Smyrna times., 1925-11-18
D.A. R. HOLDS MEET IN HISTORIC
COLONIAL HOME NEAR DOVER
BUILDING IN WHICH FEDERAL
CONSTITUTION WAS RATIFIED
Mrs. Noah LOper Entertains Col. Has
lett Chapter in the Historic Old
Dickinson Mansion Last Week

The Col. Haslet Chapter of Dover,
Daughters of the American Revolu-
tiOn held their November meeting on
Monday, at old "Kingston-upon-Hull"
on the Logan Tract near Dover. Mrs.
Noah LOper, who resides in the old
house, received them with true hospi-
tality. She gave them a room for
their meeting and at its close, provid-
ed a most bOuntiful luncheon which
was especially distinguished by plat
tiers of delicious hOme-cured ham and
Southern fried chicken. This house
was chosen as the meeting place be-
cause of its great historic interest.
In 1879 a tract of land was convey
ed to Edward Pack ard John Briggs.
Each took a share of it. Pack nam
ed his "TOwne Point" and Briggs was
called "Kingston-upon-Hull" Both
men would seem to have had visions
of the wilderness being transformed
into a bustling town and their land
being built upon by those who would
trade with foreign parts via st. Jones
Greek. At "Towne Point" the first
court of Kent County was held in an
old brick house still standing. On
"KingstOn-upon- Hull" was built fine
mansion with brick set in Flemish
Bond with blue headers. A wide door
way admits the visitors to a broad
hall from which a stairway with hand
carved brackets and a beautifully
ramped rail leads by easy steps to the
floor above. There is a large parlor
on one hand and on the other, adioin-
ing the dining room, are two small
withdrawing rooms, one to which the
ladies could retire while the men sat
with pipes and bowl at table and the
other in which the gentlemen could
discuss politics or sport. All had gen
erous fire-places, as do the bedrooms
above. At a lower level than the rest
is the large old kitchen, now used as
a stOrerOom. Many distinguished men
lived in this house or came and went
as guests in years gone by. Samuel
Dickinson bought the estate and came
to live there when his son, John, was
a small boy. William Killen, after
wards first Chancellor of Delaware,
spent much time here as tudor to
young John Dickinson, and perhaps
this brilliant Irishman gave his pu-
pill the first desire, which he later
gratifed, of studying law in London.
Such men as these attracted to this
house those distinguished for culture
and craftsmanship at that day. Both
John Dickinson and William Killen be-
came distinguished in Colonial politi-
cal circles. John Dickinson was call
ed the "Penman of the Revolution"
No writer of the day presented argu-
ments so numerous, so timely and so
popular. He drafted the Declaration
of Rights" of the Stamp Act Con-
gress, and the petition to the King
and ARTICLES of Confederation" to the
Second Congress, and wrote the fam
Gus Letters of Farmer in Pennsyl-
vania." 1t was largely through his
influence that Delaware and Pennsy
vania were the first two states &c
ratify the federal constitution. He
helped to found Dickinson College IN
Pennsylvania, 1888, and was the first
President of the Board Of Trustees.
At the meeting the Regeant, Mrs.
Walter Morris of Dover, announced
that the order has been given for the
bronze tablet on the State House. The
inscription will set forth the date of
the building of the State House in
1922 and the fact that in this build
ing the convention ratified the Federal
Constitution December 7, 1887, max
ing Delaware the first state in the
Union. 1t is interesting that the an
nOuncement was made in the old home
of John Dickinson who was so instru-
mental in securing this priority for
Delaware.