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Friends of Narberth history
Friends of Narberth History
Narberth Addresses

424 Conway Avenue†

Berkley Apartments

recent view of this address
1 Jan 2017

Timeline

1908Built by
2017Building no longer standing†

Years may be approximate. Where do we get these years?

The Berkley Apartments, named for the street which was never extended, was built atop the stone foundation of the large barn that stood behind 26 Sabine; the name first appears in the 1930 census as "Berkley Road Apts".

a family of 7 sits on a wagon in front of barn built on a stone foundationwood frame housing built on a stone foundation
The Harsch barn c. 1905; Berkley Apartments 2015

Harsch’s Settlement: Narberth’s Italian community started here

Earlier, behind the house on the 3½ acres bought by Theobald Harsch from the estate of Edward Price in 1899, stood a 150-foot long wood frame building, labeled "dwellings" on the 1908 to 1920 map layers. It stood where 33 Price, the Parkview Apartments, was built around 1925.

The "dwellings", and possibly the future "Berkley", too, were home to male "laborers", mostly Italian immigrants, many of whom later brought over their families to settle in Narberth and elsewhere in the region. Twelve were listed in the 1920 census, which designated it as 330 Sabine Rear (330 was renumbered to #26 before 1926). 29 were listed in 1910 at "Harsch's Settlement Back of #21 Woodbine Avenue" (Woodbine is a typo for Sabine). They represent a snapshot of the hundreds that must have passed though these dormitories, part of the tide of over 4 million Italian immigrants to the United States between 1880 and 1924.

U. S. Census

Census Name Relation Age Own Race Marital Birthplace Business Trade Apt # Note
1910Azzari Picho39WhiteSingleItalyContractorLaborerHarsch's Settlement Back of #21 Woodbine Avenue
Pietro Ciburzio33WhiteSingleItalyContractorLaborerHarsch's Settlement Back of #21 Woodbine Avenue
Armibale Maninucci38WhiteSingleItalyContractorLaborerHarsch's Settlement Back of #21 Woodbine Avenue
Giustino Maninucci28WhiteSingleItalyContractorLaborerHarsch's Settlement Back of #21 Woodbine Avenue
Alexandro Maninucci30WhiteSingleItalyContractorLaborerHarsch's Settlement Back of #21 Woodbine Avenue
Bernardo Costantini26WhiteSingleItalyContractorLaborerHarsch's Settlement Back of #21 Woodbine Avenue
Francesco Maninucci28WhiteSingleItalyContractorLaborerHarsch's Settlement Back of #21 Woodbine Avenue
Giovanni Mascarelli23WhiteSingleItalyContractorLaborerHarsch's Settlement Back of #21 Woodbine Avenue
Francesco Degirolamo25WhiteSingleItalyContractorLaborerHarsch's Settlement Back of #21 Woodbine Avenue
Bernardo Valendiai28WhiteSingleItalyContractorLaborerHarsch's Settlement Back of #21 Woodbine Avenue
Vinsenzo Capaferri25WhiteSingleItalyContractorLaborerHarsch's Settlement Back of #21 Woodbine Avenue
Sabatino Lepre22WhiteSingleItalyContractorLaborerHarsch's Settlement Back of #21 Woodbine Avenue
Erasimo Pribatti30WhiteSingleItalyContractorLaborerHarsch's Settlement Back of #21 Woodbine Avenue
Stipa Guiseppe27WhiteSingleItalyContractorLaborerHarsch's Settlement Back of #21 Woodbine Avenue
Anniballe Luigie37WhiteSingleItalyContractorLaborerHarsch's Settlement Back of #21 Woodbine Avenue
Pasquale Casalena18WhiteSingleItalyContractorLaborerHarsch's Settlement Back of #21 Woodbine Avenue
Nicola Ettorre18WhiteSingleItalyContractorLaborerHarsch's Settlement Back of #21 Woodbine Avenue
Arcangelo Vanitelli25WhiteSingleItalyContractorLaborerHarsch's Settlement Back of #21 Woodbine Avenue
Luigi Casalena17WhiteSingleItalyContractorLaborerHarsch's Settlement Back of #21 Woodbine Avenue
Ancelo Capoferri19WhiteSingleItalyContractorLaborerHarsch's Settlement Back of #21 Woodbine Avenue
Amedeo Capoferri20WhiteSingleItalyContractorLaborerHarsch's Settlement Back of #21 Woodbine Avenue
Nazareno Marinucci37WhiteSingleItalyContractorLaborerHarsch's Settlement Back of #21 Woodbine Avenue
Emidio Serbarino49WhiteSingleItalyContractorLaborerHarsch's Settlement Back of #21 Woodbine Avenue
Rubano Pola48WhiteSingleItalyContractorLaborerHarsch's Settlement Back of #21 Woodbine Avenue
Domenico Ettori47WhiteSingleItalyContractorLaborerHarsch's Settlement Back of #21 Woodbine Avenue
Joshua Dudley21BlackSingleVirginiaContractorLaborerHarsch's Settlement Back of #21 Woodbine Avenue
Robert Dudley18BlackSingleVirginiaContractorLaborerHarsch's Settlement Back of #21 Woodbine Avenue
James Collins23BlackSingleVirginiaContractorLaborerHarsch's Settlement Back of #21 Woodbine Avenue
John Banks42BlackSingleVirginiaContractorLaborerHarsch's Settlement Back of #21 Woodbine Avenue
1920Bardno VanittliHead35RentWhiteSingleItalyCoal YardLaborerstreetnumber: 330 Sabine rear
Guiseppo SorciBoarder47WhiteMarriedItalyCoal YardLaborerstreetnumber: 330 rear
Emidio SalmarinoBoarder59WhiteMarriedItalyContractorLaborerstreetnumber: 330 rear
Angelo CinzulloBoarder38WhiteSingleItalyContractorLaborerstreetnumber: 330 rear
William MarinucciBoarder47WhiteSingleItalyContractorLaborerstreetnumber: 330 rear
Francesco MarinucciBoarder43WhiteSingleItalyContractorLaborerstreetnumber: 330 rear
Guivanni DifurzioBoarder41WhiteMarriedItalyContractorLaborerstreetnumber: 330 rear
Antili CostandinoBoarder28WhiteSingleItalyContractorLaborerstreetnumber: 330 rear
Dabrandi MalteBoarder27WhiteSingleItalyContractorLaborerstreetnumber: 330 rear
Antonia MareoszBoarder40WhiteMarriedItalyContractorLaborerstreetnumber: 330 rear
Manuele ValleBoarder27WhiteSingleSpainContractorLaborerstreetnumber: 330 rear
Francisco HernandezBoarder46WhiteMarriedSpainContractorLaborerstreetnumber: 330 rear
1930Arthur S DigbyHead55RentWhiteMarriedPennsylvaniaSteam RailroadClerk1Berkley Road Apts
Emma S DigbyWife50WhiteMarriedPennsylvania
Mary DigbyDaughter25WhiteSinglePennsylvaniaSteam RailroadStenographer
William H HagenbuchHead59RentWhiteMarriedPennsylvaniaSteam RailroadClerk3Berkley Road Apts
Clara L HagenbuchWife53WhiteMarriedPennsylvania
Ernest W JockersHead38RentWhiteMarriedGermanyGerman LiteratureProfessor2Berkley Road Apts
Paula A JockersWife32WhiteMarriedGermany
William H WeaverHead58RentWhiteMarriedKentucky4Berkley Road Apts
Lillie K WeaverWife52WhiteMarriedPennsylvania
Andrew D VandlingHead48RentWhiteMarriedPennsylvaniaSteam RailroadClerk5Berkley Road Apts
Myrtle I VandlingWife47WhiteMarriedPennsylvania
Gladys M VandlingDaughter21WhiteSinglePennsylvaniaPrivate SchoolTeacher
Belle M VandlingSister58WhiteSinglePennsylvaniaDepartment StoreSaleslady
1940Wilmer M HeberligHead48RentWhiteMarriedPennsylvaniaReatial Chain StoreManagerA1
Florence B HeberligWife48WhiteMarriedPennsylvania
Frederick RobertsHead54RentWhiteMarriedMaineSteam RailroadAccountantB2
Laura RobertsWife40WhiteMarriedIowa
David StevensonHead36RentWhiteMarriedTennesseeBeverageSalesmanC1
Catherine S StevensonWife31WhiteMarriedMaryland
Catherine StevensonDaughter3WhiteSinglePennsylvania
Robert StevensonSon2WhiteSinglePennsylvaniaC1
Jane StevensonDaughter0WhiteSinglePennsylvania
Frederick MorhardHead69RentWhiteMarriedGermanyVarnish Mftg.Varnish ResearchC2
Frances MorhardWife63WhiteMarriedGermany
Eva MorhardDaughter37WhiteSingleNew York
Arthur S DigbyHead65RentWhiteMarriedPennsylvaniaSteam RailroadAccounting ClerkC3
Emma S DigbyWife60WhiteMarriedPennsylvania
Theodore I LavineHead33RentWhiteMarriedMassachusettsResearch Inst.Chemistalso recorded in Truro, MA
Marianne L LavineWife31WhiteMarriedNew Jersey
Richard B LavineSon1WhiteSingleNew Jersey
Erica LavineDaughter0WhiteSinglePennsylvania
1950Lewis HansenHead45WhiteMarriedTennesseeService StationGas Station Helper5
Olive HansenWife42WhiteMarriedVirginia5
Richard HansenSon20WhiteNeverMarylandRoad ConstructionTruck Driver5"420 Conway" may refer to "Berkeley Apts" 424 Conway, razed for Price Crossing
Robert HansenHead24WhiteMarriedMarylandRoad ConstructionTruck Driver4
Janet HansenWife23WhiteMarriedNew York4
Richard HansenSon1WhiteNeverPennsylvania4
Robert HansenSon1WhiteNeverPennsylvania4
Allen T KirkHead57WhiteMarriedPennsylvaniaCoal MiningClerk3
Ethel KirkWife55WhiteMarriedPennsylvaniaPrimary SchoolTeacher (Temp)3
Richmond E McConnellHead29WhiteMarriedPennsylvaniaAuto EquipmentSalesman2I recall McConnell family in apt. that Edie Brown later owned, sold for Price Crossing. RCS
Dorothy McConnellWife25WhiteMarriedPennsylvania2
Richmond McConnell JrSon4WhiteNeverPennsylvania2
Andrew McConnellSon1WhiteNeverPennsylvania2

No census records found 1900–1950.

Other resident listings

1944Frank Hardcastle 3rdNarberth Roll of Honor
1945Donald L CampbellNarberth Roll of Honor

Main Line Board of Realtors listings 1949-90

About these listings

1975
424 Conway Avenue real estate listing, 1975