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A history of the area surrounding the community of Thornwood in Newark, Delaware.

The area around Old Baltimore Pike was once portaged by Native American miners and traders as it was a land connector between the Chesapeake and Delaware rivers. The hills were rich in jasper, which Native Americans mined and crafted into tools, or left as “blanks” to be traded with other tribes. Jasper chippings found behind the Iron Hill Museum have been carbon dated by the Smithsonian Institute and reflect mining activities in this area as early as 3000 BC. Since the rock mined in these hills has a very distinct mineral pattern, archaeologists have been able to trace trading routes from artifacts found as far away as Erie, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Illinois.

In the 1690s, Lord Calvert of Baltimore settled some Swedish immigrants in this area. The Swedes were primarily orchard farmers. The land was then granted to William Penn, who in 1701 granted part of Pencader 100 to the Welsh. Penn thought that the Welsh would make good use of the 31,000 acres since they were farmers and miners by trade. He also positioned them as a buffer zone and allies in the battle between Protestants and Catholics — the Protestant Welsh were excellent fighters. The Welsh went on to establish Welsh Tract Church, which served as a springboard for many of the religious sects in the area today, including Baptist, Presbyterian and Methodist.

The Welsh mined these hills and in the process cleared and burned many of the trees to make charcoal that was then used to smelt iron out of the mined iron ore. This practice would ultimately provide George Washington with a strategic lookout position on Iron Hill.

With revolution underway in the colonies, the British developed a strategic plan to divide the colonies in half and then conquer them. It was 1777 and the British, under the command of General Charles Cornwallis, split the British army into three troops: one troop was sent to Canada, one to New York, and the final troop (approximately 15-18,000 men) was sent by boat to the Delmarva Peninsula. The American forces numbered approximately 10,000 to the British 60,000. While in Philadelphia reporting these figures to the Continental Congress, George Washington was forced to send only 500-700 militiamen to the Delmarva area. This small infantry was to delay British advances in Delaware until Washington and replacement troops could arrive. The British launched a three-pronged offensive, attacking Cooch’s Bridge from the south (up Old Cooch’s Bridge Road), from the west (up Old Baltimore Pike), and from the north in an attempt to cut off the Americans (Welsh Tract Road). The 500-700 men sent by Washington were able to delay the British advance long enough for Washington to arrive. This was the Battle of Cooch’s Bridge and skirmishes occurred all along our now quite peaceful property. This was also the only battle of the American Revolution fought on Delaware soil and claimed to be the first to carry the stars and stripes.

Throughout the 1800s and most of the 1900s, this land was farmland. During World War I and World War II, the area farmers were most likely raising poultry and producing eggs. After World War II, the area’s agricultural emphasis switched to dairy farming.

In the late 1950s there were approximately 152 local dairy farms, requiring cattle feed. This demand gave birth to the specialty grain farmer and the Bacon Family Farm. The Bacons owned the land upon which Thornwood was built. They supplied corn, wheat and soybeans to the area dairy farmers. The Bacons sublet part of their land to other farmers who would harvest the grain and supply not only dairy farmers but also horse farms and local feed mills.

Unfortunately for the dairy and grain farmers, farming became a lot less lucrative than selling their land, so the Bacons sold their farm to a developer. This land was sold to another developer and then finally to the Handler Corporation.

Handler developed a 180-lot community named Thornwood. Its plans left over 70 acres of land undisturbed, providing a private and secluded atmosphere. On September 6, 1992, the first lot-deposit was made; the last lot was sold on December 4, 1998. The most popular model sold was the Hillsboro and the least expensive house at opening was $127,900.

This land has seen Native American traders, battles, Civil War garrisons, and farms. What stories it could tell! We are all saddened when we see development encroach upon countless acres of farms and woodlands, but it is important to remember the joy that this land has brought to all of us. The land will continue to tell stories as children play and grow, families come and go, and lasting ties and friendships are formed. The story of Thornwood could prove to be just as interesting as the stories of the land upon which it was built.
 
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