A new face for history
Anyone driving by the Brandywine Battlefield Park might have noticed some work going on. The park getting some renovations in advance of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence next year and the Battle of Brandywine in 2027.
“The work is supposed to be done by the end of this month, but I’m not sure, so don’t hold me to that,” said park Site Administrator Troy Grubb with a chuckle.
The work that’s visible as people drive by is a canopy over the main entrance to the visitors’ center. There’s also new flooring being put in the bathrooms are being redone, including adding two more for a total of four. Some fresh paint will also be added.
He said the canopy, or portico, would give some prominence to the building and indicate where the entrance is. And there’s another factor, to provide some shelter to people when they have to wait outside before entering. Grubb specifically mentioned school groups.
Two of the additional restrooms will be family restrooms that are ADA-compliant, he said. The two others will be smaller, standard restrooms, Grubb said.
He added that the front canopy and the upgraded restrooms are the “big ticket items,” with an estimate of $500,000 for everything.
As far as programming is concerned, nothing new is planned for this year. Grubb said the park would continue with the standard programming including tours of the Ring and Gilpin houses, summer camp in July, but also a Preserving Our Past event scheduled for April 26.
The park is operated by the Pennsylvania Historic and Museum Commission.
“What we’re doing, is telling people what we do to preserve our past, whether it’s through living history, preservation of battlefield lands.”
On Flag Day, June 14, there will be a fundraiser for the Battlefield Park Associates, “Brews on the Battlefield,” with no interpretive programs, he added.
Grubb said he’s hoping a lot of people will come out to see the park “in all its beauty. Hopefully, we’ll have a good day. It’s really interesting to see a lot of people underneath the sycamore tree. The tree is in full bloom then.”
In addition to upgrading the building, there will be upgrades to the display area, at least partly in preparation for the previously mentioned anniversaries.
“We’ll have programming both years. Unfortunately, I can’t really share about that just yet. We’re still hoping to get grant funding. Once we have funding in place, we’ll announce to the public,” Grubb said.
About Rich Schwartzman
Rich Schwartzman has been reporting on events in the greater Chadds Ford area since September 2001 when he became the founding editor of The Chadds Ford Post. In April 2009 he became managing editor of ChaddsFordLive. He is also an award-winning photographer.
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