Everything old was once new. I try to remember that whenever someone disparages new construction for its lack of charm. If any given “mcmansion” lasts long enough, will future preservationists revere it as we today cherish our grand Victorians? (Will the mcmansion even last long enough for such reverence, is another question.)

Our charming traditional neighborhoods were once farms and before that, forests. When W.T.B. Roberts build much of Glenside, he advertised it as “malaria free.” Apparently, the swampy banks of our regional creeks and rivers were a breeding ground for that scourge and Glenside represented an escape.

The photo above shows a small apartment block and two adjacent twins across from Renninger Park shortly after completion along the trolley line that, as we reported last week, carried city and Glenside residents up to the newly constructed Willow Grove Park.