Early Industrialization (1900-1930)

Denton Hollow Barn

This barn has been repurposed into a house near the Pocopson Creek bridge on Denton Hollow Rd.  It was most likely built during Joseph Darlington's ownership of the property.  The photo was taken most likely frm the stone bridge.  Note the road just below the barnyard wall extending along the fence.  It was part of Denton Hollow Rd that extended along the Pocopson Creek to Street Road ( Rt. 926).  Back when the Denton Cotton Mill was running it was most likely the main road to that property from that part of the Township. 

Tom Clark Barn

This barn stood where present Brandyridge Drive goes in off Rt 52.  It was part of Lenape Farm and once owned by Truman and Mary Lloyd.  Truman was the postmaster and general store owner at Lenape.

Their daughter married Tom Clark and carried the farm into the 1950's.  Eventually the family retired from farming and sold the property for the Clark's Lane/Cannon Hill subdivisions.

You can stil see part of the barn wall foundation along Rt 52 just uphill from Brandyridge Drive.

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.

Lenape

Lenape is another village associated with Pocopson, although the formation of the township out of part of Birmingham Township essentially divides the village.  It grew from a locality named Wister’s or Shunk’s Ford before a bridge was built over the Brandywine.  Then John P. Sager erected a mill on the east side of the creek, and the name changed to Sager’s Mill.  Eventually, that name changed to Sager’s Station when the Wilmington and Northern Railroad built a station on the west side of the creek.

Locust Grove

The village of Locust Grove was the dream of businessman Pennock Marshall, who wanted to establish a settlement that would resemble William Penn’s “greene country towne.”  He laid out three streets in a stand of locust trees and planned a total of twenty-nine lots.  But he was to be disappointed, and the village never had more than two dozen families. By 1847, the village could boast only a smithy and wheelwright shop, a shoemaker shop and a general store. 

Northbrook General Store

Frank Shoemaker, Northbrook General Store and Postmaster

Northbrook Union Chapel

 

Locust Grove Schoolhouse Announces New Teacher (1904)

An article for the West Chester Daily Local dated January 1, 1904 stated:

This morning the Locust Grove School House in Pocopson township was reopened with a new teacher after being closed for several weeks for want of an instructor.  This school was the one taught by Miss Helen Harvey, of this place, who was roughly treated and cut by some of the pupils.  Director Caldwell, who was in town Saturday, says that the new teacher ought to be able to handle the school, as is his name is Sampson, and he is a tall sturdy man of some experience. 

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