Radnor War Memorial

...to the Men and Women of Radnor Township who served in the World War and to THOSE WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES

The historic photos on this site are courtesy of the Radnor Historical Society and provided with text by Radnor historian Greg Prichard.
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War Memorial at its current location at Runnymede Avenue, Wayne, Delaware County

The original location was near the geographic center of Radnor Township, along the Lincoln Highway (Lancaster Avenue) adjoining St. Davids Golf Club.

$10,000 was raised by the community, with a pie chart showing the current level of contributions published on the front page of the Suburban & Wayne Times newspaper each week in early 1922. The chairman of the monument committee was Mrs. Robert Graffen Wilson, the secretary Miss Mary DeHaven Bright, and the Treasurer Miss Grace C. Roberts. Trees behind the monument were a gift of the township school children.

Dedication Ceremony, Memorial Day, 1922

Lancaster Avenue site prior to relocation at
South Wayne and Runnymeade Avenue

The dedication two days before Memorial Day, 1922 was attended by Senator George Wharton Pepper, who gave brief remarks. Ceremonies were said to be simple, with children of three of the dead unveiling the bronze. They were Pennington Howard Way (8), Gordon Townsend Way (6), and Frances Cotter (10). The Marine Band from the Philadelphia navy yard and a detachment of marines participated. After the ceremony, a luncheon was held at the Chew residence, Vanor. Mr. David Chew had donated the land, which had been owned by his family for 200 years, for the monument to Radnor Township.

Tablet for World War One.
Additional tablets added later to
honor those who lost their
lives in World War II, the Korean
War and the Vietnam War

As development along Lancaster Avenue grew rapidly and the road was widened to seven lanes, the Memorial was re-located to a more central part of town. A newspaper photograph printed on March 11, 1965 shows the relocation effort. It was built in its new location to the same appearance. A committee found that the grounds of Radnor High School would be an ideal spot, though in the end a location near the center of downtown Wayne was chosen.
Other members of the memorial committee: Rev. Dr. W. G. W. Anthony, Mrs. Archibald Barklie,

Mrs. W. Allen Barr, Rev. J. W. Brooks, Rev. J. C. Burbage, A. W. Canizares, Robert K. Cassatt, Captain Benjamin Chew, David S. B. Chew, Charles E. Clark, William S. Ellis, Rev. J. W. Elliot, Mrs. F. B. Embick, Rev. R. H. Gurley, Miss Nancy Hallowel, C. Willing Hare, Horace B. Hare, Mrs. C. C. Harrison, DeWitt P. Henry, William K. Holman, Dr. G. L. S. Jameson, Dr. Guy C. Lawson, John D. Lengel, Rev. Crosswell McBee, George McFadden, Mrs. Paul Denckia Mills, Mrs. W. A. Nichols, Major M. A. Pugh, Henry Roever, S. V. Rowland, Rev. E. W. Rushton, Rev. Charles Schall, Mrs. Emilie Sayen Schultz, C. C. Shoemaker, S. Deas Sinkler, Mrs. A. G. H. Spiers, Louis H. Watt, W. A. Wiedersheim, 2d, James M. Willcox, Mrs. John P. Wood and William T. Wright. 

Original inscriptions:

William Bateman
William Powell Cotter
Wallace Craig Dickson
Howard Ray Duncan
George Farrell
Thomas Foy
Clarence Patton Freeman
Edward Gallagher
Joseph M. Gardner
Norman B. Hallman
Philip Overton Mills
Clinton Vanpelt Newbold
Thomas Roberts Reath
George H. Righter
David Rupp 3rd
William Henry Sayen Schultz
Alec Scott
Camilla Traino
Pennington H. Way
Joseph O’Dirrisio