanover" resort, New Hanover County, North Carolina, 1902-1923

McL, Overhanover correspondence, 1909-1910

McL, Overhanover, options to purchase land in New Hanover County, North Carolina, 1910

McL, Overhanover correspondence, soil and property maps, 1911

McL, W.H. Farnham proposal for Palace America and Coliseum of Art, Music, Social, and Intellectual Amusement, 12 July 1910

McL, Musical Art Club of Philadelphia, 1916-1920

McL, Musical Art Club of Philadelphia, 1921-1927

McL, European tour, customs vouchers, brokers' papers for antiques bought in Italy, France and England, 1920-1922

McL, European tour, customs vouchers, brokers' papers for antiques bought, 1923-1927

Box 18: McLanahan papers

McL, Firm papers including Old Colony Club, 1918, 1924

McL, The Hudson River Bridge Project, 1920-1924 (2 folders)

McL, Florida project (The Flamingo Hotel at Alton Beach, Miami), January 22, 1918-April 30, 1919 (2 folders)

McL, Florida project (The Flamingo Hotel), May 2, 1919-July 31, 1919 (2 folders)

McL, Florida project (The Flamingo Hotel), August 1, 1919-August 19, 1919 (2 folders)

McL, Florida project (The Flamingo Hotel), August 20, 1919-April 12, 1920 (3 folders)

Box 18A: McLanahan papers

McL, Florida project, (Star Island Project), December 12, 1918-November 14, 1921 (8 folders)

McL, Florida project (Miami Aquarium Project), May 26, 1919-January 21, 1924 (4 folders)

Box 19: McLanahan papers

McL, five bound books in which are kept the accounts stemming from the settlement of the estate of Georges J. Demotte, 1923-1925

Box 20: Oversize materials for Rose Valley Association and Rose Valley Press

Rose Valley Association stock certificate book, 1901-1937

Rose Valley Association, tax returns, 1910-1922

Rose Valley Association, tax returns, 1923-1934

Rose Valley Association, tax returns, 1935-1941

Rose Valley Press, sample cover for The Artsman

William Price, Drawing of a workman’s cottage in Rose Valley

Box 21: miscellaneous materials about Rose Valley

"The Rose Valley Players" by Wm. W. Price [photocopy] (4 p.), 1922

"The Artsman" [play] by Will Price [photocopy] (23 p.), n.d.

"Wat the Tyler" [play] by William L. Price [photocopy] (29 p.), n.d.

"Children's" History of Rose Valley [photocopy] (129 p.), 1907-1914

"This Was Rose Valley: A Study in Community and Personality" by Eleanore Price Mather [typescript], n.d.

Map Case D, Drawer 7:

Poster advertising a concert to benefit the Rose Valley Guild Hall. Pastel drawing depicts woman holding guitar. Concert to be held on June 29, 1905 and to feature voice, flute, violin, and piano. Drawing initialed A. B. S. [Alice Barber Stephens] (acc. no. 95x117)