Dear Editor:I saw the article about the Gruber Mansion in the latest edition of the Tri County Record.
My grandfather was the gardener/caretaker there in the early to late 50s. He would have my brother, father and me over for visits to the property occasionally. I remember as a young boy, going there to ice skate on the canal that ran through the property. And feeding the horses in the stable that still stands, down near the Route 422 bypass (which wasn’t there at the time).
There was a large fish pond in front of the mansion, with huge goldfish, and a four-car garage next to the mansion, where my grandfather parked his car. He had a small office in a building behind the house that housed the tractor and other implements he used to mow and tend the property. I believe he planted most of the pink dogwoods that were such an attraction to many in the area when they bloomed in the spring.
We would use Gruber’s old Chevy pickup truck to haul cow manure from the Swavely Farm near Gruber’s to our home in the north end of Pottstown, to fertilize our garden. The visits were always an exciting adventure for a young boy. I’m sorry to see the mansion be razed.
Alan KlineNorth Coventry
