Hugh Harry/Elizabeth Brinton House - Built by either Hugh Harry and Elizabeth Brinton, sister of the builder of the William Brinton 1704 House, or their son, William, who acquired the land from his mother, Elizabeth in 1727. Hugh Harry died 1708. Features date the house circa 1720. Now with twentieth century additions is known as known as Echo Valley Farm. Not open to the public.[Return to Map]
Peirce House at Longwood, 1730 - Joseph Brinton and Edward Brinton, sons of William and Jane (Thatcher) Brinton, married Mary Pierce and Hannah Peirce, daughters of George and Ann (Gainor) Peirce in the years 1711 and 1724. Bought by Pierre S. duPont in 1906. Not open to the public.[Return to Map]
Kennett Meeting, 1710 - Among the earliest places of worship in this country. Brintons married and buried here.[Return to Map]
Barns Brinton House - In 1714, blacksmith, William Barnes, built a tavern on "Ye Great Road to Nottingham." In 1753 the property was purchased by James Brinton, grandson of William and Jane Thatcher Brinton, builders of the William Brinton 1704 House, and remained in the Brinton family for over 100 years. Restored in 1977 by the Chadds Ford Historical Society. Open to the public.[Return to Map]
Brinton's Bridge Site - Site of Brinton's covered bridge across the Brandywine, built in 1854 and burned 1957. Brinton's ford was just to the south of the bridge.[Return to Map]
Mill House and Mill - The exact date the grist and saw mill was built is uncertain - we judge it was before 1764. The mill house was built by Edward Brinton's son, Amos, soon after he married Sara Darlington in 1778. The mill operated by Edward Brinton 1764-1779, Amos 1775-1823, Edward 1822-1849. In 1958 the property was purchased by the artist Andrew Wyeth. Not open to the public.[Return to Map]
Edward Brinton House, 1839 - Edward Brinton, son of Amos Brinton, moved back from Maryland into the miller's house and took over Brinton's Mill and the adjacent farm. In 1839 Edward Brinton built a substantial stone house about a quarter of a mile from the mill, on the edge of the Brandywine flood plain. In the west gable of this house the date stone bears the inscription "E.B. 1859." The house is a fine example of the architectural excellence and high quality masonry and woodwork typical of Chester County in this period of its history. Edward Brinton died in 1849 and was the last Brinton to operate the historic mill on the Brandywine. Not open to the public.[Return to Map]
Roundelay - First owned by Caleb Brinton, son of Joseph Brinton, in the mid-1700's. This hilltop house was a target for the Hessian troops during the Battle of the Brandywine and the gable end of Caleb's house was hit by a cannon ball. Caleb became the first in the province to lend money on interest starting in 1750. He owned 1,000 acres of land at the time of his death. On an 1847 map, George, son of Caleb, is listed as having a grist and saw mill getting power from a dam on Brinton's run. Not open to the public.[Return to Map]
Washington's Headquarters, Brandywine Battlefield - A reconstruction of the home of Benjamin Ring whose son, Nathaniel, married Hannah Brinton in 1767, daughter of James and Mary (Ford) Brinton. House was used as George Washington's Headquarters in 1777. Open to the public.[Return to Map]
Brandywine Baptist Church - First frame and log church was built in 1718. A stone church was built in 1808. The present structure was built in 1869. Brintons were members and trustees here.[Return to Map]
Lafayette's Quarters, Brandywine Battlefield - Home of Gideon Gilpin 1763-1825. Used by Marquis de Lafayette during the Battle of the Brandywine. Open to the public.[Return to Map]
Concord Meeting, 1697 - Both William Brinton, Sr. and William Brinton, Jr. were original subscribers to the building of the Concord Meeting House in 1697. William, Jr. and his wife, Jane, served as overseers in the Concord Meeting. The frame and log structure gave place to a brick building in 1728.[Return to Map]
Concord Mill Site - First mentioned as a Court held in 1695 and the first mill constructed in Concord. The mill was built by a company of which William Brinton, the younger, was one of the owners and the chief projector of the enterprise. Others in the company were George Pierce, Nicholas Pyle, Benjamin Mendenhall, William Bennett, James Gibbons and Nathan Baker. In 1788 when Concord Meeting House burned, Friends held service in the mill while their House was being rebuilt. Over the years the mill has been known as Concord Mill, Upper Mill, Society Mill, and Leedom's Mill. The mill was demolished in 1928. The site is now occupied by a small red garage. The mill race is still evident.[Return to Map]
Brinton's Mill - Now the "Old Mill Restaurant," the tract on which it stands had been in the ownership of the Brinton family for many generations. In 1770 William Brinton owned the land, in 1788 Joseph Brinton had there a saw-mill, malt house and brewery. In 1802 his son John and his grandson Joseph were operating a grist mill. In 1815 the grist mill was changed to a woolen factory and was operated by John and Joseph Brinton. When burned in 1835 the property was bought by Caleb Brinton who built a stone grist mill which he and his family operated until about 1916 when the mill fell into disuse. [Editor's Note: Brinton's Mill is no longer a restaurant. In the mid-1990's, it was converted to house The Brandywine Asset Management Company.] Open to the public.[Return to Map]
Abraham Brinton 1821 Barn - House built in 1821 by Abraham Brinton, son of Joseph and Mary (Martin) Brinton. The house was razed but the barn still stands. Not open to the public.[Return to Map]
George Eavenson Brinton House - George E. Brinton married Mary Amy Williamson in 1892. He was the son of John and Sarah Ann (Manley) Brinton and the grandson of Abraham. After his father's death he purchased the home "Hilfort" which had been in the family for three generations. Not open to the public.[Return to Map]
Joseph E. Brinton 1878 House - First brick house in the area, a showplace in its time. Built by Joseph Brinton, son of Abraham and Mary (Eavenson) Brinton and husband of Mary Marshall. Not open to the public.[Return to Map]
Thorton Bethlehem Methodist Church - First built in 1846 but replaced in 1892 with a serpentine stone structure. Sometime after 1871 many of the original members had passed away and leadership in the Church passed to the Brinton family. John and Joseph Brinton began a long line of Brintons that have faithfully served the Church. Many Brintons are buried here. Some of the stained glass windows were given by Brintons.[Return to Map]
Thomas Hill Brinton 1812 House - This is also the location of the Plank House built in 1711 by Joseph Brinton, son of William, Jr. and Jane (Thatcher) Brinton. Replaced in 1812 by present structure built by Thomas Hill Brinton, father of John Hill Brinton, author of the Brinton diary. Thomas Hill Brinton's niece, Elizabeth, married Dr. George McClellan; their son was General George Brinton McClellan. Not open to the public.[Return to Map]
William Brinton 1704 House and Historic Site - The William Brinton 1704 House, built by William Brinton the Younger, was the home of William and Jane (Thatcher), his wife, along with their six children. Their son, Edward, then grandson, George, and great-grandson, Joseph, all occupied the house in turn. In 1802 another Joseph Brinton gained possession of the house and in 1829, it was purchased by Ziba Darlington, a direct descendant of "The Builder." Francis D. Brinton bought the house in 1947, and restoration was begun by the Brinton Family Association (now Brinton Association of America) in 1954. It was a substantial house when built and is an outstanding restoration today. The house is exceptionally furnished with period pieces based on room by room inventories taken at the time of the death of the builder, many pieces were given by Francis and Deborah Brinton. The cave where William lived with his parents the first winter on arrival to this country was located to the east near Rt. 202. The plank house which William and Ann built in 1685 was north of the William Brinton 1704 House and Historic Site. Open to the public weekends, May through October.[Return to Map]
Edward Brinton 1726 House - House built by Edward Brinton, son of William, II, and first Brinton owner of the mill on the Brandywine. This house later became the birthplace of Dr. William Darlington, the great-grandson of Edward Brinton and noted botanist often referred to as the Benjamin Franklin of Chester County. Not open to the public.[Return to Map]
Bennett House - Ann Brinton, daughter of William the colonist, married John Bennett in England, and then emigrated to America. The house was owned by the Bennett family for six generations between 1696 and 1929. The stone on east wall marked "J & JB 1813" was for Jacob and Judith Bennett. Not open to the public.[Return to Map]
Beehive 1705 - Built in 1705 by Richard Woodward. Home of Benjamin and Ann (Brinton) Cox in 1730. Caleb Brinton purchased it in 1783. Subsequent owners were Caleb's son, George, and his grandson, Caleb. The name "Beehive" was given because of the proliferous families who lived there. Not open to the public.[Return to Map]
Greystone 1847 - Built in 1847 by Caleb Brinton, Jr., son of George and Jane (Pyle) Brinton. Later, home of his son, George. Not open to the public.[Return to Map]
Birmingham Friends Meeting - When William Brinton settled in Birmingham township in 1684 the nearest Friends Meeting was at Chichester which meant a journey of ten miles through trails in the woods. In 1690 permission was granted to hold sessions every fourth Sunday at William Brinton's cabin. This event marks the founding of Birmingham Meeting. In 1704 weekly meetings were held at the home of John Bennett, William Brinton's son-in-law. The original Birmingham Friends Meetinghouse was built in 1722. It was built of cedar logs, with no chimney or stove, and was heated by burning charcoal on a flintstone in the center of the building. In 1763 the western part of the recent stone building was erected. A matching addition to the east was constructed in 1818. In 1968 the east wing was added where the wooden carriage sheds once stood.[Return to Map]
Octagonal School House - Erected in 1819. Brintons who helped finance and build the schoolhouse were William, Joseph, Amos, and Caleb.Not open to the public.[Return to Map]
Brinton's Quarries - Operations began in 1730 and from 1730 until 1888 a half million cubic yards of serpentine stone was taken from the quarry. The stone was used in the building of many farmhouses in the area, dating from before the revolutionary war, and later for churches, educational institutions, and municipal structures in West Chester, Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore. The stone is relatively soft, it can be polished or rough cut; however, it disintegrates in the sulfuric acid-laden atmosphere of cities and, therefore, is no longer used as a building material. Activity at the quarry reached its height in the 1870's under the ownership of Joseph Hill Brinton. He built the Quarry House in 1884.[Return to Map]
Chester County Historical Society - An important repository for Brinton-iana. Antique dealer Francis Brinton's and his wife, Deborah's, gifts added significantly to the Society Collections, and form the nucleus of interesting exhibitions. Open to the public.[Return to Map]
O'Ermead - Built in 1732 by John Newbrough. The first meetings of West Chester Meeting were held here until a meetinghouse was constructed on High Street in West Chester. Joshua Rowland Howell bought the property in 1868. Joshua Howell married Deborah Comly. Their only child, Deborah Comly Howell, married Francis D. Brinton in 1899. Deborah and Francis became interested in collecting and selling Chester County antiques. In the 1920's and 30's they did extensive business, from their adjoining barn, with prominent restoration architects. Francis and Deborah Brinton bought the William Brinton 1704 House and Historic Site and were instrumental in having the House restored. Not open to the public.[Return to Map]
Site of John Brinton's House - According to The Brinton Genealogy (1924), this is the site of the home of John Brinton, son of William and Jane (Thatcher) Brinton. Bought by John Brinton in 1737. John married Hanna Vernon in 1736. The house was burned in 1921. Not open to the public.[Return to Map]
Thatcher Farm - Richard Thatcher's daughter, Jane, married William Brinton, the Younger. Still an operating farm. Not open to the public.[Return to Map]
