Darby PA, A Home Town Turned Upside Down

Darby Borough is a small town located on the outskirts of the City of Brotherly Love. Bordering the Southwest side of Philadelphia enabled "Darbarians" to travel to and from the city for work. Employment opportunities were abound in Philadelphia. Many rode the trolley. Darby is only 8 tenths of a square mile but it is more densely populated than the City of Philadelphia. Settled in 1682, it was home to many a pioneer and an integral part of the forming of our country. Twenty three Quakers came here to Darby, one of which was John Blunston. During this time, William Penn was in the process of writing the "Rules of Privileges" that formed the basis for the Laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. John Blunston contributed much to these Laws. In 1687, he was elected Speaker of the House of Representatives in Pennsylvania. These Quakers came to Darby from England on one of William Penn's ships. They established the Borough of Darby where they practiced their faith that provided Freedom of Religion and Tolerance. John Blunston was also instrumental in the Anti Slavery movement. Some of our oldest buildings have been home to the Underground Railroad and helped Slaves escape to a free world. During the end of George Washington's presidency, on his way back to Mount Vernon, his cook, Hercules, cook, disappeared "somewhere between Philadelphia and Chester. He most likely had local help as he was never recaptured. So, as you see, Darby has deep rich history that molds, models and forms our way of life.

Sitting in my home or in the backyard, I can look out over Darby and remember very clearly, many good things about growing up here. Not too many sad memories here.
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A typical Darby family ....Back in the Day...

In the early 1900's, Clifton Pacaud Martin and Rosa Buechler Martin met and fell in love. He left home at the age of 13 in Shreveport Louisiana. He met Rosa in Brooklyn, New York. Rosa and her family were German Immigrants. They married and moved to Darby. They purchased a new home (1year old) at 206 Highland Avenue (where we presently reside). Here in this 4 bedroom home, they raised 9 children. My grandfather was a 30 year career Marine. In 1927
he built a tailor's shop in the back yard. It was made of old used garage doors from the Quartermaster (now called the Defense Personnel
Support Center) located at 20th & Oregon Avenue in South Philadelphia where he worked.) The building was 27 ' x 27'. My great Uncle August
Buechler was a tailor and operated his business here. When the war began, all the windows were painted black and black lights were installed. It was then used as an Air Raid Warden's Headquarters, Post #8. When the siren blew, all the air raid wardens would gather here and meet.

My great grandmother, Wilhelmina Buechler also lived in the neighborhood. She lived across the street with her family. As Rosa and Cliff's children grew up and married. They too stayed in the neighborhood. Pauline married Herman Rourke and moved around the corner. Cliff married Doris and they too moved around the corner. John married Evangeline Reilly and moved up to the top of the street. Viola married Sam King and moved across the street. Madeline (my mother) married Everett Evans and stayed at the original home on Highland Avenue.

Our home soon became the home away from home to many soldiers during the war. Soldiers from all over would stay here and my grandmother would feed them and "entertain" them. They were made to feel like family. She always had an open door policy. Darby has been, still is and hopefully will remain as a birthplace of lifetime friendships and memories.

My mother and father raised 3 children here in Darby. At that time, Darby was the "shopping hub" of Delaware County. Main Street was always crowded with shoppers. We had five supermarkets, the best clothing and shoe stores, a Hat Shop, Record Shop, A Baseball Stadium, Jewelery Store, a Bowling Alley, 5 & 10, two movie theaters, restaurants, and just about any other store your could imagine. Darby was a real family town. It was the kind of place that you grew up in, stayed and raised your family and when the children grew up, they too stayed and raised their families. The only times homes went up for sale, were when our older folks passed away and there wasn't any family to move in. Rentals were unheard of. Section 8 was not "invented" yet. People worked, came home, took care of their families, their houses and yards and everyone got along. There was only 1 apartment building in Darby but it was engulfed in fire in the early '60's and never rebuilt.

I really enjoyed growing up here. I can't remember a day when I yearned to live somewhere else. I decided this was where I wanted to raise my children, so they too could feel the deep history that Darby has to offer.

The Wrong Turn....

But sometime in the late part of the 20th Century, Darby took a wrong turn. Stores closed down rapidly, houses turned into apartments and Section 8, intended to help low income households have a decent place to live, instead enabled investors to snatch up deteriorating properties and turn them into a multi million dollar business that feeds the rich and hurts the poor. Gone are the families that worked, worshiped and socialized together. Strong neighborhood bonds evaporated like water in a desert. Main Street, once tree lined and booming with business, now is populated with empty buildings, storefront churches, apartments, rooming houses now occupy the business district. Traveling through the "Gateway to Philadelphia" is a sad trip for those who once knew what Darby used to be. On any given street, where maybe 40 homes were occupied by families who owned their homes a few years ago, are now occupied by renters who rapidly change like the weather. Forty different property owners who lived in their dwellings not too long ago, have packed up and moved. Now maybe on a lucky streak, 6 property owners of those same 40 houses, live out of town, far away but come to Darby on Rent Day to collect their fees. The tree lined streets are now full of trash, abandoned cars, crack bags, rodents and little children with no direction, no stability and some, no parents. Tag, Tug of War, and Stick Ball, have been replaced by shootings, gang wars and drugs.

The police department of years ago, consisted of dedicated officers who lived here, worked here, ate here and slept here. We knew them, they knew us. Now, the pool of officers changes like the weather too. Over thirty police officers patrol here, but only 3 live here. Elected Officials used to care. They used to own homes, raise their families and take care of business. Now, most of the elected officials in Darby are more impressed with the "title" they wear and not the job that comes with it. They are "impressed" by the gala functions they are invited to. They are impressed by "signing checks" that they have no idea what they are for. They are impressed with being "in control". Most do not work, or own their home, so they do not pay the taxes that homeowners are saddled with. Instead, because they are not paying taxes, they raise ours to the roof. They raise them so high that the senior citizens are forced to move. Working families are forced to move.

They are uneducated and it shows. They ignore the beautiful history that Darby has. Instead of preserving it, or spreading it, they tear it down without a thought. The Bunting House, once home to John Blunston was torn down abruptly without cause or care. The struggle that slaves went through to escape to freedom in Darby vanished when the bulldozer tore the history down.

Will Darby ever come back to the way it used to be? Will families come back? History be relived? I truly hope it will one day, but for now...it's on hold. Our history is traced back to England in the town of Derbyshire. I

In 1887, 205 years after Darby was settled, Lord Acton, known as the "Magistrate of History", coined the phrase "Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely". How right he was and how sad he would be if he were able to see Darby the way it is now.

The great Dr. Martin Luther King stressed the importance of leaders who need to be concerned about society as a whole, instead of their self pleasures. "An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity. "

In order to stop the madness, deterioration and further decline of Darby, we all need to come together, stand up and bring back what rightfully belongs to us. Our Neighborhood, Our Town, Our Darby. If we don't then what's next?

W.E.B. DuBois said it all..."The power of the ballot we need in sheer defense, else what shall save us from a second slavery?"

I still live in the house today that my grandparents purchased in 1903. And, like in the family tradition, it is still the gathering place for relatives and friends. It's what we are proud to call home. I struggle every day with the disease that has infected the town I love. I still have hope and faith in my fellow neighbor that together, we can effect a positive change and bring Darby back. Stronger than ever.