Evening journal., 1922-03-08
GREAT DISPLAY
OF FIRE ARMS
Collection at "Rehoboth, "
Col. Brinsfeld's Home,
Finest on Peninsula
LAND WAS GRANT
TO CAPTAIN LEE
Special to The Evening Journal.

Special to The Evening Journal.
sEAFORD. March SIT has re-
Gently been discovered that the town
OF Eldorado, Nd. 12 miles from
seaford, the Brinsfeld Park. owned
by Colonel Fora II. Brlnsheld. and
the high school building and lot are
all within that tract OF land granted
to Captain John Lee. OF Virginia In
1878. and known as "Rehoboth, ,"
and upon which ne built brick
mansion. which stands today. The
mansion IS located on the north
hank OF the Northwest Fork branch
OF the Nanticoke River. The build
Ing was erected by Lee in 1873 and
built OF brick. SO feet square and
three stories high. All the lower
walls are two feet thick and the
upper walls 20 inches.
In 1887 this grant OF land passed
out OF the Lee family by deed from
Lettice Corbin Lee 10 John Smoot
and from Smoot TO Major Frank
Turpin. a captain in the Revolution
airy War. Turpin lived there for
many years and dispensed hospital
ity 10 many guests. The graveyard.
are located on the premises, one the
family OF smoot and the other the
resting place OF the Turpins.
In front OF the buildings are two
guns, one a mounted cannon and
the other a mounted carronade
both Of which are in good state OF
preservation and are fred on all
! special occasions. The cannon was
taken from the battlefield at Get.
tysburg. Pa. and the carronade was
hshed out OF the Delaware River
after the Revolutionary War.
Not only are guns on the outsid,
Of the mansion. but within hanginf
on the walls may be seen more thar
500 firearms covering a period Of
over $50 years. over the larg,
mantel IN tho drawing room ar,
sabres. swords. pistols and revol
vers made from 1859 TO 1900, tn,
pistols being both single and double
barrel. In a nearby cabinet are 81
double and single-barrel pistol
made from 1850 TO 1900. many o
] AANNE JULIE AlAE AAA Sc nav al WWAMN
| pistols. Another cabinet contain
series OF American pepper-bo,
pistols. dating from 1884 TO 1850
on a nearby carved board are
large collection OF holster or hors
pistols. 40 in number. In the ad
joining cabinet are 40 pocket pis
tolls. made from 1892 TO 1S4O. tn
next cabinet contains dueling pistol
and another collection OF holste
pistols.
The collection OF these firearm
and other implements OF war cover
a period OF many years. Every pis
tol, gun or revolver is ready TO loa
and for service. not a single gun o
pistol Is out OF commission an
quite a number OF them are loade
ready for action. The metal IS a
bright as the day Il came out OF IN
factory new, and while many OF IN
pistols and guns were taken fror
debris or from scrap heaps the
have all been put IN good conditio
ready for use. and not one OF thes
firearms could be bought at an
reasonable price and are not o
exhibition for any display, but the
are a private collection. and IN
history OF each Is familiar to IN
owner who is one OF the mol
afable and hospitable men on tn
= peninsula.
The old mansion. known as RI
hoboth." was built OF bricks mad
=. OF the clay near the building an
the sink in the earth from whic
the clay was taken is still TO
" seen. The stone wharf filled in wit
, stones brough from England as ba
last Is still intact and the road leaS
. ing 20 the wharf Is still visible bl
= not in use. The wharf Is now use
y, as a fishing wharf The buildir
- may be seen from the State Higl
way. and Is one OF the oldest nj
ltoric places on this peninsula an
a landmark OF the colonial perio
Turpin built a large brig AT
Launched II from the wharf. Villa
~ huntington. formerly OF Seafor
:. experimenting the launching. al
- called the brig Isabella" for h
- only daughter. The brig was p
in the West India trade. Hufingt'
was at one time one OF the large
iand owners in Sussex county.