As one commenter pointed out, last week's historical photo challenge could be considered "a gift."  david shaver was the first commenter, and the first to answer correctly: corner of planebrook and swedesford rds. According to the East Whiteland Historical Commission, the barn is the Adam Reitenbaugh barn, built circa 1839.  The photo was taken in December 1979.  Commission member Tim Caban passed along this information about the barn: This is probably a very easy one for most people but I chose it to highlight an example of adaptive reuse that is currently taking place. A company has …

The building pictured in the photo above was constructed in 1839 and is still standing today. The photo was taken in 1979. Can you guess where the photo was taken? Submit your answers in the comments, and we'll post the correct answer with a current photo next Wednesday.

The house shown in last week's historical photo challenge is fairly prominent, and commenters were quick to name the location. The house, built in 1745 and still standing today, is located on Church Road at West Swedesford Road. It is the Edward Kennison House, according to papers documenting its historical status with the county and state (attached): Edward Kennison, a shopkeeper, purchased a tract from Lewis David in 1707. His son, William, lost the property via a Sheriff's sale in 1754. The structure continued to house a store periodically for the next Century by the Harris family. One of …

The house pictured in the photo above was constructed in 1745 and is still standing today. The photo was taken in 1979. Can you guess where the photo was taken? Submit your answers in the comments, and we'll post the correct answer with a current photo next Wednesday. Subscribe to our newsletter | Follow us on Facebook | Follow us @MalvernPatch

A familiar surname is involved in the answer to last week's historical photo challenge. The house and barn in the photos once belonged to the Zook family, not unlike the barn we featured recently. None of the answers from commenters mentioned Zook, but a few had the correct location of the photos. The house is located at 10 Winding Way, and the barn is at 12 Winding Way. According to Tim Caban of the East Whiteland Historical Commission, which supplied the old photos, they were taken in 1979 and the buildings were erected circa 1780. He provided a bit more information about each building: …

The house and barn pictured in the photos above date back to 1780, and both are still standing. The photos were taken in 1979. Subscribe to our newsletter | Follow us on Facebook | Follow us @MalvernPatch Can you guess where the photos were taken? Submit your answers in the comments, and we'll post the correct answer with a current photo next Wednesday.

Well, hopefully the massive correct response to last week's historical photo will help repair all our egos from the week everyone guessed the wrong pond. Donna was the first to chime in with the correct location:  Isn't it on Rte 30 in front of the movie theater, I think it's a hairdressers now. According to Tim Caban of the East Whiteland Historical Commission, the address is 638 Lancaster Avenue in Frazer. A historical narrative provides some background on the building: Datestone of 1906 matches the popular use of the Carpenter Gothic architectural style at the turn of the century.  Frank …

When we featured Zook Barn as a recent historical photo challenge, we used a Library of Congress photo. In the comments section, Paula K, noted that she had photographed the barn, too: When we were taking the pictures for the township files, in the 1980's it was in very sad shape...not nearly as good as this photo. This is probably the Library of Congress collection from the 1930's era? Not too many log barns in this area, most were fieldstone. East Whiteland Historical Commission member Tim Caban took a look and found one of those photos. Taken in 1979, it is presumably the last photo taken …

The building in the photo above dates back to 1906, and it is still standing. Can you guess where the photo was taken? Submit your answers in the comments, and we'll post the correct answer with a current photo next Wednesday.

The building in the photo dates back to the 18th century. It's no longer standing. Can you guess where the photo was taken? Submit your answers in the comments, and we'll post the correct answer with a current photo next Wednesday.

The response to last week's historical photo challenge was unusual in two respects. First, it drew a lot of comments—27, at last count. Second, it produced a broad consensus about the answer that turned out to be dead wrong. The lake featured in the photo, taken circa 1940, is not the body of water on the campus of Malvern Prep, as many people guessed. In fact, the lake doesn't exist anymore. The correct answer, guessed by no one, is Mary Lake, which sat on property owned by Immaculata University. The college breached a dam in the 1970s to remove the lake for liability reasons, according to …

The exact date of the photo above is not certain, but it was probably taken around 1940. Even setting the chilly temperatures aside, you wouldn't be able to take a dip in the water if you visited the same spot today. Can you guess where the photo was taken? Submit your answers in the comments, and we'll post the correct answer with a current photo next Wednesday.

Last week's historical photo challenge was a tough one. None of the commenters had the right answer. (Note for future reference—we've already featured the house at Route 352 and Route 30.) The house featured last week is still standing at 75 North Bacton Hill Road near the western tip of East Whiteland Township. It's set back quite a bit from the road, but it can be seen from the road, as shown in the modern photos above.  The East Whiteland Historical Commission supplied some of the history of the property: The Jacobs family owned the property during the late 1700's and early 1800's.  …

The building in the photo above was constructed circa 1800. The photo was taken in 1979, and the building still stands today. Can you guess where the photo was taken? Submit your answers in the comments, and we'll post the correct answer with a current photo next Wednesday.

Readers wasted no time nailing the correct location of last week's historical photo challenge.  Nope, it's not the "This is women's lib" barn, as some guessed. Mike M was the first to answer, and he answered correctly: I think it is the house and barn on king street headed west after 352 headed to the college, on the right hand side right before William Henry apts. In fact, the two buildings no longer standing were torn down for an expansion of the William Henry Apartments in 1995, perhaps unnecessarily. According to Tim Caban of the East Whiteland Historical Commission, who supplied the …

The photos above, provided by the East Whiteland Historical Commission, depict buildings in the Malvern area. The photos were taken in 1979. It would not be accurate to say that the buildings are all still standing, nor would it be accurate to say they have all disappeared. Can you guess where the photos were taken? Submit your answers in the comments, and we'll post the correct answer with a current photo next Wednesday. Updated 2/6/13, 3:45pm to include year of photos.

Last week's historical photo challenge was a tough one; there were plenty of incorrect answers before the correct one came in. The house pictured in the photo is set back in the woods off Goshen Road, as can be seen in the modern day photo. The photo depicts Thomas Mill in Willistown Township, located across the street from Bartram's Bridge at the border of Willistown and Newtown townships—and Chester and Delaware counties, for that matter. Today, an engraved stone at the driveway to the building reads "Thomas Mill Farm est. 1745." According to a historical narrative (PDF) at the Library of …

The building in the photo above was constructed in 1774. It still stands today. Can you guess where the photo was taken? Submit your answers in the comments, and we'll post the correct answer with a current photo next Wednesday.

Editor's note: Sorry this week's installment of the Historical Snapshot is a bit late. The answer will still be revealed next Wednesday. The photo above was taken in 1989, and the building in the photo was constructed in 1874. It is still standing today. Can you guess where the photo was taken? Submit your answers in the comments, and we'll post the correct answer with a current photo next Wednesday.

Last week's historical photo was the second in the series to come from the Library of Congress. The undated photo showed the inside of Bartram's Bridge. According to the LoC, which has many photos of the bridge and a historical narrative: This simple covered bridge, erected in 1860, is one of the few covered bridges left in Chester County, and is the only one planned to preserve. Commenter Eric Lewis wasted no time answering the question correctly. The same morning the photo was posted, he wrote: Bartram's Covered Bridge, near intersection of Boot & Goshen in Newtown Square.  http://goo.gl/…