Early Chadds Ford Days

The first Chadds Ford Days was held on September 10, 1958, to commemorate the Battle of Brandywine in 1777. It was also a way to get the neighbors together in order to get to know one another better while sharing their interests in preserving the beauty and history of the countryside. The event opened with the boom of a cannon and flag raising followed by a costume parade on Street Road. Everyone took pictures and paid 25 cents to see a typical old country store with wheels of cheese, homemade jellies and herb arrangements from local gardens. There was a modest art show at the Baptist church and speeches on the porch of the Chadds Ford Inn. Don Tulloch, in top hat and fine attire, was Master of Ceremonies. A local church choir sang hymns and spirituals. Virginia Johnson, third president of the Chadds Ford Historical Society, described the event this way: “The neighbors came in period dress. Chris Sanderson, as Town Crier, led them in a parade. They sang. They enjoyed the local country store and the local houses on back country roads readied for their visits with colonial decor.” There were authentic Indian costumes and gentlemen on horseback in Revolutionary War costumes. Howard Pyle and Wyeth family art, as well as at by other local artists, was exhibited. Local craftsmen displayed and sold their wares in an old barn on the corner that simply collapsed into rubble soon after. The long beautiful day ended with a square dance on Street Road led by Chris Sanderson and his violin. Another Chadds Ford Days was held on September 8, 1962. This time more attractions were added and more people attended. Pride and appreciation for the historical heritage of the area continued to grow.

It wasn’t until September 4, 1968, that Chadds Ford Days was held again; this was the first for the newly-formed Chadds Ford Historical Society. Another recently-formed group, the Tri-Conservancy, had purchased the old Hoffman Mill with plans to build the Brandywine River Museum the following year. The site offered the ideal setting for a colonial festival. Committees were assembled and Chadds Ford became a beehive of activity that summer. Publicity was widely circulated, craftsmen were invited from surrounding areas, costumes were made, hammers rang as builders installed new stairways and repaired ceiling beams in the old mill. Publishers and art galleries cooperated with a supply of thousands of dollars of books and prints ordered on consignment.

The main attraction was an art show of Wyeth paintings borrowed from owners and the Wyeths. The large collection of N. C. Wyeth, Andrew Wyeth and Jamie Wyeth paintings was an exhibit that brought visitors from New York, South Carolina, and points beyond and between.

A mock battle was staged across the Brandywine where the original fighting occurred, complete with authentic costumes and a Fife and Drum Corps. Two hundred pounds of gunpowder was used and combatants bivouacked on Pyle’s meadow the night before.

Red, white, and blue bunting draped the entire mill and courtyard, which local garden clubs had decorated at the last minute. Visitors lined the two-way highway, and it was estimated that 25,000 people attended. Each paid $1 for admission to the art show and received a program with a Wyeth print of the John Chads House west wall. Copies are still sold today for framing. At the end of nine days, several hundred exhausted volunteers had put on a show that made enough money to start restoration of the Chads House.

In 1969 Chadds Ford Days was held on July 4, 5, and 6 at the Hoffman Mill, now the Brandywine River Museum. The works of many famous artists were displayed. Andrew Wyeth’s painting, Tenant Farmer, was exhibited, loaned for the event by the Wilmington Society for the Fine Arts (now the Delaware Art Museum). Also displayed were the 22 preliminary drawings made by the artist prior to executing the painting on canvas. Works by N.C. Wyeth and Howard Pyle were displayed. Bagpipers and colonial soldiers demonstrated drills and military formations. Shops were set up in the ground level of the mill for selling reproduction items such as tin lamps and lanterns. Proceeds from this year’s Chadds Ford Days went to help fund the purchase of the Barns-Brinton House, the c. 1714 tavern built for William Barns.

By 1970 Chadds Ford Days had become a yearly event, each year adding more money for the preservation of the Society’s two 18th century buildings. Today, the event, held on the first weekend after Labor Day, is still the Society’s major fundraising activity, providing funds to maintain, open, and staff the John Chads and Barns-Brinton Houses for school groups and weekend visitors.

Sources:

Chadds Ford Days Home Page

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