Madaleen Ellis Scholarship for Newtown Township residents

The Madaleen Ellis Scholarship was just established last year to promote history and to help a Newtown Township resident/student with higher education. Read below for the requirements. I have been adding 19th century marriage licences to my website with some new pictures so take a look and lots of good programs coming this month and next month. Visit my website for more information delawarecountyhistory.com

About the Scholarship
Established in 2011, the Madaleen Ellis Scholarship aims to promote interest in local history, support the mission of the Newtown Square Historical Society (NSHS) and support the education of our township residents. The scholarship also aims to honor the memory of a key contributor to the Society, encourage Society membership and awareness.

Scholarship Amount
$500.

Scholarship Requirements

• High School Senior, Undergraduate or Graduate Student who is a resident of Newtown Township
• Non-residents who have significantly contributed to the mission of the Society will be eligible to apply
• Scholarship funds must go towards an accredited institution of higher education
  
  

Deadline
February 29, 2012

Application
Apply Online at:     http://www.historicnewtownsquare.org/about/scholarship/

Marcus Hook Aerial view and upcoming events.

The picture above is an aerial view of Marcus Hook from about 1947.

There are a number of interesting talks and lectures coming up this coming week. The John Chad house in Chadds Ford will be opened this coming Monday, January 17. If you have never been there it is worth the trip. It is one of the oldest houses in the county. While there take in the Chris Sanderson Museum. Chris was an eccentric historian who saved everything the visit is a must. On Wednesday January 19 there will be a talk on the U.S.S. Alligator, the first submarine purchased by the U.S. government. The talk is in Newtown square and should be quite interesting, there are some local ties to the submarine. There will also be a talk on the Darlington Dairy in Middletown on January 23. In the 19th century the Darlington Dairy butter was highly prized and was used at the White House in Washington by several U.S. presidents at their request.

 Several other lectures are coming up visit my website delawarecountyhistory.com for more details and events.

     

Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration

at John Chads House
The John Chads House will be open Monday, January 16, 2012 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The last family to live in the c. 1725 house was the African-
American family of Maryann Strand. They lived there for close to nineteen years and were the
last to live in the house before it was purchased and restored by the Chadds Ford Historical
Society, more than 40 years ago. Guides will lead tours of the small stone mansion that survived
almost 300 years and tell about its fascinating history. Don’t miss bread baking in the beehive
oven in the cellar kitchen! Visitors can walk along the scenic one-mile River Trail from the
Chads House to the Brandywine River Museum.
There will be refreshments, a video showing some of Dr. King’s speeches, a coloring area for
young visitors, exhibits, games, and special activities at the Visitors Center, free of charge. The
John Chads House is one of the Delaware County Historical Society’s Passport to History sites.
Admission to the John Chads House is $5 for adults; members of the Chadds Ford Historical
Society and children 12 and under are free. For information, call (610) 388-7376 or visit
www.chaddsfordhistory.org. The Chads House is located opposite the Visitors Center on Creek Road, ¼ mile north of U.S. Route 1.  

Newtown Square Historical Preservation Society
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
“The U.S.S. Alligator”

Location:
The Dunwoody Village Auditorium,

3500 West Chester Pike,
Newtown Square, PA

Questions? Contact Jan Elston
(610) 353-1326
The “Alligator“ was the first submarine purchased by the US Government
back in the 1800’s. The Newtown Square Historical Society presents Guest
speaker, Dan Cashin, at the Dunwoody Village Auditorium in Newtown
Square, on Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2012. The program will begin at 8:00 P.M.
There is no charge to attend this presentation and school children are
welcome. Fifteen minutes prior to the program, the Society will have a brief
general meeting open to the public. Come early to stay informed about what’s
new in historic Newtown Square.
Dan explains how The Alligator influenced the history of Marcus Hook, As a
participant in many Civil War enactments, Dan is knowledgeable on many
facets of the devastating war between the Union and the succeeding states of
the south. His little-known story of the U.S.S. Alligator, includes the ironclad
USS Monitor and a Confederate submarine, CSS Hurley.

Middletown Township Historical Society
presents
MIDDLETOWN MONDAYS

Lectures begin at 7:30 p.m.
at Lima Estates, 411 North Middletown Road, Media, PA 19063
Free and open to the public, no registration required.

Monday, January 23, 2012
DARLINGTON'S CORNUCOPIA DAIRY
by Nancy Webster, Independent Scholar
Jesse Darlington settled in Middletown in 1795 and shipped fresh-churned butter to shops in Delaware, Chester and Philadelphia counties, first by horseback and then by wagon as roads were improved. For the next 200 years six generations of the Darlington family operated dairy farms along Darlington Road. Beginning in 1858 butter was shipped by rail to Philadelphia, New York and Washington DC, where it was served at the White House.

Delaware County Marriages and Closed Historical Sites

   Before September 30, 1885 marriage licenses were not required in the state of Penna. Before then there was just a church record if that. Many couples put announcements in the local paper. I and my typing committee have just started a large project copying marriage notices that were put in the Delaware County Republican newspaper from 1833 thru the 1880's. This will take awhile there are thousands of names but it will be a big help to people doing research. More historical events have been added to my website delawarecountyhistory.com

The Morton Homestead in 1948

  Speaking of history wouldn't it be nice if the county or state reopened the Morton Mortonson Homestead on Lincoln Ave. in Prospect Park. As the oldest standing home in Penna. it would be nice if it was once again opened for visitors. Even a few hours on weekends would be nice. Any comments?