index

These questions led us to discover two of David K. Boyd's suburban estates built in the Lower Marion Township of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. Built for Pierce Archer, Esq. and his son-in-law Arthur P. Baugh, Esq., the two homes are located in the small railroad town of Wynnewood. These properties were unique not only because they were built for members of the same family, but also due to the large number of turn of the century publications in which they appear.

This web site investigates the residences of Pierce Archer and Arthur Baugh in an attempt to understand David K. Boyd's suburban designs and his clientele. It maps the development of the small railroad town of Wynnewood during the turn of the 20th century and the social implications of the development of Philadelphia's main line townships.

This web site was created for educational purposes only, fulling the final project assignment for HSPV 600, under Professor Jeff Cohen, the University of Pennsylvania, Fall 2005.

Gabriela Gutowski and Lauren Hall

The research completed for this webiste was a result of a duel curiosity, the architectect David Knickerbacker Boyd and the development of Philadelphia's main line suburbs during the turn of the 20th century.

The Atheneaum of Philadelphia has done a commendable job of compiling a list of David K. Boyd's architectural projects in and around Philadelphia (can be viewed at www.philadelphiabuildings.org). However, there was a fair number of un-researched citations in reference to David Boyd's architecture, particularly pertaining to residental buildings built in the railroad suburbs along the main line, northwest of Philadelphia. These homes comprise a large percentage of Boyd's work in the Philadelphia area.

Why were such a large number of homes being built along the main line during the early 1900's? Who were David K. Boyd's suburban clients? What can David K. Boyd's architectural career tell us about changes in Philadelphia's social structure and built environment during his life time?