The Chadds Ford Historical Society is launching a major celebration in honor of the 300th anniversary of the Barns-Brinton House. The tavern on Route 1 in Pennsbury Township was built in 1714. “A Toast to the Tavern: 300 Years” is an exhibit on display at the society’s Barn Visitors’ Center that shows centuries-old legal papers pertaining to the building as well as photographs the CFHS…
The tattoo of drums, the booming eruptions of cannon and the smaller punctuating reports of musket fire reverberated across the field at Sandy Hollow Heritage Park in Birmingham Township on May 17 and 18. Hundreds of re-enactors and thousands of visitors either took part in or watched a re-enactment of the 1777 Battle of Brandywine on the same ground where the actual fighting took place.…
The monstrous rain on April 30 did more than cause the Brandywine Creek to spill its banks. Torrents of water also blasted through a 15-foot section of rock dam at the Newlin Grist Mill Park. The dam channels water along the millrace to operate the mill. In addition to stopping mill operations, the lack of water flow along the millrace also dried up the fishponds…
• One person was transported for medical treatment following a two-vehicle accident on Route 1 near Brandywine Drive in Chadds Ford Township on May 20. No details have yet been released on what caused the accident or if anyone was cited. (See photo.) • Lauren Elizabeth Cool, of Berlin, N.J., was arrested for DUI on May 20. Police said she was determined to be under…
Within the past five years, Hannah Freeman, known in local lore by the pejorative name of “Indian Hannah,” has become Chester County’s “in” person of 2014, and an eye-opening book on her life has come along just in time! On May 15, a large stone marker was re-dedicated at the Chester County Visitor Center near the main entrance to Longwood Gardens. Once located on Route…
Jay is a neutered male orange tabby cat and this fellow is quite the entertainer. It’s odd to think that this friendly guy was found as a stray because nothing makes him happier than the presence of people. He has a fun personality and he can fill a room full of laughter within seconds. When Jay isn't busy being a comedian, he will find a window to…
The scene from a Webb Road property looks as if it could have been used in a Sergio Leone western.
Unionville-Chadds Ford School Board directors bid farewell to one of their own on a night when they agreed to spend money on benefits and some needed repairs. The May 19 board meeting was the last one for Region B representative Eileen Bushelow. She announced her resignation for personal reasons during the April board meeting. Her resignation is effective May 28 so she will not be…
• The annual Memorial Day ceremony at Brandywine Baptist Church is scheduled for 8:45 a.m., May 26. • The Brandywine Bonsai Society will display their ornamental trees and shrubs whose growth is trained using an ancient Japanese craft in the Brandywine River Museum of Art courtyard. Members of the society will demonstrate handling techniques and answer questions regarding special care of the trees. The event…
I write this on my mother’s birthday, remembering when, years ago, she was diagnosed with a brain tumor. Denial is no stranger to me, but when I heard the news, I was stunned into reality immediately, maybe because I had been having an uneasy feeling about some of her behaviors preceding the diagnosis. The first red flag was when she had block printed a note…
The Battle of the Brandywine severely tested the Quaker's dedication to peace, as did the entire Revolutionary War. Locals in the Chadds Ford area — often called the heart of the Quaker community — suffered tremendously, as their land was ravaged. Throughout the battle, both sides marched across the farmland. Throughout the war, either army could accuse the Quakers of subterfuge and treason if the…