Where Was Brandywine Park?
As the West Chester Street Railway Company was surveying its trolley route to Downingtown in 1901, it took advantage of an opportunity and purchased a 111-acre farm from George Kerr along the line south of the Borough that straddled both sides of Brandywine Creek. Not only would this be one less property owner to negotiate its right-a-way with, but it would also open up an opportunity for the company to establish a park along the trolley route, hence inducing more travel on the line.
The park - called Brandywine Park - was developed mainly for the Black residents of West Chester, Downingtown, and Coatesville, and its development was overseen by William Kennedy, an employee of the trolley company who lived on site. The first trolley car ran to Downingtown in the late summer of 1902 and the line proved to be extremely popular. So early in the spring of the following year Kennedy jumped right in and began to construct a pavilion, dancing platform, picnic grove, and other accommodations, as well as amusements including a merry-go-round, hoping to have everything ready for the summer season of 1903.
The flat area seen here between the Brandywine and Route 322 seems to be the most likely location of Brandywine Park.
The most important feature, however, was a pedestrian bridge that was needed to connect the trolley tracks on the east side of the creek to the flat area of the farm on the west side of the creek where the park was being built. Kennedy spent many days literally working in the waters of the Brandywine constructing a log bridge from trees cut at the farm.
Brandywine Park's grand opening was on July 16, 1903, featuring a dance held by the Star Social Club of West Chester with Gibbs' Orchestra furnishing the music. However, just two days later heavy rains inundated the Downingtown area and the resulting flood washed Kennedy's foot bridge downstream. The bridge was quickly rebuilt and picnics, dances, church camp meetings, and other outings continued throughout that summer. In August of that year Theodore Harmon, a prominent Black businessman of West Chester, became the park's manager. Peach's Orchestra of Downingtown played for a dance on October 10th to close out the 1903 season.
The area in yellow was the approximate boundary of the George Kerr Farm which was purchased by the trolley company in 1901.
A flood the following winter once again took out the footbridge to the park and its reconstruction delayed the opening of the 1904 season. By this time Willis Watkins of West Chester had joined Harmon to help manage the park, but neither they nor William Kennedy were inclined to put up a new bridge which was vital to the park's existence. The trolley company ended up replacing the bridge in time for July 4th celebrations. Numerous picnics, dances, and other events were held at Brandywine Park until it closed for the season in the fall.
After closing for the 1904 season, grand plans were in the works for the following year including a larger dancing pavilion, more amusements, ball fields, and a swimming and fishing pond. The managers even hoped Brandywine Park would rival Lenape Park on the West Chester Street Railway's Kennett Square line. But this was not meant to be. In early January 1905, a flood once again took out the footbridge (for the third time!) and this event, along with Kennedy moving off the property, signaled the end of the park. It only lasted two seasons. The pavilions and other structures soon fell into disrepair or were stripped of their wood, and after a few years no trace of the park could be seen.
This 1937 aerial photo shows the area circled where the park was probably located. Later on the area on the east side of the Brandywine was planted with thousands of fruit trees. Rows of these trees can be seen in the image.
The land was sold to Benjamin Lippincott in 1909. Lippincott would purchase several other adjoining properties over the next few years to create a nearly 400-acre farm. He planted corn and wheat, but mostly fruit trees - including 17,000 peach trees - on what was called the "largest orchard on the Brandywine." Most of Lippincott's farm on the east side of the Brandywine is now the Harmony Hill Nature Area.
So where was Brandywine Park? We know it was on the west side of the Brandywine on the former Kerr farm and our best guess would be the area just to the north of the current East Branch Brandywine Trail's bridge as seen in these images. The current map shows the approximate boundaries of the former Kerr Farm and the most likely spot of the park. The 1937 aerial photograph shows the area was open and probably in agricultural use at the time. Though the area is quite swampy now, it could have been much different in the early 1900s and perhaps was transformed after Route 5 (now Route 322) was built in the late 1920s.
