Welcome to Greystone, a 115-year-old, three-story, single-family home situated in the Swarthmore section of Ridley Township, part of Delaware County, Pennsylvania.
The imposing stone home was built by Raphael Donato shortly after he purchased several parcels of land along Milmont Avenue in 1903. Completed between 1904 and 1905, Greystone was only the fifth home to be built on Milmont Avenue at that time but would soon surpass its predecessors both in size and notoriety. The Donato’s also owned The Green Lawn Inn, a locally famous banquet and dance hall during the 1930s-1960s.
In 2011, the house was listed as a “historic resource” in the Comprehensive Plan for Ridley Township and Eddystone Borough, prepared by the Delaware County Planning Office due to its unique architecture and distinctive Dutch-colonial gable.
Today, the house sits nestled amongst dozens of homes at the northernmost part of Milmont Avenue, near Ridley’s Creekside Center.
The Donato Family
The Donato’s immigrated to America from Italy just before the turn of the 20th century. They built and occupied Greystone for 80 years. A prominent family in the area, they had a storied past…
History
Originally a farmhouse providing fresh produce to Swarthmore, Greystone became the anchor for The Greenlawn Inn, a popular “watering hole” for students of Swarthmore College…
Construction
The house was designed using the vernacular architecture style, survived a significant fire, served as a farmhouse, and was the anchor for The Greenlawn Inn, a speakeasy turned banquet hall…