"Walmarthon"

 university, residence, country house

"Walmarthon" was the home of Charles S. Walton, a leather manufacturer who had lived in Wayne previously. He lived in St. Davids in a house designed by Horace Trumbauer. This residence was also named Walmarthon, the name being a combination of his wife Martha England’s first name and his last. In 1911 Walton bought property adjoining Francis Fenimore’s land. David Knickerbacker Boyd designed the mansion and its adjoining buildings. Boyd had designed several notable buildings in his native Wayne, but this was his largest estate project.

The estate was 40 acres, including three lakes, which Walton graciously let Wayne residents use. Besides the main house, there were several outbuildings including a small log house, a large greenhouse, a seven-car garage, a three-horse stable, a springhouse complete with water wheel and a large gate lodge. All these buildings were designed in the same Mediterranean style, a combination of Northern Italian villa and California mission. Some outbuildings even had towers similar to that of the main house. The interior of the main house had a different style in each room. For example, the main staircase was elevated with ionic columns, the ceiling of the billiard room was vaulted, and the the library was Jacobean.

In 1918 a silent film directed by Ira M. Lowry was filmed at Walmarthon. The film, "Oh, Johnnie!" was filmed both inside the estate and on the grounds. It was a Western-themed comedy, and showed many parts of the estate, including the waterwheel, a party on the patio, and swimming in Willow Lake.

The Walmarthon estate has been converted to college use, having become Eastern College in 1952. "Walmarthon" was also profiled in a 22-page article in the November, 1915 issue of the Architectural Record.

1892: C.S. Walton moves to St. Davids
1905: Walton becomes president of England & Walton leather goods manufacturers
1911: Construction of Walmarthon begins
1914: Walmarthon completed
1916: Log cabin and greenhouse complex completed
1918: Silent film "Oh, Johnnie!" filmed at Walmarthon 1935: Walmarthon put on market; attracts no buyers
1950: Estate sold to Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary
1952: Becomes Eastern College
2001: Eastern College becomes Eastern University

media.eastern.edu/v/1258399644/
www.beyondthegildedage.com/2013/03/walmarthon.html?m=0
www.delcoghosts.com/eastern.html