The Borough Of Media.

The views of the originators of the project having by this time become considerably enlarged and their enthusiasm growing rather waning, it was decided to increase the limit of cost to ten thousand dollars. Before the meeting adjourned the present site had been definitely fixed upon by D. T. Hawkins and William Apple, who were appointed a committee for that purpose.

John Eves was, on November 9th, awarded the contract for constructing the house and outbuildings for the sum of nine thousand five hundred dollars, and pledged himself to have the work completed by Aug. 1, 1851. The corner-stone was laid November 18th, by Hon. Sketchley Morton. In it were placed the articles of association, with the names of members and subscribers to the fund; names of members of the Town Council and other officials, copies of the county newspaper and the Philadelphia Sun and Ledger, and several other printed and written documents. Work went rapidly forward from this time.

On Jan. 9, 1851, the "Charter House Association" and the Delaware County Convention met at Providence Inn to commemorate by an anniversary dinner the adoption of the thirty-fourth section of the borough charter. On this occasion John F. Vanleer was chosen president; James Lewis, James T. Dannacker, John C. Beatty, and George G. Knowles, vice-presidents; D. T. Hawkins and J. F. Taylor, secretaries. A number of excellent toasts were offered, among them the following:

"Media - Our New County-Seat. - redeemed from the traffic of intoxicating liquors by the common wish of the citizens of the county, its immediate residents, its storekeepers, its innkeepers, its borough officers, as well as by legislative enactment, - it shines forth 'a gem of the first water.'"

"The Charter House. - A noble monument, erected by a generous people, to commemorate the only constitutional legislation relative to the sale of intoxicating liquors - entire prohibition."

"Providence Inn. - The God of Providence can now smile upon it"

"The Temperance Reform. - Glorious in its origin and history, it rolls on to triumph through the legitimate channels of the pledged man, socially; the citizen, politically; and the Christian, ecclesiastically."

The fourth installment of subscriptions due to the Charter House Association was paid to Abram Pennell on March 24th. Up to that time but one individual had repudiated his subscription.

The house was pronounced finished by the 1st of May, and on June 18th it was rented to D. Reese Hawkins at six hundred dollars per year, he to furnish the building. He moved in on Thursday, July 10th, and opened the hotel for the accommodation of the public on the following Monday. He retained possession of the premises, with the exception of two short intervals, until 1871, when Cheney Bittle, of Thornbury, became landlord. After Mr. Bittle's short term of occupation several other landlords came and went in rapid succession, and in 1876, Mr. Watrus assumed the management of the house. He was followed by Charles Martel, in 1877 ; he by T. L. Hawkins, in 1879; and he by the present proprietor, I. Ivison, in April, 1882. The Charter House has borne and now bears an excellent reputation, and it affords ample testimony that a hotel can be successfully maintained without the aid of liquor sales.

Municipal Improvements - The Streets. - We have shown, in the account of the early proceedings of the Town Council, that action was taken by that body looking towards the improvement of the streets within the borough, but the minutes contain no evidence that any work was actually performed prior to 1851. . At the meeting of July 1st in that year, the clerk was requested to notify, within ten days, the lot-holders "within the limits of the streets" to pave and curb before their respective properties, and at the same time the president was authorized to draw on the treasurer for the purpose of paying for the grading of South Avenue and State Street. At the next meeting an additional appropriation of fifty dollars was made for the grading of the streets mentioned. It was decided that the sidewalk flagging should be fifteen feet wide on South Avenue, ten feet on State Street, and the same width in front of unimproved lots. The street commissioners at this time were Isaac Haldeman and William T. Pierce. In the Republican Caleb J. Hoopes, John D. Gilpin, and Annesley Newlin, the county commissioners, advertised for sealed proposals for the paving of Court-House Square. A number of bids were received, one of which (from a Philadelphia firm) being accepted, the work was pushed ahead with vigor. Thus the county authorities were fully abreast of the borough officials in the matter of beautifying the town. In April, 1852, Mr. Hardcastle was elected as one of the street commissioners, in place of Mr. Haldeman, and served in that office with Mr. Pierce.

Important action concerning the improvement of the village was taken at the meeting of the Council on July 6, 1852, when it was resolved "that State, Front, Second, and Third Streets should be surveyed and laid out to Providence road on the east side, and on the west side to where the streets intersect with