"Many trolley car parks were built . . . as a way of attracting riders on evenings and weekends," regional historian David R. Contosta writes in his book, Suburb in the City: Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia, 1850-1990.

Many of these parks continued past the trolley era. But one, White City, located in Erdenheim, Springfield Township, suffered a premature demise at the hands of a group of wealthy residents of Chestnut Hill.

By the 1890s, trolley lines were in place from the center of Philadelphia, through Chestnut Hill and on to Willow Grove Park, then the premier amusement park in the region. And there was near agreement on a connecting trolley line running out of Norristown.

Henry B. Auchy, owner of Philadelphia Toboggan Co. in Germantown, saw the possibilities in a new park just outside Chestnut Hill. Auchy's company manufactured carousels, roller-coaster cars, and other rides for summer amusement parks. He thought a Chestnut Hill park would attract large crowds from both Philadelphia and Norristown. But he was not interested in competing with Willow Grove Park and hoped to attract a different class of people with the new park.

It cost three fares on the trolley from the city to Willow Grove. If his park were located near Chestnut Hill, Auchy realized, the cost of the ride would be just one fare.

The late local historian Edward Hocker, in his "History of Montgomery County," found in the bulletin of the county historical society, writes that Auchy was not expecting "a highbrow patronage," but rather a lower-middle to working-class crowd. Thus, as at Willow Grove, there would be a lake with a boathouse, carousels and a music program, but instead of a "high-class" orchestra, Auchy's park would offer just a brass band.

Sixteen acres were purchased on the northeast side of Bethlehem Pike in Erdenheim, adjacent to Chestnut Hill. In the summer of 1898, Auchy's park, called White City, opened for business.

But all this did not sit well with the people of Chestnut Hill. They argued that the increase in ridership on the trolley line would put a strain on the cars as they climbed the steep hills on Germantown Avenue. There would be an increase in accidents, they added.

"But no one outside of Chestnut Hill bought that argument," Hocker writes.

Over the next 14 years, residents of Chestnut Hill continued to be outspoken in their opposition of White City.

As Contosta writes, they contended that "the park lowered the tone of the entire suburb. . . . It depreciated the value of the land. . . . Its existence kept desirable persons away from Chestnut Hill."

The fact is, Contosta writes, that the park brought "a rowdy group of visitors" who were viewed by the Chestnut Hill residents as their social inferiors.

By 1912, the park was popularly called Chestnut Hill Park. The locals had had enough.

A group of wealthy residents - George C. Thomas Jr., Charles N. Welsh, Wilson Potter, and Jay Cook 3d - pooled resources and bought the property for $500,000, according to Contosta.

Almost immediately, White City was closed and the equipment sold. The land was subdivided into building lots, but was not quickly developed. Eventually, Springfield High School was built on the site.

Today, all that remains of the park is a pond along Montgomery Avenue that was used in winter by skaters.

- May 4th, 2000