"There is a tableau in my mind which has been crystallized for me probably aided by reading Newman’s biography of Allen. Having walked for miles to reach Radnor and then having preached along the way and here, Allen’s feet were worn and too tender for him to walk the short distance from his chair to the Waterses’ dinner table. So instead they washed his feet in water and bran to soothe them and then brought the table directly to him so he could rest while eating....It is this moment, the vulnerability of Allen after so much preaching, together with the generosity of the Waters family that convinces me this visit to Radnor Township was formative for Allen to found his church here in the Philadelphia area. Others like Newman and even Newlin believe Allen’s visit to Radnor was formative for him too. So now a Radnor Township park will be named for Bishop Richard Allen. And this is a fitting tribute. It will remind us of this image of Allen and the Waterses and provides a window into Christian African-American life in Radnor in the late 1700s."
From Literally Speaking: "Remembering Bishop Richard Allen and His Time Spent in Radnor" by Anne Minicozzi, Main Line Suburban Life, May 12, 2010
From Literally Speaking: "Remembering Bishop Richard Allen and His Time Spent in Radnor" by Anne Minicozzi, Main Line Suburban Life, May 12, 2010