Brandywine Hundred
Encyclopedia
Brandywine Hundred is the name of an unincorporated subdivision of New Castle County
, Delaware
. Hundred
s were once used as a basis for representation in the Delaware General Assembly
. Brandywine Hundred is a commonly used colloquial name for this area. However, while their names still appear on all real estate transactions, all other hundreds in Delaware presently have no meaningful use or purpose except as a geographical point of reference.
, and was one of the points of access to the colonies by British ships during the American Revolution
.
and east of Brandywine Creek, excepting that portion in the south included in Wilmington Hundred
. Its northern boundary follows a portion of the 12 mile arc
drawn around the town of New Castle
. It was one of the original hundreds in Delaware created in 1682 and was named for Brandywine Creek that flows along its western boundary. When created it included some of the area now in the Wilmington Hundred, which was split off 1833.
. The town of Bellefonte
, the villages of Arden
, Ardencroft
, and Ardentown
, the Claymont
and Edgemoor
Census Designated Places (CDP), and the community of Talleyville
are in Brandywine Hundred.
, which forms its eastern boundary, Naaman's Creek
and Shellpot Creek
. It is mostly in the piedmont
region with one of the more dramatic sections of the fall line
being close enough to the Delaware River to allow many scenic views. Ebright Azimuth
, the highest natural elevation in the state at (448 feet (136.6 m), is located along the northern edge of Brandywine Hundred, very close to the Pennsylvania
line.
, Interstate 495
, Concord Pike (U.S. Route 202
), Powder Mill Road (Delaware Route 141
), Naamans Road and Thompson Bridge Road (Delaware Route 92
), Marsh Road (Delaware Route 3
), Foulk Road (Delaware Route 261
), Delaware Route 491, and the old main highway between Wilmington and Philadelphia, now Philadelphia Pike (U.S. Route 13
). A portion of the Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad
, subsequently the main north-south line of the Pennsylvania Railroad
, and now Amtrak
, follows the Delaware River, and a portion of the old Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
, now CSX Transportation
, approximately follows the fall line.
, is derived from Brandywine Hundred, where his ancestors settled.
New Castle County, Delaware
New Castle County is the northernmost of the three counties of the U.S. state of Delaware. As of 2010 its population was 538,479, an increase of 7.6% over the previous decade. The county seat is Wilmington. The center of population of Delaware is located in New Castle County, in the town of...
, Delaware
Delaware
Delaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...
. Hundred
Hundred (division)
A hundred is a geographic division formerly used in England, Wales, Denmark, South Australia, some parts of the United States, Germany , Sweden, Finland and Norway, which historically was used to divide a larger region into smaller administrative divisions...
s were once used as a basis for representation in the Delaware General Assembly
Delaware General Assembly
The Delaware General Assembly is the legislature of the U.S. state of Delaware. It is a bicameral legislature composed of the Delaware Senate with 21 Senators and the Delaware House of Representatives with 41 Representatives...
. Brandywine Hundred is a commonly used colloquial name for this area. However, while their names still appear on all real estate transactions, all other hundreds in Delaware presently have no meaningful use or purpose except as a geographical point of reference.
Grubb's Landing
Brandywine Hundred, also known as Grubb's Landing, was settled by two sons of John Grubb (Delaware settler) (1652-1708) — Emanuel Grubb and John Grubb II (1684-1757). Grubb's Landing was one of the first shipping points in New Castle County, DelawareNew Castle County, Delaware
New Castle County is the northernmost of the three counties of the U.S. state of Delaware. As of 2010 its population was 538,479, an increase of 7.6% over the previous decade. The county seat is Wilmington. The center of population of Delaware is located in New Castle County, in the town of...
, and was one of the points of access to the colonies by British ships during the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
.
Boundaries and formation
Brandywine Hundred is that portion of New Castle County that lies north of the Christina RiverChristina River
The Christina River is a tributary of the Delaware River, approximately 35 miles long, in northern Delaware in the United States, also flowing through small areas of southeastern Pennsylvania and northeastern Maryland. Near its mouth the river flows past downtown Wilmington, Delaware,...
and east of Brandywine Creek, excepting that portion in the south included in Wilmington Hundred
Wilmington Hundred
Wilmington Hundred is the name of an unincorporated subdivision of New Castle County, Delaware. Hundreds were once used as a basis for representation in the Delaware General Assembly, and while their names still appear on all real estate transactions, they presently have no meaningful use or...
. Its northern boundary follows a portion of the 12 mile arc
The Twelve-Mile Circle
The Twelve-Mile Circle is an approximately circular arc which forms most of the boundary between the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the State of Delaware in the United States...
drawn around the town of New Castle
New Castle, Delaware
New Castle is a city in New Castle County, Delaware, six miles south of Wilmington, situated on the Delaware River. In 1900, 3,380 people lived here; in 1910, 3,351...
. It was one of the original hundreds in Delaware created in 1682 and was named for Brandywine Creek that flows along its western boundary. When created it included some of the area now in the Wilmington Hundred, which was split off 1833.
Development
Excepting a still wooded area along Brandywine Creek, the area is completely suburban with almost continuous industrial, commercial and residential development. The eastern portion was built out early in the twentieth century with the remainder in the decades following World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The town of Bellefonte
Bellefonte, Delaware
Bellefonte is a town in New Castle County, Delaware, United States. According to the 2010 Census, the population of the town is 1,193.-Geography:...
, the villages of Arden
Arden, Delaware
Arden is a village and art colony in New Castle County, Delaware, in the United States, founded in 1900 as a radical Georgist single-tax community by sculptor Frank Stephens and architect Will Price. The village occupies about 160 acres, with half kept as open land. According to the 2010 Census,...
, Ardencroft
Ardencroft, Delaware
Ardencroft is a village in New Castle County, Delaware, United States. According to the 2010 Census, the population of the village is 231.Ardencroft was founded in 1950 as an outgrowth of Arden and Ardentown with a conceptual lifestyle based on Henry George's Single tax movement and William...
, and Ardentown
Ardentown, Delaware
Ardentown is a village in New Castle County, Delaware, United States. According to the 2010 Census, the population of the village is 264.Ardentown was founded in 1922 as an outgrowth of Arden with a conceptual lifestyle based on Henry George's Single tax movement and William Morris’s Arts and...
, the Claymont
Claymont, Delaware
Claymont is a census-designated place in New Castle County, Delaware, United States. The population was 9,220 at the 2000 census.-History:...
and Edgemoor
Edgemoor, Delaware
Edgemoor is a census-designated place in New Castle County, Delaware, United States. The population was 5,992 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Edgemoor is located at ....
Census Designated Places (CDP), and the community of Talleyville
Talleyville, Delaware
Talleyville is an unincorporated community in New Castle County, Delaware, United States. Its ZIP Code is 19803.The population of the ZCTA for ZIP Code 19803 was 21,022 at the 2000 census....
are in Brandywine Hundred.
Geography
Important geographical features, in addition to the Christina River and Brandywine Creek, include the Delaware RiverDelaware River
The Delaware River is a major river on the Atlantic coast of the United States.A Dutch expedition led by Henry Hudson in 1609 first mapped the river. The river was christened the South River in the New Netherland colony that followed, in contrast to the North River, as the Hudson River was then...
, which forms its eastern boundary, Naaman's Creek
Naaman's Creek
Naamans Creek is a tributary of the Delaware River in northeast New Castle County, Delaware and southeast Delaware County, Pennsylvania The stream rises near the intersection of Foulk Road and Naamans Creek Road at in Bethel Township, Pennsylvania, flows through Arden, Delaware, and discharges...
and Shellpot Creek
Shellpot Creek
Shellpot Creek is a tributary of the Delaware River in northeast New Castle County, Delaware. The stream rises between Grubb Road and Shipley Road, south of Naaman's Road at in Brandywine Hundred and discharges into the Delaware River at near Edgemoor...
. It is mostly in the piedmont
Piedmont (United States)
The Piedmont is a plateau region located in the eastern United States between the Atlantic Coastal Plain and the main Appalachian Mountains, stretching from New Jersey in the north to central Alabama in the south. The Piedmont province is a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian division...
region with one of the more dramatic sections of the fall line
Fall line
A fall line is a geomorphologic unconformity between an upland region of relatively hard crystalline basement rock and a coastal plain of softer sedimentary rock. A fall line is typically prominent when crossed by a river, for there will often be rapids or waterfalls...
being close enough to the Delaware River to allow many scenic views. Ebright Azimuth
Ebright Azimuth
The Ebright Azimuth is the point with the highest benchmark monument elevation in Delaware. It is marked with a geodetic benchmark monument and has an elevation of above sea level...
, the highest natural elevation in the state at (448 feet (136.6 m), is located along the northern edge of Brandywine Hundred, very close to the Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
line.
Transportation
Important roads include portions of Interstate 95Interstate 95 in Delaware
In Delaware, Interstate 95 runs diagonally from the border with Maryland northeast to the border with Pennsylvania. Between the Maryland state line and exit 5, I-95 is also designated as the Delaware Turnpike and the John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway. Along with its auxiliaries, I-95 is the only...
, Interstate 495
Interstate 495 (Delaware)
Interstate 495 in Delaware is a six-lane bypass of Interstate 95 around the city of Wilmington, Delaware. Built in the mid-1970s and opened as the "Wilmington Bypass", the highway became, between 1978 and 1982, the route of I-95 around Wilmington, while the original highway through the city,...
, Concord Pike (U.S. Route 202
U.S. Route 202 in Delaware
U.S. Route 202 runs through northern New Castle County in the U.S. state of Delaware. It heads from a cloverleaf interchange with U.S. Route 13 and U.S...
), Powder Mill Road (Delaware Route 141
Delaware Route 141
Delaware Route 141 is a bypass around the western suburbs of Wilmington, Delaware. Its northern terminus is an interchange with U.S. Route 202 and Delaware Route 261 in Fairfax, and its southern terminus is at Delaware Route 9 and Delaware Route 273 in New Castle...
), Naamans Road and Thompson Bridge Road (Delaware Route 92
Delaware Route 92
Delaware Route 92 is a two to four-lane, east–west road that runs a short distance to the south of the Pennsylvania/Delaware State Line for most of its length and allows a direct connection between U.S. Route 202 in Talleyville, Delaware with I-95 in Claymont, Delaware, the two major...
), Marsh Road (Delaware Route 3
Delaware Route 3
Delaware Route 3 is a state highway in New Castle County, Delaware. The route runs from an interchange at Interstate 495 in Edgemoor north to Delaware Route 92 in Brandywine Hundred. The route passes through the suburban areas of Brandywine Hundred, and it also passes by the community of Arden. DE...
), Foulk Road (Delaware Route 261
Delaware Route 261
Delaware Route 261 , also known as Foulk Road, is a state highway that connects U.S. Route 202 and Delaware Route 141 near Interstate 95 in Wilmington, Delaware with the Pennsylvania State Line in Bethel Township, where it continues into Pennsylvania as Pennsylvania Route 261. DE 261 was...
), Delaware Route 491, and the old main highway between Wilmington and Philadelphia, now Philadelphia Pike (U.S. Route 13
U.S. Route 13 in Delaware
U.S. Route 13 is the main north–south highway in the U.S. state of Delaware. It traverses the entire length of the state from the Maryland border in Delmar, Sussex County to the Pennsylvania border in Claymont, New Castle County. U.S. Route 13 connects many important cities and towns in...
). A portion of the Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad
Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad
The Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad was the Pennsylvania Railroad's main line from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania southwest to Baltimore, Maryland in the 19th and early 20th centuries...
, subsequently the main north-south line of the Pennsylvania Railroad
Pennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
, and now Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
, follows the Delaware River, and a portion of the old Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was one of the oldest railroads in the United States and the first common carrier railroad. It came into being mostly because the city of Baltimore wanted to compete with the newly constructed Erie Canal and another canal being proposed by Pennsylvania, which...
, now CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation operates a Class I railroad in the United States known as the CSX Railroad. It is the main subsidiary of the CSX Corporation. The company is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, and owns approximately 21,000 route miles...
, approximately follows the fall line.
In media
The name of Mitchell Hundred, the fictional 13th generational American and protagonist of Brian K. Vaughn's comic book series Ex MachinaEx Machina (comics)
Ex Machina is an American creator-owned comic book series created by Brian K. Vaughan and Tony Harris, and published by DC Comics under the Wildstorm imprint....
, is derived from Brandywine Hundred, where his ancestors settled.
See also
- Valentine HollingsworthValentine HollingsworthValentine Hollingsworth was one of the first to lead his family to the New World. He was descended from the Hollingworth family of Hollingworth, England....
- Ebright AzimuthEbright AzimuthThe Ebright Azimuth is the point with the highest benchmark monument elevation in Delaware. It is marked with a geodetic benchmark monument and has an elevation of above sea level...
- John Grubb (Delaware settler)