George Washington was here. Learn about Wilmington's Brandywine Village past and present
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As spring arrives, daffodils emerge from the ground at Brandywine Mills Plaza.
The city park, located at 1800 N. Market St., is across the street from historic homes built during the 18th century by European colonists. After years of decline due to disinvestment, nonprofit and heritage groups like the Old Brandywine Village, Inc. have been actively involved in preserving the historical charm of this area.
Over the past 6 to 7 years, significant improvements were made in the area helping to shift the park from being a place for illegal activities to a refurbished public space with better safety and festive lighting. In partnership with the Delaware Center for Horticulture, 7000 plants and flowers were installed to ensure a natural and inviting landscape can be experienced year-round.
George Washington's visit to Wilmington
A trip to Brandywine Village offers visitors a chance to step back into the past and learn about the era before the establishment of the United States of America. Efforts to preserve and share the area's history involve projects like the Museum in the Streets, which features plaques with historical information.
The stone buildings of Brandywine Village were constructed from blue rock quarried along the riverbanks of the Brandywine located across the street. The building at 1803 N. Market St was once the home of Joesph Tatnall, a Quaker and flour mill owner.
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Tatnall supplied the Revolutionary Army with flour during the encampment at Valley Forge and hosted Continental Army Generals George Washington, Marquis de Lafayette, Anthony Wayne and other officers who gathered to hear reports ahead of the Battle of Brandywine.
During the American Revolutionary War, the mills and the village became strategic assets caught in the conflict between the colonists and the British Army.
You can contact reporter Anitra Johnson at ajohnson@delawareonline.com.
This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Wilmington's Historic Brandywine Mills Plaza becoming revitalized
