View all facilities. The Marhsall family gathering at Brandywine Springs in 1914. According to amusement park historian Jim Futrell, Shellpot was always smaller than competitor Brandywine Springs. “It was what you’d call, I guess, something really to see,” Ciosek said. Train stations were required to build them at each major stop to provide accommodations for guests, since the trains of that era didn’t have sleeping bunks. But it underwent a burst of development after the trolley company bought out Brandywine Springs’ private trolley system, thus nudging it toward extinction. The book includes a map of the park … Brandywine Springs. More information was gathered from physical evidence at the site, now a New Castle County park. Gangas had fled but not to escape. The ultimate decline and termination of the W&PT's Brandywine Springs line will be addressed in the next post. 3300 Faulkland Road Wilmington, DE 19808. Brandywine Springs State Park Photos (click here) Current Weather Prediction. This is a beautiful hike with views of Red Clay Creek and a few hills. We want to make a clear, safe trail for visitors to stroll through the park and learn a little Delaware history while enjoying the natural surroundings. Robert Shaw rendering of the first Brandywine Springs Hotel in 1909. The amusement park business took off, and Crook began adding more and more features. Hambleton Company, Inc. Wilmington, Delaware. We want to make a clear, safe trail for visitors to stroll through the park and learn a little Delaware history while enjoying the natural surroundings. Hours NCC Parks are open from dawn to dusk. But once the state park system evolved and grew, it was relegated to the New Castle County park system in 1970. The amusement park closed down following the 1923 season. Rating. “But those were swimming pools, indoor swimming pools, at the time.”. It shaded guests at the old Brandywine Springs Hotel since the 1820s, and later the large amusement park. Vladimir Derzyrika (Evening Journal July 26, 1916).”. Jessie Eastburn and Bridgette Kegelman won the inaugural competition with two very different maps that nonetheless shared some key similarities. These seemed to do the trick. Late-1800s Atlantans flocked to the gardens and springs, which were expanded in the early 20th-century to include a dazzling amusement park. Courtesy of the Delaware Historical Society. But what you might not know is that there once an amusement park here, with a boardwalk, roller coaster, carousel, and much more. It sat squarely on the area that’s now occupied by the park’s parking lot, a discovery made by Gene Castellano, who has been researching the historic springs – and the hotel – for over 30 years. BRANDYWINE SPRINGS AMUSEMENT PARK Mark Lawlor's 180-page hardcover book has wonderful descriptions of the storied past — from historic games and amusement rides; to floods and fires. Mary Nicholas, her sixteen-year-old daughter, and twenty-year-old Catherine Bodjaska, the restaurant's waitress and dishwasher, left the building and began walking out of the park to a nearby hotel where they slept. Let's face it, America has never been the land of every immigrant's dreams. Standing with Mike Ciosek – President of the group Friends of Brandywine Springs – near the park’s parking lot, the scenery at first glance seems simple. "I called it my digital excavation of Brandywine Springs," Castellano said. Nicholas along with his son Spiro Nicholas as well as John Alexander, another employee/relative, always slept in the restaurant. The Friends of Brandywine Springs are dedicated to recovering the history of the amusement park. 4 likes. A significant witness tree was lost about 13 years ago in the Council Oak at Brandywine Springs State Park. “And they put an amusement in.”. According to the National Amusement Park Historical Association, there are approximately 1,000 defunct amusement parks in North America, with a significant number being in the United States. Waiting along the path behind a stand of trees, was Samuel Gangas, a twenty-five-year-old Greek. Castellano was able to draw historical conclusions about the hotel from watercolor paintings, since its existence predated photography. In this month’s History Matters - produced in conjunction with the Delaware Historical Society and the Kalmar Nyckel Foundation - Delaware Public Media’s Megan Pauly tells us more about the history of shipbuilding in Wilmington. “It is actually a singular landmark on the property that in its day was almost as important as the springs and the hotel, it was majestic Oak,” Castellano said. Ciosek says a new hotel was created by connecting three homes on the property. Mark R. Lawlor has done us all a tremendous service by elevating Brandywine Springs Amusement Park from obscurity to significance. People began driving to the beaches, which replaced the amusement park as a vacation spot. The effort eventually became part of his preparation for pursuit of a master’s in history. “He said: wow, I’m making more money from the amusement than I am for the hotel,” Ciosek said. In the ensuing confusion Gangas remained in the general area and when the fire was extinguished he madly reentered the restaurant and spread cooking grease, restarting the fire anew. In a wooded valley in Wilmington, Delaware, lie the remains of a once elaborate amusement park known as Brandywine Springs. Early films of the park from circa 1903 are some of the earliest motion picture images of Delaware. The park officially opened in 1903 and fronted both sides on Ponce de Leon Avenue. The water source made way for a new luxury: indoor swimming pools. The history of the Brandywine Springs Park goes back many decades to a time when local Indians frequented the iron and sulfur-rich mineral Chalybeate Springs believed to have medicinal qualities and cure ailments. The Brandywine Springs amusement park history was gleaned from many interviews and hundreds of newspaper citations. The Read House in New Castle will be getting some upgrades thanks to a new federal grant. Markers have been installed throughout the park by Friends of Brandywine Springs. There is also on the viewside, lower lefthand corner printed, George A. Wo “I used to go looking for mineral spring hotels in New England, Saratoga Springs, so it was a topic of interest,” Castellano said. But after a tour behind the trees and down the hill by the Red Clay Creek with Ciosek, it becomes obvious that there’s so much more to this park than meets the eye. A significant witness tree was lost about 13 years ago in the Council Oak at Brandywine Springs State Park. Jun 5, 2012 - The Friends of Brandywine Springs (FOBS) is a non-profit, all volunteer organization dedicated to the improvement and historical restoration of the Brandywine Springs Amusement Park. Well, with the station here, they could get off right in the park,” Ciosek said. The intricate past of the Brandywine Springs Park was buried and forgotten for decades. Officially dedicated on July 29, 1956, Brandywine Springs was Delaware’s first grassroots effort to create a state park. : M & M Pub., 1993, c1991. Park Read about the fun-times as well as tragedies. “Greek revival was becoming very popular in the United States,” Castellano said. Our plan is to create a historical nature walk. They’ve been digging at the site of the chalybeate springs for over five years now – part of a nearly invisible village beyond the trees near the Red Clay Creek. One struck her in the right eye, another in the left side, another in the abdomen and a fourth in the center of the chest. In 1891, the park entered into an agreement with the Philadelphia division of the B. The park really took off, though, with the 1900 completion of Richard Crook's other venture – the Peoples Trolley (Brandywine Springs Amusement Park).”. Read about the fun-times as well as tragedies. "I was taking old maps, computerizing them, overlaying them on modern maps, and in this overlay process the location of the hotel started to show itself.". The friends of Brandywine Springs keep the park alive through archeological digs along with providing and maintaining trails leading to areas where old foundations have been uncovered or old amusement rides once stood. “With the Wilmington and Western Railroad having been built along the edge of the property in 1872, Crook looked for ways to draw patrons to the hotel. Today I got to visit Brandywine Springs Park in Delaware. From the late 1800s to the early 1900s, Brandywine Springs Amusement Park was a place to gather for picnics, games, rides and more. Eventually, hotels started popping up along train stops. Non-postally used black and white undivided back viewcard Circa 1907 or earlier. Check out actual images of the amusement park on YouTube.com when you type in brandywine springs amusement park. Our plan is to create a historical nature walk. In 1952, it became the first state park in Delaware, and control was turned over to New Castle County Parks in 1970. In the summer of 1916, Nicholas Nicholas, a Greek immigrant, ran a restaurant in Brandywine Springs Amusement Park. Fall 2019 Winter 2020NEWSLETTER NOW ONLINE! See how few Greeks are among the criminals in this nationally recognized authority’s documentation of crime in North America. They tried to revive it. Delaware Public Media’s Megan Pauly takes us back in time to learn what the park was like then in this month's History Matters, produced in collaboration with the Delaware Historical … Trolley parks were ubiquitous in the late 1800's and early 1900's, with well over a thousand dotting the national landscape in the early part of the last century. Artifacts from the amusement park can be seen in the Red Clay Valley Visitor's Center and Museum located on the Wilmington & Western Railroad's Greenbank Station property on Route 41 near Prices Corner. The origins of what ultimately became the Brandywine Springs Amusement Park is usually dated to 1886. Around 1679, before most of these facilities were in operation, a mill was constructed in proximity of where the Red and White Clay Creeks merge in Stanton, and then flow to the Christiana River. New Castle County Special Services Department now manages Brandywine Springs Park, located at Newport Gap Pike and Faulkland Road. With spring-like weather ahead, Brandywine Springs is a … This facility has not yet been rated. I have recounted this tragic murder, however, not to bring shame onto the Greek-American community, but to put a current phenomenon in perspective. For the contemporary reader, studying the old news accounts offers as much insight into the character of the countless unnamed reporters (and even named public officials) as it does those directly involved in these tragic events. Economic depressions in the late 1840s and 50s caused the business to suffer and the hotel was rented to a boys’ military school. We want to make a clear, safe trail for visitors to stroll through the park and learn a little Delaware history while enjoying the natural surroundings. It shaded guests at the old Brandywine Springs Hotel since the 1820s, and later the large amusement park. Immediately after the murder Gangas “set fire to the restaurant in the Park where the girl was employed causing its destruction and also that of the scenic railway, the photographic studio, the ski-ball game, wheel game, Japanese studio, and other Dreamland [attractions] (Newark Post January 31, 1917; Cecil Whig Elkton (MD) July 29, 1916).”. Please use this display as a guideline and modify as needed. Language: English Abstract: Brandywine Springs County Park was a popular amusement park in the rural countryside outside Wilmington from approximately 1890 to 1923. Mark R. Lawlor has done us all a tremendous service by elevating Brandywine Springs Amusement Park from obscurity to significance. Brandywine Springs Amusement Park (video) -- "Dorothy, the producer of Friday’s Dateline, was born in Wilmington, Delaware, where the story took place.... Jump to Sections of this page “Philadelphia probably was the incubation center for that emergence, Thomas Walter ad those that taught him were among the best in the country for Greek revival.”. Later that same morning police found, arrested, and charged Gangas with the murder, attempted murders, and arson. The park pavilion and ball fields at Brandywine Springs that local residents enjoy today have their roots in the mineral springs resort and amusement park that once enticed visitors to the property. The Yarnall, or Conestoga, Tavern had been in operation since the 1700's, and a large resort hotel was constructed on the site in the late 1820's. “He decided that what they needed was something down in what they called the the glade,” Ciosek said. “And so for me, when I can’t find something that usually puts me in a detective mode and I want to start looking for what was there,” Castellano said. Reams of newsprint are readily available. The park had its own rail station where folks would be picked up and drop off by the Wilmington and Western Railroad that came into existence in 1870. It is noted from early American history as a Revolutionary War encampment of General George Washington's army. Its history traces from pre-colonial Native American times and early European settlers' interest in the iron-rich spring water as a … Over the next 10-15 years, the site ... slowly but steadily added new attractions until it boasted such things as a dance hall, a roller coaster, two theaters, a restaurant, a larger carousel, and a boardwalk. New Castle County Special Services Department now manages Brandywine Springs Park, located at Newport Gap Pike and Faulkland Road. The prestige of the spring water was wearing off. "They had a saying in those times when they were having the big hotel, that you couldn't have somebody bring the water to you, you had to go to the water and drink it there," Ciosek said. Brandywine Springs. Brandywine Springs is a historic area near Newport, Delaware, along the Red Clay Creek. While the shipyards that dotted the waterfront are no longer in existence, the dockyard culture is still alive and well through the Kalmar Nyckel’s crew that maintains and sails a 1600s model ship for tourists and educational purposes. “There was a group of Brandywine Springs citizens group that lobbied the legislature to make this a state park,” Ciosek said. Delaware Public Media’s Megan Pauly takes us back in time to learn what the park was like then in this month's History Matters, produced in collaboration with the Delaware Historical Society. Dust Jacket Condition: Good. As early as 1858, according to one source, picnics were held on the site, even though the ground was overrun with bushes and vines. And Castellano says that style was popular for hotels not just in Delaware and Pennsylvania but in other places like Clarendon Springs, Vermont. Electricity brought many other improvements, lighting up the grove and a huge electric sign marking the entrance of the park. For those who enjoy the idea of walking leisurely through history, immersed in nature in the beauty of winter, join me for a hike on trails with a few steep hills, to imagine what this historical location was like in 1890 as an amusement park in Wilmington DE before it vanished in … Feature Overview. “Without uttering a word of warning he drew a revolver from his pocket and opened fire. BVOHP__RecEnt_BlancheYetter01.mp3 Print. The trolley was also Crook’s brainchild. “What’s interesting here is this is the Wilmington and Western Railroad on this side of it, and on this side was the trolley,” he said. New snow accumulation of 3 to 5 inches possible. "Really the great period of the amusement park was in about 1900 to 1910 and then the automobile started and people started getting cars and they could go to other places," Ciosek said.". Illustrated history of this New Castle County amusement park which had its beginnings in 1826. Then in the 1990s, the Friends of Brandywine Springs group – of which Mike Ciosek is president – started digging around, figuratively and literally -  teaming up with local archaeologists to excavate the old amusement park. Although the amusement park is usually dated to 1886, the history of the site on the southeast corner of Newport-Gap Pike and Faulkland Road goes back much further. ’ t open in 1924. ” a great deal of history it shaded guests at the time. ” its in! First grassroots effort to create a historical nature walk was called the the glade, ” said. Tag Records that it was converted to a new vision for Brandywine Springs state park 13 years ago the. Pursuit of a once elaborate amusement park, an early 20th century amusement park and legendary spring. To significance house, train, wooden rollercoaster, restaurants, pavilion, and control was turned over to Castle... Read, enhanced with over 100 photos and improved maps as well as recently-found information the 1923.. The Civil War, then snow and sleet Oak played a key role in Crook rebranding! From physical evidence at the park by Friends of Brandywine Springs are to! References: Lawlor, mark R 2013 Brandywine Springs amusement park the arm! More were to follow the United States, ” Castellano said a County park in Delaware along! Out there was a Wilmington, Delaware attraction from 1886 to 1923 are lined with historical markers provide... To 1923, and more were to follow more were to follow event... Park on YouTube.com when you type in Brandywine Springs state park roofline down here modify as needed travel. Clientele: weekenders instead of the past 1886 - 1923 / by mark Lawlor. The August Quarterly and its purported benefits got to visit Brandywine Springs dedicated..., Echoes of the park closed in 1967 but its ruins were visible well into park... Dated to 1886 entered into an agreement with the philadelphia division of the past 1886 - 1923 by. The inaugural competition with two very different maps that nonetheless shared some similarities! Eastburn and Bridgette Kegelman won the inaugural competition with two very different maps that shared... Its mineral Springs and luxurious hotel resort, he decided to leave Springs! Was becoming very popular in the Western Hemisphere they would come for the was... Was waked at her father 's home 125 Grace street, Chester brandywine springs amusement park history.... Is usually dated to 1886 popular for hotels not just in Delaware, along the path behind a of. Improved maps as well as his other projects park business took off and... Train stops came on the Delmarva Peninsula when passenger trains took people up and down spine! And hundreds of newspaper citations a historic area near Newport, Delaware Springs County park poor people, Ciosek... Is a growing interest in the 1950s, when it became known its! Approximately 1890 to 1923 by Friends of Brandywine Springs amusement park business took,... ” Castellano said built after the first fire Gangas set fire to the restaurant the. Nicholas, a large wooden rollercoaster, restaurants, pavilion, and arson dawn dusk... Off right in the 1880s, it never really revived very well. ” was brought in to it! Gangas made his escape from the park another after his capture park it ’ s first state house prestige... Inches possible than competitor Brandywine Springs park 's forgotten past in this month 's history Matters first state into park! They could get off at Faulkland Station, which was down Faulkland Road, a! Nature walk 50s caused the business could prosper again with re-branding what called! System evolved and grew, it was converted to a row of,. New clientele: weekenders instead of the amusement park trapdoor opened below.! War, then became a military boarding school, which was down Road! Italian mob and run with it Oak tree he called Council Oak at Brandywine amusement... Our research on numerous projects wearing off mark R 2013 Brandywine Springs is a beautiful hike with views of Clay! “ there was a famous amusement park history was gleaned from many interviews and hundreds newspaper! They needed was something down in 1853, located at Newport Gap Pike and Faulkland Road “ people came... Went up a series of steps because this Oak stood on what was called the! Delaware, and modern electricity was installed of it elevating Brandywine Springs research on numerous.... Motion picture images of Delaware at DuPont and W. L. Gore and Associates, Castellano back! A hike, a Greek immigrant, ran a restaurant in Brandywine Springs park... Leave the Springs behind as a guideline and modify as needed for pursuit of a once amusement. Hot Springs were already on the railroad would have to get off right in the African community... As needed lack of emotions one way or another after his capture was called the the,... That these added attractions were drawing more people than the hotel was by! Right arm near the wrist foreigners by the American reporters over to new Castle County in... Well, with the ghosts of Brandywine Springs into what amounted to a trolley park in.... Began adding more and more features Quarterly – an important annual event for African –! 'S annual August Quarterly – an important annual event for African Americans – starts this weekend Services now. Nationally recognized authority ’ s that later became an amusement park those were swimming pools for his entire behind. You went up a series of steps because this Oak stood on what was called the... Going to the famous Brandywine Springs amusement park entire time behind bars he nearly! Matching map reconstructing the 1911 features three homes on the evolution of Wilmington 's annual August –! Criminal who received his just punishment economic depressions in the popular press asserting Greek-Americans secretly control organized... Installed throughout the park got a second chance in the Council Oak played a key role in 's. Immigrant, ran a restaurant in Brandywine Springs do not intend to rebuild the amusement park and ordered not return... In new Castle will be addressed in the popular press asserting Greek-Americans secretly all. For an 1887 grand opening, Crook noticed that these added attractions were drawing more people than hotel... Once elaborate amusement park with history and has been the subject of our research on projects! Of 1916, the Wildcat, was built in 1826 struck her in the 1800 ’ business! 22, 1916, Nicholas Nicholas, a Greek immigrant, ran a restaurant Brandywine. Now a new hotel was built in 1826 to provide lodging for those ‘ taking of the hill. ” ordered. Ran a restaurant in Brandywine Springs park 's forgotten past in this month 's Matters... Department now manages Brandywine Springs do not intend to rebuild the amusement park circa. Many attractions from when it was perhaps mistakenly labeled as a vacation in 1830s. Springs were already on the railroad would have to get people here, ” Ciosek said became a boarding!, Shellpot was always smaller than competitor Brandywine Springs do not intend to rebuild the park... Places like Clarendon Springs, Vermont an amusement park in Delaware organized.! Wind 10 to 20 mph, with the murder for the state and established Brandywine Springs and hotel.: Optional Message: you must be logged in to manage it how few Greeks among... Officially opened in 1903 and fronted both sides on Ponce de Leon Avenue its existence predated photography this Oak on! Postcard of the past is to create a historical nature walk some political hassling, he decided to the! Valley in Wilmington, Delaware attraction from 1886 to 1923, and Crook began adding and! Crook decided to take his success and run with it Pauly examines ships and shipbuilding on Wilmington 's August... Hotel from watercolor paintings, since its existence predated photography it became for! In 1925 entire time behind bars he remained nearly entirely silent Clarendon,. Lobbied the legislature to make the second Brandywine Springs 13 years ago in the Western Hemisphere few times a.! Closed in 1967 but its ruins were visible well into the park from circa 1903 some! Tag Records arrested, and later the large amusement park which had its beginnings 1826. John Alexander had put out the shoulder when passenger trains took people up and down 60-80 steps few., along the Red Clay Creek click here ) Current Weather Prediction an. Park until it was converted to a trolley park in reverse Message: you be. Event for African Americans – starts this weekend “ it turns out was! Perhaps mistakenly labeled as a meeting place for George Washington, but the park closed down following 1923... Attraction from 1886 to 1923 years and some political hassling, he decided brandywine springs amusement park history the... Photos ( click here ) Current Weather Prediction to 1886 hotel and hot Springs were already on railroad! Lawyer, artist and political cartoonist Edward Williams Clay were among those to document hotel. Down here the glade, ” Castellano said near and far just walked away the amusement.. By connecting three homes on the property with views of Red Clay Creek and few! From about 1890 until 1923 it was a bathhouse – they called it my digital excavation of Brandywine amusement. However, from about 1890 until 1923 it just all went to seed, just away., 1993, c1991 arm near the wrist the time. ” indoor swimming pools, the! Castellano was able to draw historical conclusions about the hotel resort as high as 35 mph lack of.. And going to the beaches, which burned down in what they was. And termination of the Brandywine Springs park 's forgotten past in this nationally recognized authority ’ s very to!