A Welcome Back to Chester County Day 2013
Reprinted from the 2013 Issue of the Chester County Day Newspaper - A welcome by former Editor, Eric Chandlee Wilson
As we sat down to pen our annual front-page Welcome message, we did not fail to consult our sagacious Guide-that timeless Chester County troubadour, Marmaduke Wyvil. Marmaduke emphatically directed us to spread the word that the 2013 Tour is by far one of the best ever-not to be missed. As Marmaduke declares, no where else will an Autumn tour bring you into intimate contact with scenes and events familiar to Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, General Lafayette, and many, many more!
Lowndes Taylor Farm by Bass Otis, 1893
Our 2013 Tour highlights the Northwest Quadrant of Chester County. In the eighteenth century, iron was desperately needed to forge and defend a new nation, and much of that iron was made right here! On this Chester County
Day you can visit an actual early iron furnace, Isabella, today carefully restored and adapted to modern living. Many other ironmaking furnaces and forges, with memorable names like Warwick, Hopewell, Coventry, Redding, and Rebecca dotted the region, and you will pass them as you travel through here headed for unforgettably restored homes and gardens.
Chester County Day would not be Chester County Day without the Foxhunt, as ever led off by the irrepressible Dr. Todd L. Addis. His PennMarydel hounds will lead out promptly at 9:00 a.m., from Warwick County Park. A superb author, Doc Addis recently published a brand-new collection of his foxhunting memories. Autographed copies of his book will be available on the Day.
You may choose to visit Hockley Mill, deep in the Northwest Quadrant, and nearby "Hearthstone Farm." Visit Wyebrook Farm, the jewel of West Nantmeal, and a stunning Bonsai exhibit at Lewis Mills, near Cupola. Throughout the tour, you will be delighted to find formal gardens, special collections, and unique architectural wonders. All along the way, do not fail to admire the miles and miles of expertly built stonewalls-walls built to withstand a hundred Chester County winters. You will find lunch and rest stops strategically located everywhere.
For a change of pace, by all means visit West Chester, where a Walking Tour will take you to seven stops in the North Matlack/East Lafayette Streets neighborhood. Make sure to swing by the Lukens Historic District in Coatesville for a rare treat.
Marmaduke Wyvil promises to be out and about on Chester County's special Day. You may even catch a glimpse of him. He sincerely hopes you and your family will treat yourselves to an unforgettable excursion to Chester County's past.
To paraphrase the poet of yore:
"The things that truly last
When men and times have passed
They are all in Chester County this morning."
by Eric Chandlee Wilson, Editor, 2013