Smyrna times., 1926-12-08
DAY AT CENTURY CLUB
Program in Charge of Miss Anna d.
HOugh Brought out Historical Facts
4 Incident to The Sesqui-C Centennial


cember 8, under the direction of Miss
Anna d. Hough, chairman of History.
The program opened with singing
America" Mrs. S. J. Reynolds told
Of the landing of William Penn at
New Castle, Delaware, October %,
1852. He took possession of the town
and all that land for which his deeds
called. The deeds were given him by
the Duke of York. Two Years later
he made this prayer for the city of
Philadelphia. A copy of the prayer
hangs in the Friends Meeting House
at the Sesqui. The Slate Roof House,
on High street was once the home of
William Penn. It's reproduction on
High street, Sesqui, was headquarters
for the women coming from every
State in the Union. A State Day was
arranged by each State when the Gov
ernor and representative women in
that State presented their State Flag
with fitting ceremony. independence
Hall will be the home for the various
State Flags. On September goth,
Delaware Day, the Slate Roof House
was closed at o'clock to all except
| Delawareans. They were admitted
and invited into the old time flower
garden where the ceremonies of pre-
senting our State Flag and introduc-
ing the women of our State who had
contributed most to the progress of
women in the State in civics, art liter
ature, music or education. The recep-
tion which followed was in charge of
Mrs. George Horace Lorimer, of Phil
adelphia, who saw that each Della
warean was served fruitade and cake.
Mrs. w. G. Anthony in her "Impres-
sions of Historical Interest Made by
Visits to the Sesqui," told the history
Of High Street. She gave a fine de-
scription Of the Washington House,
where she was D. A. R. hostess one
of the days in September. This house
is reproduction of the house in
which Washington lived during his
presidency when the Capital was in
Philadelphia. He lived here seven
years, paying a rent of $4,000 a year.
John Adams followed him and lived
in the house till 1900 when the Capt.
tai was officially moved to Washing
ton.
Miss Emily Spruance Tells Incident
Miss Emily Spruance told the story
of the Loxley House which is on High
Street, Sesqui, though the charming
little house was never on the real 1776
High street. 1t looked at it across
lIan1r.
where cows pastured. A fiery mill
tary man was Captain Loxley who
built it. He was great friend of the
preached Whitefield, who often spoke
from the balcony of this house to
congregation seated on the ground in
front of the house. Whatever deeds
Captain Loxley performed, he is now
remembered as having been in charge
of the first display of fireworks in
this country. Great crowds of excited
and rather scared people gathered on
the banks of the Delaware. The dis
play was made from a raft on the
water. A gallant deed of more SER
ious import is associated with this
house.
Lydia Darrah's Deed. Averts Defeat
1t was in the winter of 1777 when
the British army occupied Philadel-
phia, requisitioning houses as though
by right. A family by the name of
Darrah was living in the house. On
occasion the British had demanded the
use of a room in the Darrah home
for conferences. On December 2, an
officer told Lldia-called by her first
name because a Quakeress-that
room in her house was required for
conference that night; that she should
have all her family abed by 8-o'clock
and that she would be notified when
the conference ended, that she could
extinguish the fire and put out the
light. Unable to sleep while she fear
ed her country was being plotted
against, she crept to the door of the
conference room and heard plan
outlined to make a night attack on
General Washington's army encamped
from White Marsh to Fort Washing
ton. Quietly regaining her room, she
feigned sleep, and the officer called
three times before arousing her to
close her house. Next morning she
told her husband she would ask pas
sage of the British line that she
might go to Frankford for flour. He
insisted that the maid go along, but
she feared to share her secret lest
harm come to her home. She took up
her journey, through light snow, to-
ward the American lines, but was met
by a detachment under General Elias
Boudinot. Asking to have a word
with him, she disclosed the British
plans. The British, under General
Have with 5000 men, did make the
attack, but the Colonial Army, fore
warned, beat off three attacks. The
brave little Quakeress probably avert