APPLES AND A SCHOOLHOUSE: The historical narrative of the Seaward Avenue area, provided to us by a loyal reader, continues below.
“The hillside above Seaward Avenue may have been an apple orchard at one time, for there remained a few aged apple trees.”
Here the reader notes they once viewed an old photo of the hillside that showed only a few remaining trees and also included the view of a standard oil rig and an oil field powerhouse.
The narrative goes on, “The former structure at 105 Seaward Avenue use to be the Seaward Avenue schoolhouse, prior to becoming a residence. When remodeling took place in the 1950’s, a blackboard was discovered behind the back wall, as well as two doors on the front wall.
In the neighboring house lived an individual who had been a steam locomotive engineer for the Erie Railroad.
In a separate building behind his house, he had an extensive workshop where he did woodworking. One of the products he made were ‘rod line supports,’ an item which sat atop the support pipes for the oil field well rod lines, which at one time combed this area of Pennsylvania.
Also, atop his workshop was a large size wooden (oak) replica of an Erie Railroad steam locomotive. Many times, people would stop to admire/inquire about its availability for purchase — never was.
Across the street, (#110) lived Bradford’s longtime advocate for children care, Lena J. Griffin.
For 30-plus years, she served as the executive secretary, director, as well as being an orthopedic nurse, at the McKean County Society for Crippled Children, for disabled children of the area.
She died at the age of 102.
One time, two police chiefs made their homes on Seaward Avenue: Chief Edward Edmunds and Chief Palazzetti. Directly across from Constitution Avenue was a dairy. Afterwards, it became a Pennzoil gas station/neighborhood store selling limited grocery items.
In front of 155 Seaward Avenue (right side of property, butting against the sidewalk) was a large concrete bumper block — probably from the days of streetcars.
Our history of the Seaward Avenue concludes in a future column.
