March 2026: Caring for our Land

Dear friends,

If the land on which Archmere is situated could speak, it would tell a story that begins before conventional recorded history, probably thousands of years ago when North America was home to dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures. The earliest evidence of humans living on the land date back to about 1100-1600 B.C., when the Leni-Lenape Indians settled in the area along the banks of the Delaware and Naamans Creek. 

In the Raskob-Green Record Book, Mrs. Raskob’s diary detailing their purchase of Archmere and the construction of the estate, she writes, “Evidence of their [Leni-Lenape Indians] life in this section was found by one of the workmen in the Spring of 1912; while excavating in preparation for a little garden a beautifully preserved arrow head was found.” We believe this garden to be the one between the Patio and Justin E. Diny Science Center, as it was the only garden original to the Raskob Era that the Academy has maintained.

Mrs. Raskob also began this chapter of her diary with the statement, “When we consider that today people buy properties, build beautiful houses on them, and live within their walls without giving even a thought to their history or to the associations that cluster around them, it is easy to understand how quickly the things of present interest recede into the background of the past and finally are forgotten.” How prolific a statement when one considers all of the former homes and estates along Philadelphia Pike and the Delaware River that have seen the wrecking ball over the last three-hundred years! 

Thanks to Mrs. Raskob, we have a detailed account of the provenance of the land on which Archmere is situated. Originally included in William Penn’s land grant from King James II, Archmere was once part of the Pennsylvania colony. In 1720, the proprietary governors of Pennsylvania, Thomas and William Penn, the son and grandson of Wiliam Penn, respectively, provided a tract of land to Joseph Grubb, John Buckley, and Benjamin Moulden. Within Joseph Grubb’s 119 acres was the Archmere estate. Grubb paid forty-three pounds, four shillings for the land and a yearly rental of one shilling for every eight acres. Joseph Grubb, Jr. inherited the land, and upon his death, his four sons owned the property. In 1782 each son sold his share to Alexander Dick, with the property valued at nine hundred twelve pound, seventeen shillings, sixpence. Alexander Dick died without a will and with many debts, so his land was sold at auction. Thomas Gray was the highest bidder for one thousand four hundred twenty-one pounds, fifteen shillings, tenpence.

After the death of Thomas Gray in 1830, his son William inherited the land, but on April 28, 1851, he sold a part of the original 119-acre tract to Marshall Hill, who became the owner of twenty-eight acres, ninety-three and forty-five hundredths perches, extending from the Philadelphia Pike to the Pennsylvania Railroad and from Myrtle Avenue to Thomas Myre’s property. With the purchase, Myrtle Avenue was made to connect from the Philadelphia Pike to the Delaware River and be used as a private road for adjoining property owners. The purchase price of the tract was $5,716.81.

In 1863 the property was sold again “with tenement and other buildings and improvements thereon erected” to Thomas Kimber, Jr. for $14,000. A little less than ten years later, George M. Troutman purchased the property for $22,000. He called the property “Archmere” because of “a natural arch formed by the opening in the trees on the east side of the house. Through this archway of foliage is afforded a beautiful view of the Delaware River.” (Mrs. Raskob, p.131, Raskob-Green Record Book)

Mr. Troutman, in deeding “Oak Lodge” and “Woodsedge” on the property to D.C. Wharton Smith, his son-in-law, included this clause: “That not any building or other erection shall be made on said land, or any trees planted thereon that shall obstruct the view of the river Delaware from the Mansion House of said George M. Troutman, on the adjoining premises through the present arch or opening, forming a passage in the grove or woods on said adjoining premises, said opening being about forty feet wide as at present, and instant to the center line thereof about two hundred and fifteen feet from the line of the said Thomas A. Myer’s land, and about parallel, thereto; and that said view shall remain open and unobstructed for the use and enjoyment of said Troutman, his heirs and assigns forever.”

Mrs. Virginia Smith inherited the property from her father, Mr. Troutman, and sold it to Mr. and Mrs. John J. Raskob for $27,000 in 1910. After making many “modern” improvements to the Victorian frame house, the Raskobs moved in on August 1, 1910. In the succeeding years, the Raskobs bought additional land - about 70 acres in all - to prevent the rapidly growing community from “approaching too near.” On February 2, 2016, the family moved to “Woodsedge,” the estate next door, which they purchased from Mrs. Ida Carr Addicks. The original Victorian home, built approximately 75 years earlier, was razed to make way for a new Neo-classical Italianate villa on the same hill overlooking the Delaware River through the arch. The home was completed in the Spring of 1918, and the family moved in, living there until the Spring of 1930, when it was listed for sale during the Great Depression, not because the Raskobs had to sell due to financial difficulties. 

There were several reasons for selling Archmere. The children were getting older and going off to boarding schools and colleges. Mr. and Mrs. Raskob had a luxurious apartment in New York City and a 2,000-acre estate called Pioneer Point Farm, on the Chesapeake River in Maryland. Mrs. Raskob enjoyed experimental farming with various crops on the farm, while Mr. Raskob enjoyed his work, his political interests, and his many board commitments, travelling between New York, Washington, and the farm in Maryland. In addition, the Raskobs received threats of kidnapping their children for ransom while they lived at Archmere, and Mr. Raskob was continually concerned about the growth of the Worth Steel plant along the Delaware River coastline, creating smoke and noise that would interfere with the bucolic setting of Archmere. 

A number of prospective buyers considered Archmere, including the U.S. Navy for a school for cadet training and a couple of other religious congregations. However, it was Abbot Bernard H. Pennings, O.Praem., from Saint Norbert Abbey in DePere, Wisconsin, who won the interest of Mr. Raskob when he shared his vision of starting a boarding and day school for boys. Archmere was sold to the Norbertines in 1932 for $400,000, a considerably low price given that the mansion house alone cost more than $1 million to build sixteen years earlier. However, it was the Great Depression, and the selling price was a challenge for the Norbertines to manage, so much so that Mr. Raskob held the mortgage, and when the Norbertines could not pay the mortgage payments in the two years after the school was founded, Mr. Raskob discounted the price by $100,000 and extended the terms of the loan. I would like to think that, in addition to Mr. Raskob’s philanthropy, his discernment of selling Archmere to the Norbertines took into consideration their commitment to preserving the unique and rich history of the land and the edifices that he built, all now called “Archmere.”

As an alumnus, knowing the history of the place makes me feel “rooted” to something very special - part of an American experiment that began with William Penn and evolved through generations of caretakers and owners who have now entrusted this piece of history to all of us who are now connected to it. We are about to celebrate our country’s semiquincentennial - a time for all of us to consider our own personal histories and experiences. We are so fortunate to live in a country that values our personal freedoms, something which WIlliam Penn and his group of adventurous colonists envisioned. Not without challenges and setbacks, the ideas of American freedom and equality supported the work of so many people invested in building a utopian society in the New World. Over time, the popular suspicion around the power of the Catholic Church and allegiance to the Pope in Rome over the President of the United States dissipated during the span of the 20th century, even as the Church grew and expanded to meet the needs of waves of immigrants coming from Europe. Bringing with them a work ethic and a desire to become a part of the American Dream, these immigrants shaped institutions, like Archmere, offering their time and talent, and perhaps, initially, little treasure to strengthen the foundations of these institutions. They respected and appreciated what had been accomplished and built on the land, and worked to preserve and improve it, not just for themselves and their families, but for future generations.

There is a song written in 2015 by Curtis Stephan, “Tend the Ground,” inspired by Pope Francis’ encyclical letter “Laudati Si’, On Care for Our Common Home,” given in Rome on Pentecost Sunday in the same year. The song refrain is: 

Pope Francis writes extensively about our responsibility to wisely use the gifts of God’s creation, preserving and growing rather than consuming and destroying the resources of our planet. In Chapter 4, Section II, Pope Francis talks about cultural ecology, making the following point: 

I believe that the Archmere community is rich in tradition because it has practiced “cultural ecology,” not just by preserving the history of the land and buildings, but by also sustaining our Catholic Christian charism in the Norbertine tradition. As Pope Francis wrote, our culture is more than just our inherited traditions, our culture is living and dynamic and changing with every new student and family that enters our campus gates. They are contributing to our school culture by sharing their present lives and past histories, so that the collective story of Archmere is enriched.

With the arrival of Spring, as new growth fills in our winter landscapes, and the signs of Resurrection are all around us, especially on our beautiful campus along the Delaware River, let us be grateful for and mindful of earth’s blessings and the land that has been a part of our stories. May all of you enjoy a Blessed and Happy Easter!

In Faith,

Michael A. Marinelli, Ed.D. ‘76 

Head of School

Click here to read the 2015 prayer by Pope Francis, A Christian Prayer In Union With Creation