CHADDS FORD FACTS |
|
FactoidsChadds Ford Township Population: 3,170 (2000 census) Area: 8.84 square miles Elevation: 160 to 480 feet above sea level First inhabited by Native Americans - the Lenni Lenape European settlement: 1684 Named for: John Chads, ferryman and tavern owner Chadds Ford is 95% residential and 5% businesses No public transportation Chadds Ford spans two counties: Chester and Delaware. Chadds Ford Township Building 610-388-6368 Chadds Ford Post Office 610-388-7153
|
Where is Chadds Ford?
Historically, Chadds Ford is the village and surrounding land on both
sides of the Brandywine River where U.S. Route 1 (aka Baltimore Pike, aka
the Great Road to Nottingham) crosses the stream. No doubt, at
different times in history your question would receive very different
answers because of changing political boundaries and postal districts.
Two hundred years ago, all of Chadds Ford was in Chester County, but
the division of the county to create Delaware County made the
definition more difficult. Moreover, major roads built and small
roads
abandoned have greatly changed the appearance of the place, as
have building construction and demolition. Nonetheless, one
hundred
years ago and probably even fifty years ago, everyone knew what was
Chadds Ford and what was not. Now, with a large area served by the
Chadds Ford post office and the former Birmingham Township's name
change in Delaware County, the issue has grown more confused. People many miles from what is commonly referred to as the
"village
of Chadds Ford" say that they live in the community. On the other
hand, people no more than a mile and a half from the village have
claimed other addresses. Perhaps because of the confusion, for
decades it has been common among authors around the world to
describe Chadds Ford, not geographically or politically, but in terms of
its landscape and its rich history of agriculture, a famous battle,
milling industry, transportation, and (most notably in this century)
art
history.
-
Copyright 1999 James H. Duff From Chadsey to ChaddsIf John Chads spelled his name with only one d, why do we spell Chadds Ford with two today? Because spelling in the 18th century was largely done phonetically, there is great variation in names. John Chads’ father, Francis, was known by the surname Chadsey; John dropped the ey, spelling the name Chads. Although no one knows exactly when the village of Chadds Ford became known as such, the use of two d’s in the name stuck. The Chadds Ford Historical Society uses John’s spelling of Chads for the house built c. 1725 that John and his wife Elizabeth lived in. Interestingly, the house was built by a man with another famous Chadds Ford name, Wyeth (no relation to the family of artists). The Braindwine?Called Fish Kihl by the Swedes and shown on old maps as Bränwin’s Creek, it is not known for sure how the Brandywine River got its name. The Lenni Lenape name for the river is thought to have been Wawaset (also Wawasiungh and Wawassan), but that name was not retained by the European settlers to this area. Perhaps the most colorful story for the naming of the Brandywine is that of the Dutch vessel laden with brandy that wrecked within the mouth of the stream in 1655, the Dutch word for brandy, brandewijn, thereafter lending its name to the river. However popular this story may be, it is far more likely that the waterway was named for a man named Andrew Braindwine who received a grant of land near its mouth in 1670. The stream was recorded in his deed as Braindwine Kill (creek). Unfortunately, this attribution is muddied by the existence of another man with a similar name, Brantwyn, who also lived on the river. We may never know for sure! Further Reading: Chester County Place
Names by Edward Pinkowski A Bit of HistoryChadds Ford Township began as the southeastern half of Birmingham Township in Chester County. When Chester County was divided, creating Delaware County, the county line cut Birmingham Township in half. Quaker farmers on both sides of the line decided to retain Birmingham as their township name. Two Birminghams, one in Delaware County and one in Chester County, existed for nearly 200 years when the area was sparsely populated. When both townships experienced enormous growth beginning in the 1960's, confusion arose. When Birmingham was mentioned, residents were unsure which Birmingham was intended, or which one should be called for information and services. The confusion was ended when voters in Birmingham Township, Delaware County, voted in the November 1996 election to change their township name to Chadds Ford township. The change became effective on December 11, 1996, after the township supervisors approved a resolution formally changing the name. The original township was settled in 1684 and incorporated in the same year. Chadds Ford Township has not been incorporated since the name change although a blanket resolution approved by the supervisors changed the name on records and documents. From The Civic Association of Chadds Ford Township's 1999 Community Information Guide & Map.
What's the story with that semi-circle "lump" on the border of Delaware and Pennsylvania in Delaware County?That strange
"lump" on the border of Delaware and
Pennsylvania in Delaware County is not part of Delaware
County. |