The Borough Of Media.

Having thus far chronicled many instances of the enterprise which operated to build up this thriving town, we may now give the reader a general idea of its condition in 1853. By midsummer of this year there were seventy dwellings in the borough, fifty-seven of which were new ones, that is, built after the site of the town had been surveyed, within a period of but little more than three years. At the time of which we speak four more houses were in process of construction, and eight were under contract to be built in the summer and fall, making a total of eighty-two dwellings, in addition to a school-house a blacksmith-shop, and a coachmaker-shop. The courthouse, jail, and charter-house (which for purposes of convenience we have reserved for separate consideration) were also finished, and, with a row of offices on South Street, made the total number of buildings of all kinds ninety-four; not a bad showing, by any means, for less than four years' work.

Entering more into detail, we will say that the town contained two dry-goods and grocery stores, a boot and shoe store, a trimming store, a drug store, a temperance inn, a printing-office, a post-office, and a school-house. The tradesmen then within the borough limits were two tailors, three blacksmiths, one wheelwright, one coachmaker, one tinsmith, one saddler, one stone-cutter, one bricklayer, one stonemason, two painters, two cabinet-makers, three carpenters, one plasterer, and one butcher. The professional gentlemen were five lawyers, three physicians, and one dentist. It may be mentioned in this connection that the first attorney who located here was Ezra Lewis, Jr., who took up his residence during the building of the court-house, in 1850. He was soon followed by Charles D. Manley, Edward Darlington, Joseph R. Morris, and Samuel B. Thomas.

In 1854 the energy of the people in no degree abated, but, on the contrary, increased, found activity and expression in new directions. The Media Loan and Building Association (an institution of which we shall give an extended account in this chapter) was organized during the early part of the year. The Methodists, Episcopalians, and Presbyterians made strong efforts to build houses of worship, and either partially or fully succeeded, as will be presently shown. Preparations were made also for the erection of Brooke Hall and Gayley's Academy (subsequently the Sanitarium), and the construction of private edifices went on apace with improvements of a more public character. Thomas Pratt erected five brick houses northeast of Olive Street, and in partnership with Jesse Bishop, Esq., put up the five original offices on the western side of South Avenue. Abram P. Smedley during the fall put up the handsome three-story brick building in which he afterwards lived, and various other embellishments were added to the town. In the mean time an ordinance had been passed prohibiting the erection of frame buildings within the borough limits, which had a most salutary influence both in the way of enhancing the appearance of Media and in precluding in a large degree the possibility of destructive fires, from which the place has ever been peculiarly exempt.

Of the early merchants we have already had occasion to speak, and we again advert to them. Charles R. Williamson had gone into business prior to this period. His store was in the building on the southeast corner of Front and Orange Streets, latterly occupied as a residence by Levis Miller. Thither Mr. Williamson removed the post-office when he was appointed postmaster, in May, 1853. In April of this year Mr. Smedley formed a partnership with Thomas D. Nelling, under the firm-name of Smedley & Nelling, and the firm carried on business at the original stand, on the corner of State Street and South Avenue, until the 1st of January, 1854, when Mr. Smedley withdrew, and Philip Nelling and Thomas D. Nelling took the store, under the firm-name of Nelling & Son. The first bookstore in Media was started by Mark Packard, at his residence on Orange Street, as early as 1853, but in a year or two afterwards was disposed of to H. L. Rockey, who sold it in 1856 to Joseph G. Cummins. This gentleman made the business a successful one, and the store became one of the permanent institutions of the borough.

A connected account has now been given of the origin and early growth of Media, and it remains to describe the public buildings, which formed the centre around which all of the improvements we have related clustered.

The Court-House and Jail. - The county commissioners, after the act of removal, which, as we have before said, became a law April 7, 1848, proceeded with all of the celerity that was compatible with sound business discretion to provide the necessary public buildings for the new seat of justice. They fixed upon the exact site (the present one) on May 15, 1849, and offered an award of fifty dollars for an acceptable plan for the proposed structures. In response to their offer a number of competitors appeared, and on June 18th they adopted the plan offered by Mr. Sloan, of Philadelphia, at an estimated cost for the court-house of fifteen thousand dollars. On August 28th they awarded the contract for the erection of the court-house and the jail to Joseph Esrey, John Williamson, and Joseph Lawson, for the sum of thirty-two thousand dollars. Ground was immediately