For decades, American wines — such as those produced in the early days from California — were looked down upon by connoisseurs who appreciated only those from France, Italy and other well established regions. From the 1970s onward, vintners around the U.S. have cultivated wines worthy of praise alongside those from Europe. Chester County and neighboring southwestern Delaware County hold a place in that history,…
The air’s a bit cooler now, with brisk autumn breezes replacing the sweltering humidity of summer. Children are back at school and parents are preparing for another busy schedule of soccer games and PTA meetings. With leaves on the trees generating a colorful tapestry of crimson and gold, and fireplaces being stacked with freshly cut wood, thoughts turn to the unofficial holiday of Halloween, when…
Brandywine Creek State Park, outside of Wilmington, became a park in 1965, utilizing land previously owned by the du Pont family. One of the first parks in the country to be purchased with Land and Water Conservation funds, the 933 acre park entices visitors with its rolling hills and rustic stone walls constructed in the late 1800’s. Celebrate the start of the fall season at…
Local residents and visitors to the Brandywine Valley know it as the home of the famous Wyeth family of artists and picturesque countryside, but few know the history behind Chadds Ford Days, which has been celebrated here since Dwight Eisenhower was in the White House. The area around the village of Chadds Ford was inhabited by the Lenni-Lenape Indians for centuries before European explorers arrived.…
A name immediately recognizable by every American, Valley Forge will be linked forever with our struggle for independence. Although its been romanticized in history books for decades, few people know how perilously close to failure Gen. George Washington came there. The story behind this sacred place — and the men who suffered here — is one of faith, fortitude and inspiration. Walking in their footsteps…
Visitors to Chester County know the area for its rolling hills and a kaleidoscope of colors in the fall, but few are deeply familiar with its rich heritage dating back more than 300 years. William Penn made the first land transfers to settlers, Chester County archives showing 1,250 acres “to be taken up in his said Province” which were granted to Mary Penington in 1681.…
“No man can be a patriot on an empty stomach.”--William Cowper Brann (1855- 1898) Pennsylvania taverns hold an important place in the founding of our country, with establishments like Philadelphia’s City Tavern serving George Washington at a party before his inauguration. Chester County has a rich culinary heritage dating back to before the Revolutionary War. Colonial inns (places to spend the night) and taverns (for…
For centuries, books have kept an important written record of our heritage. With the advent of the internet, independent bookstores across the U.S. have felt the sharp impact of competition at a time when our world is turning increasingly to electronic media for information. Once dominant Borders has gone out of business; many avid readers are wondering if their favorite neighborhood store will be the…
More than any other issue, the Civil War was fought to decide whether “the peculiar institution” known as slavery would continue to be the law of the land. Although having been in existence for centuries in many other countries — where even blacks owned other blacks as slaves — some brave citizens found the practice so abhorrent, they dedicated themselves to its abolition. The actions…
Ever since Howard Pyle brought his art school to Wilmington around the year 1900, the local rolling hills, tree-lined riverbanks and adjacent structures have been the subject of hundreds of paintings in what became known as the Brandywine School.
