If you enjoy early American history, Delaware County, Pennsylvania is the county for you! Just driving around in Delco you can see many historical markers, like the featured photo, that helps to highlight the rich history of this area.
Back in the 1600’s, William Penn was granted land that is now Pennsylvania. He helped early Quakers find a haven here among the Native people, who had been living here for many many years.
Pennsylvania literally means “Penn’s Woods”. Sylvania is Latin for, "a landscape of forests", as per Wikipedia.
Delaware County is just a small portion of Pennsylvania, yet it is full of wonderful history and some related to William Penn. Here are some interesting facts/historical tidbits about Delaware County.
-The location of William Penn’s first landing on this continent is designated with a marker at 100 Penn St, Chester, PA which happened on October 28 or 29, 1682 - William Penn Landing Site
-There are two old trees located in Delco that have been around since the time of William Penn.
1-Beech Tree at Pendle Hill in Wallingford PA
2-Sycamore Tree in Lansdowne PA
-John Morton, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence and apparently the swing voter who helped things move forward, was born in Ridley Township. The borough of Morton, Delaware County, is named after his son Sketchley Morton.
-In Rose Valley there is a marker that marks the beaver trading path used by the local natives during colonial times. In addition to the historical marker, there used to be a bronze statue of a beaver, but unfortunately it was stolen, never to be found. I was fortunate to take a photo of the statue before it was stolen.
-Providence Friends Meeting House in Media, PA was recently added to the the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Program.
-Beautiful old buildings and houses with detail can be found around the county. When we drive around, I always find a gem and just marvel at the handiwork of earlier builders. There is a large building across from the 69th Transportation Terminal in Upper Darby that is just covered with Art Deco designs. The photo does not do it justice, but the stain glass work and terra cotta facade is just magnificent. I am so glad the building has not been torn down. Info as per my internet search, this is the McClatchy Building, built in 1928.
-Rose Tree Tavern which is now a visitor center for the Brandywine Valley has connections back to William Penn. According to Wikipedia, the land the tavern is on was part of the land grant William Penn gave to John Calvert. The tavern was built in 1739 very close to the intersection of Rose Tree Road and Route 252. Luckily it was not demolished for needed road widening, but moved in and back off the intersection in 2011. The move was a big deal when it happened. It is worth a visit to see some of the original tile work and other details inside the building.
-The county is lucky to have the Brandywine River Museum of Art situated along the Brandywine River. It is home to works of many Brandywine area artists like, Howard Pyle, NC Wyeth, Andrew Wyeth and Jamie Wyeth. If you are not familiar with their creations, be sure to visit this gem of a museum.
Famous People with connections to Delaware County PA
-W.C. Fields – born in Darby, Delaware County, PA
-Ethel Waters – singer and actress - “Stormy Weather”
-Bill Haley – His family moved to Boothwyn starting when he was 7, then continued to live in the county as he became famous with his Comets.
-Jim Croce – Born in Philly, but graduated from Upper Darby, Delco, high school - Operator (That's Not The Way It Feels)
-Todd Rundgren – musician – from Upper Darby - Hello It's Me
-Tina Fey – comedian and actor – born in Upper Darby
There are so many other historical gems about Delaware County and the counties and states close by, since this area plays a part in the founding of our nation.
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Thank you to Eileen Burns and Debe Maxwell for the ActiveRain October’s Challenge – Historical Stories About Your Location.
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