Milford chronicle., 1957-05-03
Ancient Home On
Display At Dover
Continued from first page)

Continued from first page)
on State Street in 1742, served in
the Pennsylvania Provincial As
sembly for ten successive terms
representing Kent County, and
was a member of the first Della
ware Legislature under the Con-
stitution of 1875.
The house, the furniture, the fur
nishings and a great part of the
old lockwood garden were well TAX
en- care of through the two cen
turies.
In the early days of the Country,
the Bradfords were noted as jour-
nalists and printers; later they
became attorneys. One was attor-
ney general under President
George Washington. The Brad
fOrds figured in the early printing
and newspaper business IN Fhila-
delphia and New York. Andrew
Bradford, a collateral ancestor of
the present resident of the Brad
ford home, often tangled with the
British authorities while he was a
colonial newspaper editor of the
American Weekly Mercury" in
Philadelphia.
Mr.. Bradford's grandfather, the
Reverend Thomas Budd Bradford,
who also lived in the house, had
held pulpits in Michigan and Phil
adelphia, including the Presbyteri-
an Church in Germantown. He went
70 I, = l.
Nicholas Loockerman, died and
took over the care of the large
property he inherited At that time,
Dover was bounded on the north
by what is today's Loockerman
Street and had a population of 600
Mr.. Bradford, the minister, devel-
oped what he called BradfOrd's
City which today embraces some of
the finest homes and public build
ings of the States Capital. His first
wife died in 1851 and six years la
ter, the minister married the
granddaughter of U. S. Judge Will
lard Hail. One of their children,
William Bradford, became the ia
ther of the present owner and resi-
dent of the Loockerman-BradfOrd
home.
AS visitors on any one of the
Old Dover Days enter the old house
from State Street, they will find
themselves in a cOZy hall where
they will see an early Loockerman
chest, four Philadelphia Savery
style side chairs and interesting
panelled doors with early glass
bull's-eyes. On the landing is an
original and rare Duncan Beard
tall case clock made in Delaware.
In the drawing room hangs an
imposing portrait of Vincent LoOck-
erman, impressive in a red coat.
His daughter, Elizabeth, married
Thomas Bradford, a Philadelphia
lawyer whose portrait, by Rem
brandt Peale, also hangs in the
drawing room over the fireplace
mantle. The cupboards in this
same room contain exquisite old
export china and also two glass
etched gOblets, one having the in
scriptiOn, Success To The British
Fleet, and the other, Health To
King George and To The King of
Prussia.
Visitors will also see beautiful
examples of Philadelphia Chippen-
dale mahogany side chairs with
leaf carvings, a Phila-
delphia Chippendale tea table, a
Philadelphia tall clock made by
John Parry, one of pair of rare
carved looking glass
es, and a magnificent GOstelowe-
type chest-on-chest with fret-work
carving, floral cartouche pediment
on large ogee fet and original
brasses.
In the study of the Loockerman-
Bradford home, visitors will see
other examples of fine Philadel-
phia Chippendale chairs, a Chip
pendale lOwboy, Philadelphia
mahogany walnut top desk and
other pieces.
Just outside the house is a quaint
labyrinth OF old lockwood and a
of shade trees that had
been planted by the Loockermans
and Bradfords down through the
years.
The Old Dover Days Committee
has stated that it is particularly
pleased with the willingness of the
to open their home to
the public this year because this
is rare example of a more than
home that has been
in the same family since it was
built, is furnished with heirlooms
of the same family, and is now oc-
cupied by a direct descendant of
the builder and successive owners.
The LOockerman-B Bradford home |
is near the Dover Green and the
historic Christ Episcopal Church
which have been among the chief