Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-01-21


near Stanton, by Mrs. Mary %. Justis
kirk. however, had acquired lo' Of
marble statuary which had been used
to decorate some of his Philadelphia
and much OF this>iie brought
to Brandywine Springs and set II
about the beautiful grove, and IL is
still recalled that this gallery of
spookish and frealSish looking oddities
occasioned much facetious comment.
Newklrls had previously bought
tract OF land n short distance from the
hotel and thereon erected n house for
his own Immediate family. fanking
It on either side with a cottage for his
two daughters.
The new owner made still greater
improvements to the inside OF the
hotel. He realized that he was com
PEELED to meet strong competition In
tho new resorts that were coming
into prominence. Cape May was pos
sbly the most formidable rival at first,
but Atlantic City soon followed. and
Saratoga Springs was bidding big for
the patronage of the wealthy OF the
south and north as well. The latter
eventually became the most fashion
able and perhaps the gayest summer
resort In this country, and was' popu-
lar for many years, but its call, too,
lost its potency.
The other resorts later had the ad-
vantage of having better railroad con-
nections and they also offered strang-
er lures for the pleasure-bent. Sara
| toga emphasized tho benefits to be
derived from her almost b7 varieties
of medicinal waters. while Cape May
and Atlantic City offered sea bathing
In connection with the other charms
of the shore. Consequently. while II
| is established that Brandywint
Springs was the first resort TO ge
under way--to offer superior hotel ac'
comrhodations-it was not able to Ions
Withstand the competitive race fol
business.
Newkirk, however. tried his best Z
establish the hotel and resort, an'
after his extensive improvements h
advertised widely for patrons, settin'
forth that the house. newly and elabo
rately furnished and refitted, wa
Spened again for the entertainment
|, of guests. This time the chalybeat
, spring water was stressed for II
, benefits to patients suffering froI
general debility or weak lungs. Their
was. at this period, no mention mad
of It's potency as an antidote fo
I bilious and other fevers. He advei
tised hot baths. billiards. and bowlinI
: and assured the public that Fever
? exertion would be made 10 make th
} hotel worthy OF the patronage OF a
intellectual, refined and fash!onab
o society"
Y George Sterr, Jr.. proprietor
A Hartwell's Washington House, opp
e site Independence Square. Philade
i phia, a great boniface Of his day. w
:, given the management of the regene
5, ated hotel. and he reopened it Jul
1. 1850, with a list of guests lar
= enough, 1t seemed, TO assure
3, future success-a promise, howey'
: that was never quite fulfilled. Ev
d with all the desirable additions a
d the new management, the inn did n
8 wholly regain its early commandi
/ prominence, and soon after the REQ
/" ening 1t was leased. in winter, for
,e school, probably 10 recop the OWL
o for the summer financial deficit.
h The school, too, was apparently u
: successful as business venture, a
.e ON December 20, 1852, the magn'
IS cent hotel caught fire and in two hol
,e the great house and its rich furnitt
. were a smoking ruin.
-e A local paper reporting the
,r said: AT the time Of its destructi'
# IL was Christmas week. vacation b
NJ been given Ito pupils OF Captain All
70 Partridges Military and Scient
Is School for Young Mem and we les
. that but one of the scholars w
there at the time. 1t was said q
Captain Partridge had intended to
- move the school to Bristol, New j
20 sey, and had taken away a great
~. OF the school furniture during
" week previous TO the fire. The bui
s ing was doubtless insured. The
" was occasioned by one of the fra
'n "a partitions coming in contact witt
49,, stovepipe."
''o The burning of the famous hote
ne recalled by an aged woman still
ne ing near the site of the house. In
'er much as Mr.. Newkirk was suppc
70 TO have been a modern Coresus II
y. seemed to be no concern over the c
ely flagration, and she remembers
d some OF the young men In the nei
ieu be hood expressed their indiifere
I'VE as to the outcome OF the flames,
the reason that Newkirk was wea
and that the building and cont
vas were heavily insured. Consequer
vas they did not help fight the hre.
~ linaction, however. may have been
TED to the circumstance that the bulk
'ee' was almost Immediately beyond re-
~ or salvage as there was, of course
$50, fire service available.
'eal Another story, probably conn
the ion piece 10 the above, is related
an aged man living close by. who
ARK clares that his father had told him
art, soon after NewkirlS had bought
the property, this parent had watcht
TO gang OF wprkmen digging tr'
'er- along the course OF the spring.
svi- above where the water came fort
the the foot Of the hill, and into this
sw- they dumped quantities OF rail