Business & Industry

Lenape over the years

The corner of Denton Hollow Rd and Rt. 52 has seen many evoluations over the years as a store and/or gas station.  

 

Wawaset

The rural area known today as Wawaset had early beginnings as a fording location across the western branch of the Brandywine Creek.

Prior to 1834 the rural area was known as Seeds' Ford, so named for the farm family that owned significant acreage on either side of the Brandywine at that location. Emmor Seeds owned the farm property on the north side of the Brandywine and his brother George owned property to the southeast across the creek.

 

Pocopson

The crossroads village of Pocopson has been known by many names throughout time (Jones Ford, Painters Bridge, Pocopson Station, and finally Pocopson) but the area went through a period of rapid expansion around the turn of the twentieth century.

In 1857 a covered bridge was erected across the Brandywine Creek. Painters Bridge was named after the family who had large landholdings on both sides of the new bridge. The bridge replaced the earlier Jones Ford that took travelers across the creek between Birmingham and Pocopson Townships on Street Road.

Feed Mill at Pocopson

WJ Pratt's custom feed mill at Pocopson stood where the current Brandywine Ace hardware store is today.  It was originally constructed in 1906 as a milk receiving station for the Supplee Brothers of Philadelphia. Local farmers would deliver milk in steel cans to the depot to be held in cold storage until the daily train would pick up the goods and transport them to Philadelphia. A creamery was added which would convert the milk to butter which allowed the local farmers an additional outlet for their dairy products.

Pocopson blacksmith shop

In 1906 this blacksmith shop was built by WJ Pratt located behind his residence north of Street Road across from the Pocopson railroad station. James Flynn was the blacksmith in the photo.

In advertising from 1906 it was stated that 75 teams of horses traveled to Pocopson each day delivering goods to the many businesses located there.

Mills of Pocopson Township

 

 

 The modern reader may well puzzle over the fact that the creek running through much of the township was named after the Indian word pocaupsing, meaning “roaring waters,” because much of today’s Pocopson Creek drifts lazily through the countryside.  Nonetheless, during the township’s history, Pocopson Creek provided power for a number of grain and sawmills—starting in the early 1700’s, when Joseph Taylor built a mill there.   

Haines Mill

 

 

Abner Haines had a grist and sawmill on Haines Mill Road; In 1884, the Mill burned down, apparently because Mr. Henry Haines built a wood fire in the office stove to ward off the chill.  The chimney caught fire and the property was destroyed.

 

Marshall's Mill

Marshall's grain and sawmill was shown on Northbrook Road at the West Branch of the Brandywine, still within the Pocopson boundaries.  However, in 1889, Marshall’s Mill was burned.  It was described as a stone structure built in 1796, three stories high and measuring 50 by 80 feet.

Denton Hollow Mills (Pocopson Mills)

 

 

Lenape Forge

 

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