The Artists of Brandywine Springs: Revelations of Design and Use Watercolor by Edward Williams Clay, ca. 1830 Gene Castellano Wilmington, Delaware 2005
1 Mineral spring resorts were one of the first important leisure destinations in the history of American tourism. Although they were most popular in the 19th century, some of the most famous, such as those near Saratoga Springs, New York, were in strong demand by the 1780’s. Largely attended by the wealthy class, these resorts were a popular retreat in the summer to escape the heat and disease of crowded cities and Southern climates. Central to their acceptance was the belief that drinking or bathing with mineral springs provided a variety of health benefits that could allegedly cure everything from dysentery to “cutaneous eruptions” (pimples). These magic elixirs did, in fact, have efficacious chemical properties such as high iron content, natural carbonation, or a good dose Epsom salts that could bring relief to many ailments. When combined with the fact that most resorts were located in pastoral or mountain settings that were generally more sanitary and less susceptible to disease, these destinations probably did improve the well being of those who could afford them. Just as important, however, was the fact that they offered a genteel setting and cultural atmosphere in which class distinctions were reaffirmed and extended through new social contacts. In many cases, taking to the springs each summer not only provided medicinal benefits but also defined elitism and provided a stage for the display of status. In 1826, a group of Wilmington businessmen sought to capitalize on the growing popularity of mineral spring resorts and start one locally. Some of the investors had made their fortunes from mills along the Brandywine River and were well aware of its national recognition, due in part from the Revolutionary War battle that had taken place nearby and the high quality of the flour and gunpowder made along its banks. Their opportunity suddenly materialized in the form of a bankrupt tavern with over 70 acres of farmland and an iron-laden spring located just five miles from Wilmington in Faulkland, Delaware. It was an ideal setting for a new spa, which opened the following summer. From its earliest days, Brandywine Springs has been a place of health and happiness. It quickly grew to national prominence as a mineral springs resort and then became a well-known amusement park in the early 20th century. Today it serves as a thriving county park. Although the buildings that once marked those venues are gone, most of the original tract has managed to avoid development and it has retained much of its original character. On a hot summer day, one can find children holding a birthday party in an open-air pavilion just as they did a century before. Not far away in the valley along Hyde Run, people still stroll under the canopy of shade trees just as they did in the 1830’s, when visitors came from as far as Washington and New York to seek out its healthful elixir. Located near Faulkland Road and Newport-Gap Pike, the hotel at Brandywine Springs came to be known for its classic architectural style, a high and airy location, and its unusual Chalybeate spring water.1 After interest in the resort waned in the mid-19th century, the hotel had a short-lived tenure as a military school and then burned completely in 1853. It’s early history recalls a time when the country was a young, developing nation seeking to couple the refinements of European lifestyle and architecture with its own emerging style and culture. The area’s fame as a resort and amusement park was first recanted in 1949 by noted historian, Dr. Clinton Weslager, in Brandywine Springs, The Rise and Fall of a
2 Delaware Resort.2 This classic served to rekindle interest in the property after it had lay idle for 25 years and catalyzed a group of friends to bring attention to its plight. In 1953, their efforts came to fruition when the State purchased the property to create a new park. In 1991, author Mark Lawlor added a wealth of new information and photographs about the amusement park era in his book, Brandywine Springs Amusement Park: Echoes of the Past.3 Once again, public attention was rekindled in the park and a new organization, Friends of Brandywine Springs (FOBS) was formed in 1993.4 After a decade of success, FOBS has amassed a sizeable archive of photographs and memorabilia from the amusement park era that offer a wealth of visual resources on the buildings and concessions that were once there between 1890 and 1923. Equally important, these materials also provide details on how people spent their leisure time in the early twentieth century before the automobile brought access to more distant retreats. Unfortunately, there has been much less information compiled about the original hotel and customs of the spa that made the name “Brandywine Springs” famous. This task is especially challenging given that no photographs, building plans, or personal memoirs of the first resort exist in the public domain. This essay will examine the diverse collection of maps, lithographs and watercolors of the resort from the Historical Society of Delaware (HSD) in order to provide insights on the design and function of the first hotel. It will also explore the ways that people “took to its waters” in search of health and recreation. Benjamin Ferris – Watchmaker, Surveyor, and Conveyancer Delaware’s famous resort started with a petition in 1826 to create the “New Castle County Chalybeate Spring Company” in the Mill Creek Hundred. However, the venture was quickly renamed to the “Brandywine Chalybeate Springs Company” to capitalize on the notoriety of well-known river, even though it was miles away and another river, the Red Clay Creek, actually bordered the property. After financing was arranged, the company created plans to develop 75 acres bound by the Newport Gap Turnpike, Faulk’s (now Faukland) Road, Red Clay Creek and the lands of David Justis (now Hyde Run).5 Under somewhat questionable circumstances, the parcel that they sought suddenly became available through a Sheriff’s sale in early 1827 after foreclosure on one Holton Yarnall, an indebted farmer and innkeeper. He had operated the Conestoga Wagon Inn, a “watering hole” of a more potent form, and catered to wagon teamsters hauling grain from Pennsylvania’s farmlands to the gristmills on the Brandywine. Based on two maps now preserved in the HSD archives, it would appear that the company contracted Benjamin Ferris to survey the property and create a layout for the first resort. Ferris (1780-1867) might best be described as a renaissance man of early Wilmington. A watchmaker by trade, he was highly skilled in surveying and conveyancing, and was appointed City Surveyor in 1830. He was well read in religion and history, and is best known for authoring Original Settlements on the Delaware in 1846.
3 Interpretation of the maps suggests that Ferris first created a rough pencil sketch of the property as it appeared when purchased, and then added the outlines of key structures that would form the spa (Fig. 1). He then developed a more refined and scaled watercolor map of the property after completing a survey, to which he then added more distinct features for the new resort. (Fig. 2). It is worth noting that these maps have never appeared in previous publications on the Springs, although Dr. Weslager’s research notes for his book, which came to HSD after he passed away, list them as resources. A closer inspection of the maps reveals many details of the first resort, as well as insights into the appearance of the first buildings (Fig. 3). The first hotel was a rectangular building, 40’ by 70’, with a second building or extension sketched in to its right. The entrance to the hotel was designed with a formal gate, a landscaped driveway from Faukland Road, and a circular terrace to welcome guests. Yarnall’s old tavern, with its connecting path to a barn and Faulkland Road, was largely bypassed and did not figure into early plans for the resort. Typically, visitors would have arrived by steamboat from Philadelphia or Baltimore and then taken carriages from the docks in Wilmington to the hotel, using the Newport Gap Turnpike as the last leg of the journey. After rounding the turn onto Faukland Rd, visitors would have entered the hotel on its north side. To their left, 100 feet away, were the necessaries (shown as “offices”), the kitchen garden, and the ice house, which enabled the hotel to serve up cool drinks and ice cream.6 The custom of the time was to defer immediate consumption of the mineral springs upon arrival. Instead, rest and a warm bath were the prescribed treatments for the tiring trip. The following morning, before breakfast, was considered the best time to “take the waters,” as its health benefits would have faster effect upon an empty stomach.7 The procession toward the Spring was down a gradual slope to the “brow of the hill,” at which point a much steeper path descended into the valley of Hyde Run below. Ferris appears to have taken interest in this overlook, and may have seen it as a place for guests to sit and admire the view, or perhaps rest after the invigorating climb back up from the springs. In his finished watercolor map, Ferris calls out a stand of trees in this area and a small cave. A pear tree appears as the largest planting with a buttonwood (sycamore) tree to its left. Given their appearance on both maps, one might conclude that they were original plantings. But it’s the smallest tree, an oak, which generates the most interest. Presumably it is the famous Council Oak that figured prominently in later stories and photographs of the park. But why was it drawn so small if George Washington supposedly used it as a rally point for a war council 49 years earlier, just before the Battle of the Brandywine? And why did Ferris not sketch it distinctly like the other trees on his first map? Might it have been planted to enhance the landscaping of the spa rather than to celebrate the arrival of William Penn in 1682, as once believed?8 The questions pose an interesting research project that is, unfortunately, beyond the scope of this essay. Modern visitors to the park can find the spring flowing in the same location that guests did in 1827, although its font is not nearly as appetizing as it was then. Today, the Chalybeate water oozes from a muddy area surrounded by lush growth that appears to thrive on its high iron content.9
4 Figure 1: Rough pencil map of Brandywine Springs (ca. 1826), showing Newport Gap Pike on the left with Yarnall’s tavern and barn adjoining it. The location of the spring house and a proposed mineral bath appear at the bend in Hyde Run, near the center of the map. The outline of the first hotel appears at the top center. (Collections of the Delaware Historical Society.) • 0 \ {\ • .. \ )
5 Figure 2: Finished watercolor of the resort by Ferris (ca. 1826). New hotel with entrance off Faulkland Rd is clearly marked, along with outbuildings and landscaping along “the brow of the hill.” (Collections of the Delaware Historical Society.) Figure 3: Close-up of first hotel, ice house, kitchen gardens, “offices” (outhouses), and plantings on the brow of the hill” overlooking Hyde Run. Note the oak tree that appears as the smallest of the landscape features, and is believed to be the legendary Council Oak. CJ . " ' \ ·-SPRl 0
6 Ferris’ design for the spring house, shown at the bottom of the watercolor map, was an ornate gazebo (Fig. 2). When inspected in closer detail (Fig. 4) it bears a resemblance to the steeple of the Brandywine Academy in Wilmington, which he designed in 1820 and was believed to have been inspired by the belfry of Old Swedes Church (Fig.5).10 For reasons not known, however, Ferris scripted the words “omit now” next to his design and did not color it in or refine its image on the map. Perhaps the investors decided that its Colonial styling was out of place with the “modern” (Federal) design that they had in mind for the hotel. We have no way of knowing the exact appearance of the first spring house until 1835, when noted architect Thomas U. Walter included it in his landmark perspective of the newly renovated resort. Unfortunately, the appearance of the first hotel that Ferris outlined can only be inferred as none of the plans used by Justa Justis, its builder, exist in the public domain.11 The first announcement of the new hotel appeared in March 1827, which described the structure as three stories high with a half basement, spacious dining rooms, parlors, and extensive piazzas front and back.12 It was finished in the modern style, presumably meaning Federal design. Also mentioned were an ice house (filled), a carriage house (probably Yarnall’s old barn), and stabling, each clearly marked on Ferris’ map. But it’s on the backside of Ferris’ first map that we get our first real sense of its appearance (Fig. 6). There he penciled the outline of the hotel, including the piazzas with protective roof extensions, columns supporting the front roof, and double chimneys (all consistent with Federal design.) Additional evidence of what the first hotel may have looked like appears in an 1827 announcement in the National Gazette, published in Philadelphia (Fig. 7). Included was an image of the hotel clearly showing its three stories, as well as what appears to be a separate kitchen house on one side. This view is what guests would have seen as they entered the property from Faukland Road. The small kitchen house would explain the extension that Ferris sketched in to the right of the hotel on both of his maps. While this small image does not show the double chimneys or a roof extension on its front, there does appear to be a roof extension on the far side of the building covering the piazza facing the Springs. More research is required to reconcile the two views, but each contributes helpful insights as to the general appearance of the first buildings. It should be pointed out that Ferris’ sketch agrees extremely well with later views of the hotel made in 1830, after the hotel was expanded. In fact, it would lend credence to the idea that Benjamin Ferris was not only the first surveyor of the spa, but also its first architect.
7 Figure 4. Lower portion of Ferris’ watercolor map with detail for a spring house. Note location of spring in upper left, and the outline for a mineral bath that was never constructed. Figure 5. Perspective drawing of “steeple house or bellfry” of Brandywine School House by Benjamin Ferris, ca. 1820. (Henry Francis Winterthur Museum, Joseph Downs Manuscript Collection.) ft,.__ i tL, l'h~-;,-~ ~ '-£°7,u-:~ /L~z .L~;,_,• ~~· ·--r_, d,,.,.,.L,,;.._r ~ J'¥.e, L~ (h,,, ,,lr;J.,,_p~h f I .......,,, ~ . - L... .... ·-
8 Figure 6. Backside of Ferris’ first map, shown in Figure 1, showing the outline of what is believed to be the first hotel. Note piazza detail and columns on right side. •
9 Figure 7. 1827 announcement from a Philadelphia newspaper for the new spa. Image in the upper left is believed to be a kitchen house and first hotel. Edward Williams Clay – Lawyer, Artist, and Political Characaturist The first hotel at Brandywine Springs may have been a cautious market test by its investors to see if the location was sound and the Chalybeate water appealed to its guests. In fact, the term “hotel” may have been an overstatement, as the evidence suggests that this first building was more of an inn. In spite of this modest beginning, it appears that the property met with their satisfaction because “in preparation for the 1830 season, the owners agreed to remodel the hotel by adding new guest rooms and lengthening the piazza."13 Once again, Justa Justis oversaw the construction but left us no plans to document his work. The project was completed just in time for the opening of the new aRA~DYWINE CU.\LYilEATE SPnINGS. • The snaciou!I and ele~ant House belongilig to lhe Company~ which wa11. <'0111plete1last Fall, 1s now opr11 nn•I h:rntl!lomcly furui~hcd for the roc .. ·:,1iu11 of vi~ite,:i and bo 1rJcrs, unJcr the SU• perintcndenl'e of th!" subscribl'r. This WATEHING PLACE i~ finely situated in the hi!!h an,I hl'althy co1111try iivc mi:c~ we11l of Wil." mington, comrnallllin~ all C!'(!cn~ive view of the surro1,1n,liog cou:itry,; the Hiver D,elaw:HE" 0 an1l the -nei,:hliourin:~ S.tatc:, 'l'I•• grn•rntl!' of tha Compa• I ny :ifforil r' .•;is:mt :in:J 1hady promena,fts, anJ art baunJe,l l:y fine tlrcam:. • I The ·,i, tucs of the water are those of the purest Chalyhc,1!e a·:cor,ling to the ;111:,lysis of Professor Keat111~ of Plii!at!dphia. Tt1cy lfi\'O beca particularlv cfficario11:i in Lilio:1s auJ other fevers, and are celebrated as a fine tn:1ic. The vicinity to \Yi:mington o~Tcrs at :ill times access to a:1 excellent m111ket; an<l the daily intercourse by ete:imboat line, betwern that place and Nc,vcaetlc, to 11nd from Philadcij,hia aucl Baltimore, affonls a facility of cominunicatioo not posees!letl by any (ltl1cr waterinr; place. Partios l"an be acco1nmo<l;itnd at a 1hort notice with Oinnerl', ColfAtion1, Ice Cream!!, .!tr.. rjo exertion !!ha11 be 1par~d by tho proprietor to gratify nery want of the vi!iter to thi11 plcasaut and nlubrious retre:1t. Charges will be mo<lerate. • CHARLES STANLEY. N.D Carriages, Giir--, or Horses may alw:,ys be had:· :rncl there.are delighcTul rid~ over ioo<l roads to the neighbouring to,va-, Tillage,, oanal, &c. Horses takerr Iii livery. '· • • C. S. June 1. 1827. (_june J5--fm2m BRANHYWINJ•: C11ALYB1•:A'J'1,: Sl'lllNGS (From the "National Gazette and Literary Register," Philadelphia, Pa., of July 30, 1827.)
10 C&D Canal, which would significantly reduce travel time from Baltimore and points south. In addition, the New Castle and Frenchtown railroad was scheduled to be completed in 1831. Both transportation improvements would greatly improve access from the Chesapeake and potentially double the spa’s reach to include Washington and Baltimore as well as Philadelphia. It turns out that “adding new guest rooms and lengthening the piazza” really meant adding a second wing to the hotel. The owners needed additional capital to complete the work and were able to attract the interest of Matthew Newkirk and other investors. Newkirk was an influential Philadelphia businessman who was well connected in banking and real estate and, more importantly, had an interest in bringing a railroad through the area. Another partner in the spa venture, James Hemphill, acted as the Brandywine Springs Company's legal counsel, practiced in Philadelphia, and may have helped to solicit Newkirk’s involvement. As luck would have it, Hemphill maintained a scrapbook with various sketches and memorabilia that found its way into the HSD archives. He called it his “Commonplace Book” and within it was preserved a copy of the prospectus for the new hotel, signed by the new proprietor in 1830 (Fig. 8). Also pasted above it was a small section of a billhead from the hotel, showing an image of the building. Also in the scrapbook is a copy of a lithograph drawn by Edward Williams Clay (1799-1857) that probably accompanied the prospectus, and gives the first important view of the hotel at Brandywine Springs (Fig. 9). As was customary at the time, the prospectus and lithograph would have been mailed to prospective clients of the resort to encourage visitation. Today, they provide us with important details about the expanded building and how people may have enjoyed it. The prospectus promotes the high elevation of resort as cooler than in the city and extols the location as healthy and free from disease. Day trips to the nearby Brandywine Battlefield, the Brandywine River and the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal (an engineering marvel in its day) were listed as activities. In addition, there was a billiard and game house, presumably for the evening or to pass the time on a rainy day. We also learn that the hotel and other buildings were made from stone, and that the hotel boasted 94 guestrooms along with private parlors.
11 Figure 8. Prospectus of the expanded hotel, signed June 16, 1830. From James Hemphill’s Commonplace Book. Mounted above the prospectus is a clipping from the top of a billhead from the same year. (Collections of the Delaware Historical Society.) TrrESE Spri11gs arc situate on a ,·cry high riclge, three hu11dred feet above the ti,lr, co1111nall(li11g au extensive Yicw of a highly cultivated a11d beauiiful country. They arc distant from Wilmi11gton fi,e a11d a half miles, all(] fr.om New Castle ci.,;ht miles. The site is rema,·kably healthy; the air is cool and pleasant, the mc,·cury being ah, ays seve1·al degrees lower than in the cities, towns, 01· less elevated situations: oilious fevers, and fc,•cr and ague, a,·e uuknown iu tl,e neighbourhood -all the l'Oads i11 the vicinity a,·e smooth allll pleasant, and afford a number of ag,·eeaolc ,·ides to tl,c 13,·andywine battlcg1'0und, the deep-cut 011 the Chesapeake a11d Delaware Canal, and along the romantic B,·anclywine itself. The buildings a1·c of stone, rougl, cast, and arc very capacious, li,n i11g ui11rty-f'o111· chambers, be.sides several private pal'lom•s-a piazz,,, tw(•uty feet wide, affonls a promenade of 255 feet-a billiard house, contaiuing four tables, with other amusements, a convenient distance from the main buildings, is to be fourul-pleasurc pa1'lics of all desniptions will be freely accon1111odatcd, wl,ilc everv care will be taken to have them conducted so as to give the ·least possible incouvcnicnce to those who may not cl,oose to join in them. The ,\-ilmin,gton Steam .Boat, which leaves A1•ch Street wharf eve,·y rlay at 2 o'clock, P. M., "ill convey passeugers, who will find ca,.,.iagrs waiting for them on their landing; and ti-a vcllers from the south, who may be disposed to spend a rew days at the Springs, 01· make it a summer residence. will find stages ready fo1· their accommodation on the arrh-al of the Baltimore Stram Boats at New Castle. The market of Wilmington is one of the ocst in the United Stall'S, aflhnlini; all the delicacies of Delaware, Pc1111sylva11ia, aud • e Jc,·scy: the table will therefore be ab1111dantly supplied with fresh fish, lobstc,·s, an.I c,·cry other article in season. The ma11age1-s of this establishment have expended thirtysix thousand dollars to render it e,•ery way worthy ol' public patt·onagc; an,I the snbscribcr will do all in his power to make it as comrortablc aml respectable as any other place of public l'eso1·t in America. a/......._ .I,? 1/,-,. (I:? and will continue so till the Jst of November.
12 Figure 9. Lithograph of the expanded hotel, drawn by Edward Clay in 1830 (Clay fecit 1830) and reproduced by Cephas Childs of Philadelphia. (Collections of the Delaware Historical Society.) The architectural elements of the hotel that Ferris teased us with in his sketch come to life in Clay’s drawing. The Federal style is readily apparent in the Doric columns, the parapets between the chimneys at the end of each wing, the large fanlights over the two entrances, and the extensive use of windows. Another distinctive feature believed to have been added in 1830 were the arched dormers in the roofline, each crowned with a substantial cornice. Ferris did not show the dormers in his outline of the building, and one wonders if they were added to be functional as well as aesthetic. The 14 windows would have provided considerable ventilation to the attic space, thereby helping to cool the third floor as well. The design impression of the new hotel was one of simple, classic lines and understated elegance. This is especially evident in the shallow angle of the rooflines and the arched dormers, which soften their height. The piazzas also brought Southern character reminiscent of a Charleston hotel. By 1830, piazzas had become an essential feature of Northern hotels and country houses like those being built along the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia. They served many purposes, such as sheltering guests from the rain as they stepped from their carriages and offering a shady place to enjoy the view. Above all, they “communicated hospitality and pleasure.”14
13 Proudly, the Brandywine Springs advertisement touted its veranda as 255 feet in length and 20 feet wide. As Clay’s drawing shows, it was elevated above ground level and set off by 24 elegant columns, three stories tall, just as Ferris had sketched them. The new investors in Brandywine Springs planned to compete with some of the finest resorts of the North and architecturally they achieved their objective. The hotel was every bit as impressive as Congress Hall at Saratoga Springs in New York, which also featured tall, spacious piazzas, and the Catskill Mountain House, another popular getaway well known for its massive veranda. Clay’s drawing not only shows how important the piazza was to the social life of the hotel; it also brings to life the commotion and excitement of the visitors. Many of the figures in the foreground, well dressed in high society fashion, point to a newly arrived carriage that appears to have brought very important guests. The ornate vehicle has a distinctive seal on its door and its driver wears a long, skirted coat. Everyone is focussed on the new arrivals. The piazza overflows with people as they pass the time en promenade, trying to stay cool in the days before air conditioning. Recall, however, that we are looking at a lithograph from an advertising brochure and that its purpose was to entice people to visit. The angle that Clay selected for the drawing was perfectly aligned to give the impression that the hotel is square and enormous inside, not an L formed by two wings. One can’t help but wonder if many were disappointed when their carriage rounded the turn from Newport Gap Pike onto Faukland Rd. and the real layout presented itself. It also makes one question whether the crowds and activity around the hotel were slightly overstated as well. The next image in the early portfolio of Brandywine Spring's art supports this idea. In February 2002, Mrs. George P. Bissell, Jr. donated a watercolor of the Brandywine Chalybeate Springs to HSD, also painted by Edward Clay. Its arrival was completely unexpected and its existence was completely unknown as well (Fig. 10). Although it’s not dated, it was probably painted around 1830, the same time as the lithograph drawing. This is the only color painting of the hotel known to exist in the public domain. The rendering of the hotel is very similar to the lithograph’s view, however the presentation of the guests and their activities is noticeably different. There is one other significant difference between the two versions of the hotel that is both humorous and cause for conjecture. However, before exploring the painting further, some background on the artist’s character is helpful to its interpretation. Edward Clay was the first American to specialize in political caricature. During the 1830’s and ‘40’s, he was the most prolific political cartoonist and social satirist in the country, especially in bringing to life racial and ethnic stereotypes. Since his work predated most broad circulation periodicals, his freelance comic compositions were published in the form of single sheet etchings and lithographs. Clay also created occasional lithographs of buildings, as well as theatrical drawings and posters.15 One of
14 those watercolors was The Tile House, painted in 1822, which depicted the well-known Dutch House that once stood on the Strand in Old New Castle.16 Clay was born in Philadelphia and had relatives in New Castle, Delaware. He became an attorney but he never practiced law. His only formal art education came in Europe between 1825 and 1828, so the Brandywine Springs painting is one of the first to reflect his new techniques. He lived in Philadelphia and New York after returning from Europe, and actually served as a clerk for the Chancery Court of Delaware for a period in the 1850’s. He died in New York in 1857. Based on the inscription beneath this watercolor, it appears to have been created as a going away present for Ward Willson, the hotel’s manager in 1828 and 1829. Given that James Page was brought in to run the expanded hotel (as noted in Hemphill’s prospectus), one wonders if Willson was not up to the task of running the larger facility, or whether Matthew Newkirk and other new investors simply wanted someone with large hotel experience. Clay’s watercolor of the hotel makes wonderful use of light, which illuminates the billowing cumulous clouds and creates a scene that looks and feels like a lazy summer day. The relaxed portrayals of the people around the hotel also convey a view that was probably much closer to what a day at the Springs was really like. In one section, a young girl plays with her dog and teaches him to beg. Across the way, two children take a leisurely stroll while pulling a toy wagon with a small doll in it. The piazza is busy with many guests, just as it should be, but it is not frantic and crowded like the scene in the lithograph (Fig. 9). Finally, the watercolor lacks the pretentiousness of the lithograph with its fancy carriage, more formal attire and curious guests peering from second story windows.
15 Figure 10. Watercolor of the Brandywine Chalybeate Springs Hotel, by Edward Clay, ca. 1830. The perspective is identical to that of his lithograph (Fig. 9). Note errors in columns where rooflines and porch lines meet. (Collections of the Delaware Historical Society.) These two different images raise many questions about the circumstances under which Clay created them. Was Willson an acquaintance or a family friend, whereby Clay had visited him at the hotel? Perhaps the children in the foreground of watercolor were Willson’s, hence the endearing poses with which they are presented. Or was Clay simply there under contract of the new owners to create the image for the prospectus? One can only guess but there is one thing that we do know; the owners liked the angle of view that he chose but insisted that the widely distributed lithograph clearly sell the merits of the resort and its affluent clientele. Before leaving this painting, it’s worth noting important architectural details that become more evident with the added dimension of color and its larger size. The depth of piazza is much more apparent in this painting, given its greater protrusion from the hotel in the rear left corner (near the carriages). The piazza’s elevation is also more evident, as is the half basement peeking out from beneath it on the right wing (which was the original wing before the expansion). The ivory color of the hotel walls also indicates that its “stone construction” was actually roughcast stone bound with stucco, also known as pebbledash. One can also make out many other fine points, all of which show the careful attention to detail lavished upon the new structure. ._:,,-t: z ·" ""' I ~ - _J • I! .... .. Ill
16 Ironically, the most unusual architectural aspect in this drawing is a glaring mistake in perspective, showing two different corner columns marking the points of intersection between the two wings. Close inspection of the point where the rooflines intersect in Figure 10 does not match the column where the corners of the two front porches intersect. Clay’s lithograph does not exhibit such an error, and properly shows the same column connecting the points where the roofs come together and the piazzas intersect. To make matters worse, Clay completely miscounted the number of columns along the right wing, presenting 11 in the watercolor compared to 12 in his lithograph. Further compounding these mistakes is the fact that the angle of perspective for the staircase up to the right veranda is off considerably, and doesn’t appear to line up with the arched entrance into the hotel.17 Having just completed three years of art training in Europe, one would have guessed that Clay was capable of greater attention to detail. The mistakes call into question the accuracy of other details and even beg the question of whether he did the painting on site or not. Or perhaps there is another explanation. This could have been another of Clay’s cartoons, meant to cheer up the now unemployed Willson and to suggest that all was not perfect and proper with the new hotel. This is merely speculation but it is worth noting no other surviving Clay paintings are known to exhibit such obvious errors. Irrespective of the questions surrounding the origins of these works, Edward Clay has left us with two important scenes in the art history of Brandywine Springs that present contrasting views of use. Both offer a reasonably convergent view of the architecture but serve up different interpretations on how guests may have experienced the resort. To help balance these presentations, it is useful to add a third view of life at the Springs, depicted five years later, when a new level of excitement and recreation came to the resort. Thomas Ustick Walter – Artist, Architect and Master of Greek Revival In many respects, the hotel at Brandywine Springs was more about style than substance. Given that it was L shaped and not square, and featured a substantial piazza that dominated the overall footprint of the building, its interior space must have been confined, especially in the north wing. Financially, the hotel continued to drain its investors, who were frequently unable to meet their loan obligations. The insurers who held a substantial loan from the 1830 expansion tried to sue them for payment but the effort was futile and the entire property went up for Sheriff’s Sale on August 10, 1833.18 Philadelphia investor Matthew Newkirk, a Director of the United States Bank and the President of the Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad, emerged as the sole bidder and acquired the entire property for $15,500 (Fig. 11). While Newkirk wanted the property as a country residence in the fashion of Andalusia, the summer home of his friend Nicholas Biddle, he also saw it as a business opportunity. He planned to
17 extend his railroad to Faukland in the hopes of providing faster and more convenient travel to the hotel than by steamboat and coach. Newkirk wasted no time in getting started on major improvements for the following summer. According to Weslager, after Newkirk purchased the property in 1833, he "immediately... engaged" Thomas U. Walter for its new buildings.19 Subsequent articles and books on Brandywine Springs have continued to repeat this citation, essentially turning it into one of the great legends of the resort. Its origin can be traced to a letter provided to Dr. Weslager by Mrs. Harry Clark Boden in November 1945. Mrs. Boden, a strong preservationist and avid historian, was married to Matthew Newkirk’s great grandson and presumably had heard it in family discussions.20 It now appears that the family legend may have become exaggerated with time. At the time that Newkirk purchased the resort, Thomas U. Walter (1804 – 1887) was engaged in becoming the most prominent architect of the New Republic. Born to a bricklayer and apprenticed as such, he studied architecture under William Strickland and started his own practice about 1831. He gained Philadelphia’s attention with his Gothic design of the Moyamensing Prison and was then propelled to national attention when he won the design competition for Girard College, a school for orphan boys, in 1833. The school was to be constructed and endowed under the strict terms of Stephen Girard’s will, which left an unprecedented estate of two million dollars for the project. Nicholas Biddle, President of the United States Bank, was its executor. Although Walter’s greatest achievement was his 1851 design of the wings and the dome of the United States Capitol in Washington, his 1833 design of Girard College in Philadelphia remains to this day America’s quintessential monument to Greek Revivalism. Greek Revival architecture virtually “blossomed in Philadelphia” and found its way into every form of building, from the summer houses of the wealthy to public buildings and banks. Through the influence of Biddle, “the most outspoken Grecophile advocate”, and the designs of architects like Strickland and Walter, it spread quickly across the country between 1810 and 1840.21 Newkirk, a neighbor to Walter, was also smitten with the trend and commissioned Walter to design him a magnificent marble house in Greek Revival at 13th and Arch Streets in Philadelphia. Walter finished the first drawings of the mansion on New Year’s Day, 1835 and it is now believed that this was the first house in the city to be lit by gas.22 Over the next two years, Newkirk and Biddle would continue to award Walter with commissions for houses, churches and other buildings But was Walter really responsible for redesigning Newkirk’s "grand hotel" and its many new buildings? Probably not. In reviewing Walter’s diaries and records from 1834 to 1836, there is only one small mention of Brandywine Springs, which can be found in his diary entry of August 24, 1835:23 Commenced perspective of Cohen’s Bank (Baltimore, MD)
18 Finished perspective of Brandewine Springs Went to (Girard) College – wrote on marble Visited prison (Moyamensing)- delivered drawing for a Methodist Ch. To Mr Surdrey Further supporting this conclusion is the fact that a well known compilation of all of Walter’s projects, completed in 1962, cites his only involvement at Brandywine Springs to be the design of three Greek Revival cottages for Newkirk and his children in 1836.24 In all likelihood, the perspective painting noted in the diary was intended to help Newkirk visualize how his new country house would fit into the greater landscape of the hotel and surrounding buildings (Fig. 12). Undoubtedly, it also served to promote Matthew Newkirk’s new resort and probably hung in his office, enticing the many influential customers of the bank and the railroad to visit the Springs. Thomas Walter’s 1835 perspective is the most significant work in the Brandywine Springs portfolio. No previous publication has attempted to identify all of its details, Figure 11. Matthew Newkirk purchases Brandywine Springs (Delaware Gazette, August 23, 1833). The large property called•the Brandy. wine Cha1ybe¥e Spriop, was aold on Thursday last at puWic _sale, aad purchased by Matthew Newkirk, Esq. o(tbiscity. The· pwohuer · intencls to make improve. ments~ which, aloor with the advantages already. poue.ed • by lids fubiooable re• sort, wnt render it, in every respeGt, as ~io~ aod.ttractive u any othe1 in the Uaited States. Warm aad •Id baths wifl .., uect~, aew gnvel twalb _o~ned, . the n~irb.\>9n11g wood clear,d,~: ~r. fish ... 4' ·lb~ n~r tht. e~,;~tion,1 t h01'~ boilf. for the ~,«-t,ot,J, ,and . ~~~ Mr~ N~wkitk •ill be a pullio ne(actor in accom.pli~og his liberal esigna.-Nat. Gt,,1-.
19 Figure 12. Watercolor perspective of “Brandewine Springs” prepared by Thomas U. Walter, Aug. 24, 1835. Note three Newkirk cottages to the left of the hotel. (Collections of the Delaware Historical Society.) which have been lost to time after the structures were leveled in the first half of the 20th century. Recreating such information is aided by the fact that Walter’s perspectives often employed exacting attention to detail. As a result, one can assume that this represents a near photographic rendering of the property.25 Advances in computer imaging software, coupled with high-resolution digitization of images, now allow for improved visual analysis of artwork and photographs. Such techniques can improve image quality and allow one to selectively enlarge items of interest. Fortunately, Mrs. Boden had high quality black and white photographs of Walter’s painting made which were amenable to such methods. Figure 13 illustrates the author’s use of computer enhancement on Walter’s “Brandewine Springs.” Computer artist Alaine Holsinger then created enlargement bubbles to highlight key sections of the painting.26 The result is an image that helps us to better interpret the major changes that Matthew Newkirk made to his new property. These changes where highlighted in June 1834, when the National Gazette of Philadelphia did an extensive article on the new spa: -A two-story, stone bath house with hot and cold baths and "plunge bathing." -A frame barn 100 feet long with stables for 50 horses and vehicles. -A recreation building with ten pins and billiards. -A miniature "Fairmount water works" and a 22,000-gallon basin to supply running water to the hotel, baths and fountains. -“Linden Lane," a tree lined path from the gate house to the hotel. - Wide gravel paths decorated with statuary, one of which contained a fountain.27
20 Newkirk’s total cost was rumored to be over $50,000. It appears that he also retained James Page to run the establishment that summer. Walter’s painting probably offers the best architectural drawing of the expanded hotel and provides information that is somewhat different from Clay’s views. The arched dormers are quite small in relation to the roofline, which supports their function simply for attic ventilation. Even more striking is the fact that Walter’s drawing of the piazzas and the supporting columns makes them appear even more enormous. Its elevation above ground level is also more evident. Without question, the hotel commanded the highest location and must have inspired a magnificent first impression as one’s carriage crossed over Hyde Run and the building came into view. Views of the landscape from the piazza must also have been impressive from the elevated position. With so much of the spa visible in this painting, it is easy to overlook its primary purpose, which was to depict Newkirk’s new dwellings in relation to the resort. Not surprising, all three were designed in Greek Revival style, however, Newkirk’s cottage in the center had one unusual departure from the norm: a second floor balcony.28 Given that this location offered one of the best views of the entire property, the balcony would have allowed Newkirk to see everything, as well as to be seen. Newkirk was always seeking
Brandywine Springs Resort A Perspective by Thomas U. Walter, 1835
21 Figure 13. Thomas U. Walter’s perspective enhanced by computer imaging, with important features identified. - Alaine Holsinger and Gene Castellano, 2003
22 new approaches in his endeavors so it is not surprising that this building did not simply repeat traditional design ideas.29 Perhaps the most unusual innovation that Newkirk added to the resort was the “water works,” which included a pump house that took water from Hyde Run into a brick cistern and then pumped it up to a reservoir behind the hotel. The identification of both structures in Walter’s drawing had not been called out in previous writings on Brandywine Springs, although the water works was listed as a “stone Mill House, Gothic, … one story high, 40 feet square…” in a fire insurance survey in Weslager’s book.30 This important passage associates the pump house to the only Gothic building apparent in the painting, which also happens to be in a location near Hyde Run that further supports this conclusion. The reservoir apparently was located near the entrance gate on Faulkland Road, another very high spot, which facilitated gravity flow of water to the hotel, baths and fountains. Newkirk’s inspiration for the water system was Philadelphia’s famous Fairmount Water Works on the Schuylkill River, which had been expanded in 1821-22. This marvel of classical architecture that supplied clean drinking water was said to be “beauty and utility perfectly wedded.”31 Newkirk’s choice of Gothic style for a non-religious building was somewhat unusual in 1834, unless of course, it served a dual purpose.32 Newkirk was very devout, served as an elder and deacon of the Presbyterian faith, and frequently brought in pastors for sermons at the Springs during the summer. His son, Matthew Jr., was a member of the clergy in Philadelphia and stayed in one of the smaller new cottages. While there is no direct reference to the use of the waterworks as a part-time chapel by Newkirk, undoubtedly his beliefs would have influenced this choice of design, which also made him an early adopter of the Gothic style for public buildings. The Brandywine Springs water works served its purpose long after the original hotel burned down in 1853 and a second hotel was constructed nearby.33 Water on tap in the hotel would have been well ahead of its time in 1834 and probably helped the resort to develop its widespread reputation. It’s no surprise that the Gothic pump house was partly converted into a chapel about 1871 when Franklin Fell, a later owner of the second hotel, created a satellite meeting house to augment Saint James’ Episcopal Church in Stanton.34 Photographs of Brandywine Springs between 1895 and 1905 continue to show the building with its unique spire still standing, although many amusements, a manmade lake, and an elevated walkway eventually encroached upon its prominent location and dwarfed it from view (Fig. 14). Walter’s painting reveals much more than just details about the original architecture of the resort. It also gives us insightful views of how the guests used the hotel and grounds. In fact, one can imagine a daily routine based on its information. Upon arriving at the hotel by carriage, guests would have registered and found their rooms with the assistance of servants. Rather than rush straightaway to the springs, they would have headed to the nearby bath house, a welcome relief for the dusty and weary traveler. This spacious, two-story facility offered the options of hot or cold bathing and was a vast improvement over the two “offices” that served the purpose nine years earlier.
23 Figure 14. The water works in 1895, before the encroachment of the amusement park. Council Oak is in top left corner with steps leading down to the spring. (Friends of Brandywine Springs Collection) The carriages and horses would have been taken to the stables, the long building to the right of the bath house. That evening, a leisurely walk after dinner might have led to the recreation hall, to the right of the stables, where billiards, cards and ten pins awaited. The next morning, guests would assemble on the south piazza to begin their walk to the Chalybeate spring, which was best enjoyed before breakfast. Before them loomed the vista of the large oak, which could be enjoyed later in the day as a shady retreat, as well as a row of hemlocks along the brow of the hill. A gravel path helped point the way past marble statuary and fountains to the top of the hill (two of these statues are slightly visible in the enlargement of the bath house in Figure 13, to the left and right of the two trees along the path). Just past the oak, wooden steps helped the visitor to negotiate the steep decline to the spring house and water works, just a few feet from the banks of Hyde Run.
24 Walter shows that the spring house was actually a turreted, two-story structure that appeared to be made from exposed field stone. An arched entryway allowed access to the spring head, while a circular staircase around the outside led to a small observation deck on its roof. After partaking of the spring water, probably from a small font inside the building, one would then venture back up the hill for a hearty breakfast. Later in the day, the energized guest could return to the spring once again for refreshment and then choose one of two delightful walks with which to pass the time. Before the heat of day took hold, one might opt for the path to the water works and then west towards the Newport Pike. From there, one proceeded along the rear of the gate house and back up Linden Lane to the hotel. Along this route, one could peek at the machinery in the pump house, perhaps catch a glimpse of new guests in carriages on the Pike, or even see Matthew Newkirk admiring his domain. On a warm afternoon, however, one might choose to read a book on the shaded observation deck of the oak or take a walk in the cool, shaded valley of Hyde Run, following it to the point where it joins the much larger Red Clay Creek. It is worth noting that this same choice of routes still presents itself to the park visitor today who, after descending the steep path from the parking area to the valley below, must decide whether to explore east or west. Highly magnified views of the painting show scenes of people enjoying the resort in much the same manner that Edward Clay showed them. Women stroll about, often in pairs, adorned in large hats or bonnets, while male guests were fully dressed in coats and top hats. An occasional pet can also be seen. In one view, a servant walks a dog behind a well-dressed woman as they make their way down to the springs. The guests apparently enjoyed the use of the grounds immediately adjacent to Newkirk’s cottages as well. In spite of Newkirk’s best efforts, the popularity of Brandywine Springs gradually waned over the next twenty years, hurt by improvements in rail transportation to more popular destinations. Ironically, Newkirk’s own railroad never made it to Faulkland so attendance at his grand resort languished as the popularity of Cape May and Atlantic City increased from better rail access.35 In trying to find alternative uses for the building, the hotel was leased out as a military academy for one season in 1853 but tragically caught fire during the Christmas recess. Newkirk's own financial situation became tenuous and he sold the remaining property in 1855 for only $15,000. Three years later, Newkirk filed for bankruptcy and lost all of his properties, including the impressive marble house in Philadelphia that Walter designed for him. In 1855, the three cottages were connected and made into the second hotel by a new owner who tastefully retained its classical styling. Sadly, it did not fair any better than the original. Attempts to Victorianize it in the 1890’s with Mansard roofs and fancy railings obliterated the refined lines of Walter’s design. It also did not improve its appeal or attendance. The resort eventually dwindled into a picnic grove for local residents. Even though the Wilmington and Western Railroad finally reached Faulkland in 1872, it was too late to make a difference.36 The second hotel eventually became a boarding house for amusement park employees and then closed for good in 1902. By 1922, it was
25 reported to be still standing but almost in ruins, a degrading end to such an ambitious beginning.37 Robert Shaw – Etcher, Illustrator and Painter The final work in the art history of Brandywine Springs is Robert Shaw’s famous etching of the hotel, which he completed in 1909 (Fig. 15). Shaw (1859 –1912) was a Wilmington artist whose etchings are still highly sought by Delawareans for their unique style and accurate depictions of local scenes, many of which are now gone. By the time that he completed the Brandywine Springs print, his work had reached national recognition from a portfolio of American Memorial Etchings prepared between 1904 and 1906. Shaw had created fifty-six prints for that series, which depicted such recognized landmarks as the Alamo, Monticello and Faneuil Hall in Boston. However his most historically significant works were of local subjects, which earned him a place of distinction in the Delaware Exhibit at the World’s Columbian Exhibition in Chicago in 1893, next to the works of J.D. Chalfant and Howard Pyle.38 To better understand why Shaw was given the opportunity to recreate the grand hotel at Brandywine Springs, it is helpful to know the nature of his portfolio and what frequently motivated it. His father was a coachman at Rockwood, the Shipley estate in north Wilmington. The family lived there in the porter’s lodge until they moved to a small farm nearby at the top of Penny Hill, off the Philadelphia Pike. Their barn would eventually serve as Shaw’s studio. According to Thomas Beckman, art historian, “he had little formal art training,” mostly from Wilmington teachers.39 Shaw started with oil paintings in 1884 and then progressed to watercolors. However, he soon demonstrated a talent for ink drawings, which were easily reproduced as commercial illustrations and provided more income than traditional art media. In 1888, he took up etching on metal plate, which was then at the height of its popularity in America. Shaw appears to have preferred architectural subjects, which complemented his simple and elegant style. Old Swedes Church in Wilmington was one of his most frequently sketched buildings, the first of which was published in 1889 as part a series of local subjects that quickly brought him recognition. It was about this time that he adopted the practice of including a remarque at the bottom of each etching, which was used as a gauge by the printer to assess ink transfer on a few initial impressions and then ground off of the plate. In time, however, the remarques came to be recognized as prized embellishments that Shaw insisted remain on his prints. Today, they are considered to be one of his trademarks and aid in the recognition of his works as much as his signature does. The appeal of etchings came from the fact that they provided accurate images in an era when publications were unable to easily reproducing photographs. In many cases, however, they lacked the emotion of paintings, which could use color to convey mood and sentiment. But Shaw had a special talent for selecting subjects that were cherished by local residents, either due to nostalgic appeal or historic significance, which added an
26 Figure 15. Robert Shaw’s 1909 etching of the Brandywine Springs Hotel, taken from Edward Clay’s 1830 lithograph. Note remarque of the spring house tower in lower left. (Collections of the Delaware Historical Society.) emotional dimension to his etchings. He once wrote in a letter to a patron that it was “a part of my life work to hunt up these old places dear to the Wilmington people and preserve them in a series of pictures.”40 The loss of these subjects to decay and development has only increased the emotional appeal of his work, as evidenced by the fact that his etching of Brandywine Springs has become the modern image of record for the original resort. The history of the etching begins in 1908 when Shaw was approached by a daughter-in-law of Justa Justis and asked to sketch the old hotel. From it, she wished to reproduce lithographs that would be sold as a fundraiser for St. James Church in Stanton. Ida De Haven, one of the women involved with the project, had “an old picture of Brandywine Springs Hotel built about 1820 which was in her mother’s scrapbook.”41 Though never confirmed, it appears that the picture was Edward Clay’s 1830 lithograph of the expanded hotel given its striking resemblance to Shaw’s final work.
27 When Mary Justis first visited Shaw at his residence at Penny Hill, he was unable to work due to cataracts in both eyes. She also noted that he was partially deaf and required crutches to walk (as a result of a childhood disease). Surgery in the spring of 1908 restored his vision and allowed him to start painting again after a two-year hiatus. Shaw went out to the Springs in November, 1908, made note of the location where the hotel once stood, discussed clothing styles that might be used for the guests, and then committed to take on the project. It was finished the following year. As can be seen, Shaw delivered an accurate reproduction of Clay’s hotel however he took some liberties with the clothing styles, as he was known to do, and changed some of the figures. Shaw added his own unique stamp to the etching by creating the remarque of the spring house at the bottom. For it, he chose an interpretation of the stone tower that Walter had detailed in his watercolor. At the time that he painted the scene, the amusement park was at the height of its popularity and the spring was then surrounded by a structure more akin to an open-air campground pavilion. No records remain as to how many lithographs were made or whether they were successful as a fundraiser. We know that they were sold for $5 each and advertised through word of mouth. In a letter from Shaw to Mary Justis in August 1910, he charged her $0.40 each for 22 proofs, suggesting that the church derived most of the profit from the endeavor.42 Irrespective of whether it met with financial success or not, we are extremely fortunate that an artist of Shaw’s reputation was selected to create it. It remained in the public’s eye, unlike the earlier images, and then became even more valuable after Shaw passed away in 1912. After the amusement park closed in 1923 and nature reclaimed much of the park over the next 30 years, the image became one of few survivors that recalled the early history of the area. The etching was then selected for the cover of Weslager’s book in 1949, turning it into a collector’s item. Although Shaw might not have foreseen it in 1909, his view of Brandywine Springs might also be considered one of his great American memorials, at least in the hearts of Delawareans. The etching would become the most visible reminder of the nationally known resort that once drew people from distant states to its mineral springs. And even though it is an amalgamation of works from earlier artists and does not provide new insights on the resort itself, it speaks to Shaw’s passion of capturing for posterity the places that are gone and forgotten. Final Thoughts Between 1822 and 1909, the artists of Brandywine Springs produced a rich visual history of the resort that provides many insights into its architecture and function. Benjamin Ferris’ first pencil sketches of the site documented the transition of a 17th century tavern for teamsters into a health resort for America’s new aristocracy. His proposed placement of the new hotel on the highest rise of the property, strategically positioned for visual effect as well as the best location to capture cool evening breezes,
28 demonstrates his keen eye as both a surveyor and a visionary of what would appeal to future guests. Ferris’ outline of the hotel on the back of this drawing, with its distinctive lines, imposing height and wide piazza, also demonstrates his less known talent as an architect. The transformation of those sketches to a finished survey map, which brought the new venture closer to completion, also established the first landscape plan that would define the daily processions for health and relaxation. The real significance of this watercolor, however, is that it has survived to present day and provides the missing link to where the hotel, Yarnall’s tavern and other outbuildings once stood. The rubble field of the burned hotel now lays partly buried beneath a county parking lot but its location is no longer a mystery thanks to Ferris’ precisely scaled map. Artist Edward Clay’s contribution was finding the perfect angle by which to depict the newly expanded hotel, making his rendering the image of choice for its advertising prospectus. The same perspective also adopted by Thomas U. Walter in his landmark illustration of the resort. Clay’s lithograph brought the hotel to life by presenting the third dimension missing in Ferris’ work. In addition, his watercolor is the only surviving color painting of the building now in the public domain and, in all likelihood, offers the most realistic depiction of summers at Brandywine Springs before Matthew Newkirk acquired it. The excitement, the crowds and the elitism presented in the promotional lithograph are missing from this painting, replaced by a handful of guests, children at play and an optical illusion in the centermost columns that teases us to this day with its hidden meaning. Architectural prodigy Thomas U. Walter came to Brandywine Springs to design a summer home for Newkirk and, in doing so, created a panoramic vista of the entire resort. Although he is mistakenly credited with overseeing Newkirk’s massive redesign of the spa, Walter’s painting faithfully documents in exacting detail the buildings and landscaping added at the time. The painting also offers an invaluable historic perspective as to how the 19th century countryside appeared before the onset of today’s heavy forest growth, erosion and changes to the terrain made by 20th century amusement park owners. However, Walter’s most valuable legacy to Brandywine Springs is his depiction of the springhouse where Chalybeate water flowed from the ground bringing dreams of health and prosperity. The stone tower is vastly different from the “Old World” gazebo envisioned by Benjamin Ferris and appears to symbolize Matthew Newkirk’s lofty hopes for his new venture. Sadly, the dream of prosperity eluded all of the hotel’s owners. After the magnificent hotel burned down, the transformation of Newkirk’s summerhouse and cottages into a smaller version offered a poor substitute to guests. Later attempts at Victorian “modernization” of the second hotel ultimately obliterated the classic Greek Revival lines of Thomas Walter’s design and did little to improve the hotel’s sustainability. Torn down sometime in the 1920’s, Delaware had lost one of its few buildings created by the famous architect. Fortunately by that time, Walter’s rendering of the springhouse had found new life as the remarque in Robert Shaw’s etching of the grand hotel.
29 Shaw was the ideal artist to complete the portfolio. His reputation for memorializing places of the past, especially those destined for destruction, had earned him a commission to recreate the allure and distinction of the resort. It is unlikely that he made much income from the project given the modest price that he charged to support its intended fundraising purpose. In addition, the relative scarcity of those lithographs today, even though they were primarily distributed in the local area, supports the theory that only a small number were sold. Although Shaw’s etching borrowed heavily from Edward Clay’s work and brought no new information to light about the design and use of the hotel, it has become the most enduring and reproduced image of it. Twentieth century publications on the resort and the amusement park by Weslager and Lawlor have continued to sustain its popularity, making Shaw’s lithograph a highly sought after prize by those who can find one at auction! Acknowledgements The author would like to thank the following persons for their help: Dr. Carol Hoffecker for bringing the existence of Brandywine Springs to my attention in her book Wilmington, A Pictorial History; the staff at the Delaware Historical Society, especially Tom Beckman, Connie Cooper, Ellen Rendle, and Barbara Benson; the Friends of Brandywine Springs, especially Mike & Sandi Ciosek and Joyce & Paul Harris; Bruce Laverty at the Athenaeum of Philadelphia; Dr. Barksdale Maynard at the University of Delaware; Alaine Holsinger and Jane Castellano.
30 END NOTES 1 Chalybeate water (kah-lib-ee-it) was high in iron content as well as vegetable gum, usually the result of the spring emerging in an area of high vegetation or leaf fall. The plant matter would eventually decompose into the neighboring soil and infuse the water with it. Chalybeate springs were reputed to offer health benefits for those with anemia or anemic conditions, and probably did by virtue of its richness in iron. Its taste and odor was another matter, unfortunately. See John Bell, The Mineral Springs and Thermal Springs of the United States and Canada (Philadelphia, 1855), Chapter 1. 2 Clinton Weslager, Brandywine Springs: The Rise and Fall of a Delaware Resort (Wilmington, 1949) 3 Mark Lawlor, Brandywine Springs Amusement Park: Echoes of the Past, (Wilmington, 1991) 4 Friends of Brandywine Springs, Inc. P.O. Box 5323, Wilmington, DE 19808. www.fobsde.cjb.net 5 Weslager, Brandywine Springs: The Rise and Fall of a Delaware Resort, pp. 10 - 16. 6 National Gazette and Literary Register, Philadelphia, July 30, 1827. 7 Bell, The Mineral Springs and Thermal Springs of the United States and Canada, Chapter 2. 8 One credible source has estimated that the tree might have been 100 years old when Washington held his Council and nearly 150 years old when Ferris made his maps: Halfred Wertz and Joy Callendar, Penn’s Woods: 1682 – 1982 (Wayne, PA, 1982), p. 169. 9 The author and Paul Harris, a FOBS member, verified in 2001 that the Springs still possess a very high iron content and would begin to form rust particles after only a few days exposure to air. 10 Carol Hoffecker, Brandywine Village (Wilmington, 1974), p. 96. Thanks to Dr. Barksdale Maynard, University of Delaware, for calling out this similarity. 11 Justa Justis, whose family lived nearby, was the contractor for the hotel. It was started in the fall of 1826 before the property was actually acquired by the company. Four years later, Justis would again be contractor for a major expansion of the hotel. (Weslager, Brandywine Springs: The Rise and Fall of a Delaware Resort, pp. 14-15. 12 Delaware Gazette, March 13, 1827. 13 Weslager, Brandywine Springs: The Rise and Fall of a Delaware Resort, p 19. 14 Barksdale Maynard, Architecture in the United States, 1800-1850, (Yale University Press, 2002) Ch.4, On the Piazza. 15 The biographical summary of Edward Clay was prepared by Thomas Beckman, Registrar at HSD, and is based in part on a dissertation about Clay prepared by Nancy Reynolds Davidson, University of Michigan, 1980. 16 Very few of Clay’s works survive today. The Tile House painting is now preserved at the New Castle Historical Society. The Brandywine Springs watercolor is one of the largest to have been located; suggesting that it may have had some other purpose than as commercial art. 17 Given the absence of Justa Justis’ construction drawings, no one source has ever given the exact dimensions of the expanded hotel. However, the author has attempted to reconstruct its outline using details called out in five different sources, which include Ferris’ watercolor map, Delaware Gazette Newspapers from 1827 and 1833, Hemphill’s prospectus, and Weslager’s book. The original wing, extending east-west, was 70’ long and 40’ wide as given by Ferris. The new wing of 1830, extending north-south, was 130’ long and 32’ wide, and simply connected to the original wing to form an L. The front outline of the hotel, or the inside of the piazza, measured 130’ by 102’. The outside of the broad piazza, where the columns were located, would have been 150’ by 122’, accounting for the different number of columns on each wing. The total length of a promenade down the center of the piazza, from one end to the other, would have been about 255’, as is often cited. 18 Weslager, Brandywine Springs: The Rise and Fall of a Delaware Resort, p 34-35. 19 Weslager, Brandywine Springs: The Rise and Fall of a Delaware Resort, p 37-38. 20 Mrs. Boden’s letter is catalogued in Newkirk’s Small Dwellings (1836), Thomas U. Walter Collection, The Athenaeum of Philadelphia. Mrs. Boden also recognized the significance of Walter’s “Brandewine Springs” perspective, which was in her family’s possession, and had photographs of it placed at both HSD and the Athenaeum Library. She is best remembered today for her purchase and restoration of Mount Harmon Plantation in Cecilton, Maryland. 21 Barksdale Maynard, Architecture in the United States, 1800-1850, pp. 219-233.
31 22 Journal of Thomas U. Walter, Dec. 10, 1834 to November 12, 1836, Box 15, Walter Collection (The Athenaeum of Philadelphia). Special thanks to Bruce Laverty, Gladys Brooks Curator of Architecture at the Athenaeum, for his assistance. 23 Ibid. Walter Journal, 1834 to 1836. 24 T. U. Walter Project Files, compiled by Robert B. Ennis, Professor of Architecture at Drexel University, in 1962. (The Athenaeum of Philadelphia). 25 One year before creating the Brandywine Springs painting, Walter also painted a very similar perspective of Girard College that would finalize his design prior to construction. That perspective is virtually identical to the appearance of the school today, reinforcing the idea that Walter was a perfectionist who both accurately recorded what was there or made sure that it was built according to plan. 26 The author recognizes the integrity issues surrounding the computer modification of an original work for the purpose of aesthetic enhancement. In this case, however, the intent is to aid in the visual identification of architectural details and people that would otherwise be more difficult to identify. Hopefully, the presentation of the starting image in Figure 12, before changes, also provides the appropriate context for undertaking such an enhancement. 27 National Gazette, June 21, 1834, courtesy of Joyce and Paul Harris (FOBS). 28 A virtually identical structure to the smaller cottages that Walter designed still exists on the campus of Chaplain College in Burlington, Vermont as the Gallery Office. It was originally constructed in 1838 as a law office and suggests that this was a very popular silhouette. 29 Matthew Newkirk, Jr., The Memory of the Just is Blessed: A Memorial of Matthew Newkirk, Philadelphia, 1869. Available at Hagley Museum and Library, Wilmington, DE. 30 Weslager, Brandywine Springs: The Rise and Fall of a Delaware Resort, p 110-111. Weslager also refers to a reservoir at the hotel, p. 39. 31 Barksdale Maynard, Architecture in the United States, 1800-1850, pp. 40-41. 32 Ibid. Maynard, p.55. 33 The pump house is now the focus of a major archaeological project by FOBS, which has uncovered its foundation, cistern, and some old equipment. 34 Weslager, Brandywine Springs: The Rise and Fall of a Delaware Resort, p. 62. 35 J. Barton Cheyney, Brandywine Springs Resort was First Health and Pleasure Resort of National Fame in the U.S., Every Evening Journal, January 21, 1922, p. 8. 36 Weslager, Brandywine Springs: The Rise and Fall of a Delaware Resort, p. 63 - 70. 37 Cheyney, Every Evening Journal, January 21, 1922, p. 8. 38 Thomas Beckman, The Etchings of Robert Shaw (1859-1912), Delaware History Magazine, Fall-Winter, 1990 (Volume XXIV, No.2). 39 Beckman, The Etchings of Robert Shaw (1859-1912. pp.76-78. 40 Beckman, The Etchings of Robert Shaw (1859-1912. p. 90. 41 Weslager, Brandywine Springs: The Rise and Fall of a Delaware Resort, pp. 120-123. 42 Weslager, Brandywine Springs: The Rise and Fall of a Delaware Resort, p. 122.
32 Bibliography Archives 1) Benjamin Ferris Papers, Undated Maps of Brandywine Springs, Delaware Historical Society, Wilmington (hereafter HSD). 2) Original Research Notes for Clinton A. Weslager’s Brandywine Springs: The Rise and Fall of a Delaware Resort, 1949. HSD. 3) Commonplace Book assembled by James Hemphill, ca. 1830. HSD. 4) Watercolor of Brandywine Chalybeate Springs (Resort Hotel) signed by Edward Williams Clay, ca. 1829 –30, HSD. 5) Black and white photograph of Brandywine Springs watercolor originally painted by Thomas U. Walter, 1835, HSD. (See also Athenaeum Collection, Thomas U. Walter, Newkirk’s small dwellings). 6) T. U. Walter Project Files, Compiled by Robert B. Ennis, The Athenaeum of Philadelphia. (Hereafter AP). 7) Thomas Ustick Walter Collection, Box 15, Journal from 12/10/1834 – 11/12/1836, AP. 8) Thomas Ustick Walter Collection, Diary #1 from 1/1/1837 – 12/19/1838, AP. 9) Thomas Ustick Walter Collection, File on Newkirk’s Small Dwellings, 1836. AP. 10) Friends of Brandywine Springs, Inc., Photograph Collection, P. O., Box 5323, Wilmington, DE 19808, (Hereafter FOBS). Newspapers 1) Delaware Gazette, March 13, 1827 2) Delaware Gazette, March 28, 1827 3) Delaware Gazette, June 12, 1827 4) Delaware Register, August 29, 1829 5) Delaware Gazette, August 13, 1833 6) Delaware Gazette, August 23, 1833 7) National Gazette, July 30, 1827. 8) National Gazette, June 21, 1834 9) Every Evening Journal, January 21, 1922, p.8.
33 Books and Manuscripts Bell, John. The Mineral Springs and Thermal Springs of the United States and Canada. Philadelphia: Parry and McMillan, 1855. Hoffecker, Carol. Brandywine Village, Wilmington: Old Brandywine Village Inc., 1974. Lawlor, Mark. Brandywine Springs Amusement Park: Echoes of the Past. Wilmington: M&M Publishing, 1991. Maynard, W. Barksdale, Architecture in the United States, 1800-1859, New Haven: Yale University Press, 2002. Weiss, Harry. They Took to the Waters; the forgotten mineral spring resorts of New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware. Trenton: The Past Time Press, 1962. Weslager, Clinton. Brandywine Springs: The Rise and Fall of a Delaware Resort. Wilmington: Hambleton, 1949.