Evening journal., 1919-07-14
CORPORATIONTO AID
CITY And SUBURBS.
William P. Bancroft Looks
Ahead in Development
OF Wilmington
GIVES WOODLAWN co.
BONDS TO CHARITIES

land on saturday TO visit their two
daughters in England, has given $780,
600 worth Of bonds Of the Woodlawn
Company, Of which he president, to
various charitable institutions Of this
city. The Woodlawn Company has
also been incorporated so that what Mr..
Bancroft has tried to accomplish dur
ing his life may be perpetuaied. BY its
certificate Of incorporation the com
pany is empowered to act for the ben
eft of the people Of Wilmington and
It's vicinity"
The income OF the corporation. as
well as its other assets may, according
TO the certificate Of incorporation. "be
distributed to the Mayor and Council
Of Wilmington, for the promotion Of
parks and Fairgrounds. and 10 educa-
tiOnal charitable or recralional organi-
sations OF Wilmington and It's vicinity"
Since its start In 1901 the WoOdlawn
Company, by the way Of doing some
thing for the welfare Of the city. has
distributed its bonds 10 various educa-
tional and charitable institutions 10
AAAN FAANNN VI WeNAst'Ns .UfhAANh a nfliA~
annual interest payment Of S5035. The
following institutions were benenciar-
4es OF the bonds:
Associated Charities. $500; Delaware
Hospital, $4,000; Equitable Guarantee
and Trust Co. $500; Ferris Industrial
School, $4,000 Homeopathic Hospital
s2S0O; Home Of Merciful Rest. $500 /;
Home for Aged Women, 5000: Layton
cr al
$40; Home for Friendless and Destitute
Children. S20260; Wilmington Institute
Free Library. $4,000
In addition 10 other purposes Of the
incorporation. as previously mentioned
the corporation is permitted 10 acquire
or hold land that as gifts OF otherwise
may be transferred to the Mayor and
Council of Wilmington, expecting that
n will be used for park OF playground
purposes. The corporation is permitted
10 acquire or hold land in order that wise
planning in the city may be otherwise
promoted. The construction of houses,
buildings OF structures upon any lands
of and in which the corporation shall
become seized may be considered TO be
among the benefits named in this char
ter. The corporation is to have per
petual existence.
The old Woodlawn Company, of which
the corporation is the successor, was
organized in 1901. In 1908 the first Of
the houses in the WOodlawn tract. in the
vicinity Of Fourth and Union streets,
were erected Houses of different sizes
were eventually erected. laid out in what
is commonly known az fats. TO house
800 families and with very few excep-
tions these houses have always been
occupied. with a long waiting list of
persons who desired 10 become tenants,
ever since they were built. The rentals
were moderate, the accommodations good.
In purchasing land in various sections
of the city. with the desire 20 promote
parks. the Woodlawn Company acquired
control of n great amount Of land in all
sections of the city. For a number of
years the company controlled land along
Red Oak Road and the development Of
that section was started by the com
pany.
For years, Mr. Bancroft. the presi-
lent of the company. has been inter
ssted in having the city develop what is
known as the western boulevard, or de-
Eeloped roadways, at most places "a feet
wide and at other less. extending along
both sides of a central park about so
feet wide for a distance of approximately
one and one-half miles from Delaware
avenue. OF near Rockford Park on the
lorth. TO the land first acquired by the
Woodlawn Co, and later taken over by
he CITY, known as the Southwest Park,
which is not far from Clayton and Oak
ytreets and extends toward Union street.
This proposed boulevard would take the
course OF Bayard avenue from Delaware
avenue 20 Ninth street and then, by way
Of Grant avenue TO the Southwestern
Park. Considerable land along the route
Df this proposed boulevard has already
been purchased and there is more TO be
lcauired before the undertaking can 90
ahead. Right of way through the Union
Park Gardens development was provided
when those houses were erected.
In order to get and hold it for the
benefit of the city, the Woodlawn COM
pany purchased the large Prices Run
tract in the Ninth ward, running in ir-
regular shape between Twenty second
and Thirtieth streets, Pine and Heald
streets This purchase has been describ-
ed by Park Engineer Mack as like nun
ming a zig-zag from Tenth and Broome
streets to Second and Washington streets
through q district as large as that will
be and just as populous.
The Woodlawn Co also purchased land
to protect Delamore Park and keep the
natural beauties of the place free for
the use of the present and future gener-
alton. Clayton street was put IN shape
rs an approach 10 the Southwest Park.
The company held blocks, not yet de-
veloped. at Howland and Tenth, Scott
and Lincoln streets. There is row Of
ten houses on this tract that will come
away when the city takes control Of the
land
In Alapocas Woods, the company owns
part of the land where an extension of
the Brandywine Park system is hoped
for some day that would carry the park
development on the south side all the
way from Rising Sun TO Market street
and on the north side from the expert
mental yard of the DUPONT Co. TO Mar
ket street
The company went a little further
with its anticipations of Wilmington s
future needs by acquiring about l,s00
acres Of land in Brandywine hundred
that runs west of the Rockford road and
extends TO about the State line The
southerly end of this tract comes close
TO the northerly end OF the wall sur
Soundlng the property of Alfred J.
dupont in Brandywine hundred
In acquiring park and building land
II has always been the thought of Mr..
Bancroft that better development was
ensured under one ownership than with
great many owners. Planning and ex-
tension can be done without being ham
pcred BY property lines