Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1889-05-02
OLD LANDMARKS.
BUILDINGS OF WILMINGTON
200 YEARS AGO.
Houses of tho Stidhams-Spring Alley
Old Church e-Willingtown
and WilmingtOn-The Ship
leys aud Tatnails.

ieSs huu Aatiiihs'
The very few old landmarks of Will
minRton reaching beyond one hundred
and fifty years are being torn down and
are rapidly disappearing, and as they g.
appear sense OF sadness creeps over us,
as they were links that bound the present
with the early history Of our city.
The stidham house, near Fourteenth
and Poplar streets, was torn down last
year, after having stood and afforded
shelter TO humanity since 1871. 1t stood
for 2l8 years.
The old Stalcup house, that stood near
the Old Swedes' Church, disappeared
many years ago, but the church, the old
est landmark Of all, remains and Is likely
to remain for an indt finite number of
years yet to come-possibly as long In
the future as 1t has stood in the past.
Wilmington may then be as large as New
York In population. Mr.. Stalcup's son
had house on the west erd of his land,
now near Frout and Broome, which has
been altered, in fact nearly rebuilt and
made into two houses. They stand on
the top oil the bank on the southwest side
OF Front street.
The old mansion of Jacohus Van-De-
Ntft, lHdJ bIUOll ONGT TWO uuIuItu years.
was torn down and the site is covered by
the blacksmith shop built by Bowers &
Dure for their car works over the Brandy
wine railroad bridge, on what was called
In early times Timber Island.
The first house built after the English
got possession, and the pioneer house
from which Willingtown took it's start
was built on the Church Glebe lands II
was q wooden house built on the south
side OF the present Spring alley, between
8 cund and Third streets, aud running
from French to Walnut. The building
wa' started for parsonage in l70l. The
difficulty in getting sawed boards from
| New Jersey caused much delay, and 1t
was not completed until l7l4, some ye lrs
after the minister had moved into 1t.
Spring alley afterwards became great
thoroughfsre for those times, as the old
houses still show. Two of these old
houses still stand at each corner of
Spring alley and Walnut street, and the
ruins of the Swedish minister's house,
Tranberg, built in l747, at The SOU b side
OF the alley on French street, are plainly
to be eeen.
At one time Willing's Lane ran down
between Vikings and the Glebe lai DIS,
say down French from Third towards the
cFtth W lue Olu ubllsDu IlUubt. luUulAh
Willing was connected by marriage with
BeriIe Jussison and got some cf the land.
Willingtown dates back 10 1882 The
Shipley family coming 10, they got some
acres OF land west of Market street aud
started town to suit themselves. Ship.
ley street was the main street Of this ne "
enterprise, ard the new town was called
Wilmington. Ship'ey built at Fourtt
! and Shipley in 1876, but the old mansion
which many remember, occupied last by
! family named Walker, has disappeared
and the beautiful Gawthrop building
: now cover the site. Auo her old hous
: at Fifth and West streets was built b
n Thomas West in 1887, and from him tn
G street took It's name. But it has gont
o too, the last occupant being DR.. j. T
WEIGH, and Cyrus Stern few years ag
put up moderni2ed buildings upon th
u site.
= Another house built by Sdipley at th
t corner of Fourth and West streets, |
{ l740 has been remodeled by Mrs. Sara
$ Montgomery, one Of the Shi pley heirt
: and the family still occupy it. Anothe
| brick house built by the Sbipleys q
l Fourth and Orange streets still stand
4 and is used as hotel.
A The log house that stanks on tho soutl
8 side of Fifth street between Sbipley an,
Q Orange, was built by Edward Tatnall
$ grandfather OF our present Edwarl
: and Joseph Tatnall about l73S. 1t still
: stands, but is covered with coat Q
Y weather boarding Ia place of shingles
: that once covered IT, 1t was the home
t stead of the Tatnall family for man
. years. Edward being a carpenter had
hand in building many of the houses a
that time. Although the house was yer
small, EdwarJ snd bis family lived ther
many years. HIS son Joseph became til
= great miller of the Brandywne aud wa
= there when WashinGton's army was o.
' iis way to meet the British at Cbadd'
4 Ford.
J. The daughter Sarah married Richard
Y Richardson, out on Mill Creek. Th
y contrast between the humble house froI
:. which saran We, y-suu ana tnu ono
u which she was taken was very gres
!, The house which was to be her 1utuI
home was at that time consldere
/ the most complete and grandest house
a be found in the State. 1t was built {
stone In 17G5, still stands firm and stron
+ and is now occupied and owned by HenT
- G. Conrad, Esq, OF the New CAST
= County bar, Mr.. Conrad has named b
Y country home @ enrich. The little oil
log house In which the Tatnalls live
afterwards became the first apothecar
shop of the town and was kept by Kat
Dean. The old Presbyterian meetln
,Sause, Market street near Tenth, no
e occupIe,, by the Delaware Historici
ii Society, was but in 17i0; the old Bal
S tIst meeting house on Klns street setwee
n Tenth and Eleventh streets Ia i.9Oi an
q the old Aldrich house on Market stree
! between Tenth and Eleventh streets
d 1879.
u The Dandy House on tie old Kenue
II road was built by Adolph Wolbough
1898. 1t stands between Shipley an
Orange streets with the rear to Tent
street, but IN 1906 the street was opene
a sttaight through. In 1902, John Cleade
s built house opposite where the pEesen
8 Eden Hall Is being built, and the OF
9 Catherwood House on French stree
e north side, between Eleventh and Twelti
II was built the same year.
: A. G. BRINToN.
--s-o- 49,
/ Sufferers FROM tougbs, gora Throat.