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Wayne
History
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Wayne was first developed in 1870. A few years before that, J.
Henry Askin built a mansion, called Louella, on Lancaster Avenue. Then
construction started on the Opera House, the Presbyterian Church and a small
community. Askin had plans for Wayne in 1870, but eventually he went blind
and then came the financial depression in 1873. He ended up selling his land
to Anthony J. Drexel and George W. Childs, who were the banker and publisher
that planned to build a huge community out of Askin's holdings. In 1880,
Drexel and Childs started their plan with the building of the Bellevue
Hotel. Construction began in 1885 on North Wayne Avenue of the new
development of New Wayne. At first, small cottages were built, and then
construction spread throughout the neighborhood.
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