Markley Farm unveils homes in West Norriton

WEST NORRITON » More than seven years after Markley Farms Swim & Tennis Club shut down operations, the legacy of the beloved 51-year-old summertime hangout for so many will live on in name — and even in spirit.

In building 79 single family homes surrounding 11 acres of open space with a pond and walking trails on the sprawling West Norriton property, DelGrippo Builders whimsically noted on its website that it’s “bringing happiness and laughter back to the rolling hills.”

It’s certainly bringing back a lot of memories for those who are stopping in to take a look at the model homes on weekends and by appointment, noted Nicole Bauder of Long & Foster Real Estate.

“I’d say every other buyer coming in says they spent their summers here at Markley Swim Club,” said Bauder, whose family also has a personal poolside story to tell.

“My mom was a member of Markley Swim Club and got a phone call one day while she was there that she was pregnant with me,” she said.

Long & Foster sales manager Lou Marchegiano, agreed: “Everybody goes down memory lane when they’re here and they seem to know everybody else,” he said. “The people buying homes here for the most part are locals who grew up in the West Norriton area. They know the builder and his good reputation and they feel very comfortable here.”

Markley Farms Swim & Tennis Club was built at the tail end of the 1950s, when private swim clubs were just starting to become the recreational rage for young families beginning to take up residence in the suddenly booming suburbs.

Built on the edge of more than 50 aces of farmland, the site presented Doris “Dorie” and Ronald Markley a golden opportunity, as it does now for DelGrippo Builders, which further remembers the forward-thinking husband and wife by naming Markley Farm streets after them.