In the early 1850s, most of what is now Avondale Borough was a large wheat field situated in portions of both New Garden and London Grove Townships. Early Avondale consisted of a stone bridge, four houses, a blacksmith shop, a tailoring shop, a bark mill, and several limekilns. The village, centered on State Street, was served by the Philadelphia and Baltimore Central Railroad and two mail routes. Led by visionary residents such as James Watson, Ziba...