Fall/Winter 2022 The Peacedale Preserve: Landenberg’s short and peaceful walk Page 40 Complimentary Copy Inside: • Landenberg history: The Lamborn House • Generation Next arrives at The Acadian Wine Company • Friends of felines 2022 Magazine Landenberg Life short and The Peacedale Preserve: Landenberg’s short and peaceful walk Page 40
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Landenberg Life Table of Contents Landenberg Life Fall/Winter 2022 08 Friends of felines 14 Navigating obstacles through resilience 20 Generation Next: The Acadian Wine Company opens in West Grove 30 Landenberg Life Q & A: Lorenzo DeAngelis, Principal, Kennett High School 40 The Peacedale Preserve: Landenberg’s short and peaceful walk 46 The Gum Lady 58 Landenberg History: The Lamborn House 30 8 14 20 6 Landenberg Life | Fall/Winter 2022 | www.chestercounty.com
Steve Hoffman, Editor editor@chestercounty.com, 610-869-5553, Ext. 13
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Letter from the Editor:
Landenberg Life Fall/Winter 2022
randyl@chestercounty.com, 610-869-5553
Contributing Writer Ken Mammarella profiles West Grove resident Bailey Newsom, who along with his wife, Nanci, have donated the last one dozen years to helping feral cats and leading kittens to good homes.In“The Gum Lady,” Writer Richard L. Gaw profiles the story of Lydia Akerman, a lifelong resident of Landenberg and the unofficial matriarch of the Landenberg United Methodist Church, whose journey to faith changed the course of her life.
Randy Lieberman, Publisher
While the landscape of the Landenberg area has been forever captured by the gorgeous brushstrokes of dozens of local artists over the years, it is also known for its people, and in this edition of Landenberg Life, we profile just a few of them. From the time Paradocx Vineyards winemaker Kyle Jones purchased Kreutz Creek Vineyards in West Grove last November, he saw the vines of possibility. Now, nearly a year later, The Acadian Wine Company is making its mark in the competitive Chester County wine scene.
At about the time this issue begins its circulation throughout homes, autumn in Landenberg will have begun the introduction of its astounding gifts of nature and serenity – painted in reds, oranges and golds. In this edition’s photo essay “The Peacedale Preserve: Landenberg’s short and peaceful walk,” photographer Jim Coarse captures the 200-acre preserve in all of its tranquility, representative of a form of beauty that arrives quietly.
Cover photo: Jim Coarse
Very much like their next edition of Landenberg Life, those who call Landenberg home can not hurry the change of the seasons along, but simply have to wait for it to arrive.
We also feature a personal essay by Landenberg resident Sierra RyanWallick, a historic overview of the Lamborn House by Contributing Writer Pisasale, and in our Q & A, we meet with longtime Kennett Middle School Principal Lorenzo DeAngelis, who is beginning his new role this academic year as the Principal of Kennett High School.
Landenberg is a place of stunning natural beauty and hundreds of stories, and we are pleased to produce a magazine that serves as a safe landing place for its continuing narrative. We’ll see you again in the Spring of 2023 with the next issue of Landenberg Life.
Sincerely,
Cover Design: Tricia Hoadley
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Along the way, he and his network also encounter kittens, which get their own routine: introductory medical treatment, neutering, eight weeks with a foster family (so they learn how to behave nicely in human homes) and then a return to Newsom, who transports the kittens to the Brandywine Valley SPCA for adoption.
Frosty’s Dream
The second is philosophical: his legacy.
And for friend Debbie Learn Alchon, the question differs. She demurs when asked how much she has spent to help cats but easily reveals she bought a Landenberg property to shelter many, many cats.
“The plight of feral cats is that they didn’t choose to be outside,” he said. “People have choices, and these cats don’t. My way to give back is to help as many cats as possible and give back to society.”
The first is literal: That figure is about the amount that he and his wife, Nanci, have donated in the last dozen years to help feral cats and lead kittens to good homes.
Volunteer Linda Ellingsworth is in a building created for an outdoor cat colony that lost its home due to development.
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Friends of felines
By Ken ContributingMammarellaWriter
Bailey Newsom and other caring volunteers help cats in so many ways
For West Grove resident Bailey Newsom, the $64,000 question has two answers.
But her philosophical answer echoes Newsom. “I love animals,” she said. “I love cats. They deserve to have the best possible life.”
Newsom handles most of the work on his group, Frosty’s Dream, while Learn Alchon has significant volunteer help for her nonprofit, the Landenberg-based Angel Wings Kitty Sanctuary.
Newsom, 72, grew up with cats, and when his son was four, the family welcomed their first cat into their home. Today the retired chef and his wife share their rancher with nine cats they have adopted.
His charity is called Frosty’s Dream (named for a cat whose life was sadly cut short), and it specializes in low-cost TNR. That acronym refers to trapping feral cats, neutering them so they do not produce future generations that need help and returning them to their colonies.
His epiphany began with two heart attacks that forced
Of their nine cats, three are blind: Daisy, Onyx and Rusty.
Bailey Newsom of West Grove created Frosty’s Dream, an organization devoted to low-cost trapping, neutering and returning feral cats.
The final two were introduced to this reporter without comment: Harley and Ivan.
Over the years, Newsom’s reputation has spread wide, and he’s received cats from as far as Baltimore, Reading and South Jersey.
Bailey and and Nanci Newsom have chosen to adopt some of the neediest cats, such as Rusty, who has no eyes, and Buddy, who has no tear ducts.
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The university stopped the program, and a frustrated Newsom took over. What he does for cats has evolved over the years, partly as his own health has changed, but care for the cats remains paramount in his life.
him to retire at age 61. During a visit to Utah, he and Nanci volunteered with the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, America’s largest no-kill animal sanctuary. Back home, he helped University of Pennsylvania veterinary students learn field service, primarily dealing with feral cats and setting up both their garages as neutering surgical centers.
Two have no tear ducts: Buddy and Peppy. Two have interesting traits:
At home with the Newsoms
“Tinkerbell walks like a duck, and Nemo likes onions,” he said. “I don’t know why.”
Photosproperty.byKenMammarella
Newsom charges $50 to $75 for neutering (and accompanying medical treatment) and only wants to cover his costs – which can skyrocket with medical emergencies, he said, citing a $1,500 bill for one cat.
“I am determined to make a difference, one cat a time,” he said. “That includes rescues, fosters, rehoming, medical and spay/neutering.”
The Newsoms have chosen to adopt some of the neediest felines, he said, immediately acknowledging that all the cats that he encounters need a home.
After helping more than 20,000 cats, he now limits himself to about 15 cats a week. Cats and cat supplies still dominate the garages, and 42 cats are buried on the
“I’m getting tired,” he said, and his often-stooped posture shows how the care has weighed on him.
She recalled being emotionally moved when encountering hurt cats, needy kittens, unadoptable cats and colonies of outdoor cats who have lost their homes to the march of development.Soshebought a 2-acre foreclosed property near Elwood L. Crossan Park. She’s renovating the house for herself and her cats (she declined to say how many), but the big draw was another structure, about 1,300 square feet, once used to repair cars. That building is for the sanctuary. She added a catio (a patio for cats) and a building for a colony of cats that lived on a farm lost to development.
“I’m going to drop dead doing this,” he quoted himself. Yet … there’s a saying from writer John Bunyan that he reads daily: “‘You have not lived today until you have done something for someone who can never repay you.”
Sanctuary residents can safely sample the outdoors in the catio – a patio for cats.
“You say that every year,” he quoted his wife when she hears that complaint.
Learn Alchon began the sanctuary in 2017, after several decades with the New Bolton Center, the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine operation in Kennett Square.
A commitment
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Friends of felines
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“The primary mission of the sanctuary is to provide
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compassionate care for homeless cats and kittens in a safe environment until they are adopted, and most importantly to provide a place where senior, disabled and unwanted cats are loved and can happily live out their lives,” Learn Alchon said.
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Aubrey Chase is one of 20 or so volunteers at the Angel Wings Kitty Sanctuary in Landenberg.
“We also have taken in cats with special needs and support other kitties who were losing their homes,” she said. “I continued to trap and pull kittens as well as work with Bailey, so I expanded to a foster-based rescue finding adoptable cats and kittens forever homes.”
The concept of the forever home takes on a different meaning in the sanctuary cemetery.
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More than 80 cats live at the sanctuary, and she hopes that she could reduce the number.
“That’s true,” Learn Alchon replied.Ellingsworth is one of the sanc- The Newsoms’ living room is decorated with feline art.
‘It’s my happy place’
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Friends of felines
“She would feed a cat before she feeds herself,” said Linda volunteer Ellingsworth.
It’s quite a commitment. “If I’m not sleeping, I’m taking care of the cats,” she said, estimating she has helped thousands of cats over the years.
FALL HOURS
tuary’s 20 or so volunteers, and about seven fosters, including “an amazing bottle feeder who cares for the tiniest, days-old kittens,” Learn Alchon said.
LawnTerraseedingTMRenovation
Terraseeding™ is the on
“This has been my life’s dream,” said Gail Morrison, another volunteer, who shares her home with four cats. She and her husband, Kenny, oversee everything related to the sanctuary.
“They’re our friends,” said Ellingsworth, who shares her home in New London Township with four cats and was also the sanctuary’s first foster family.
Saturday
Monday - Friday 8 am - 5 pm 8 am
process of using a blower truck to spread organics and grass seed
“It’s my happy place. This is my retirement job, financially and emotionally. This is where I want to be and long as I can get around. And it’s a reason to get up every day.”
Frosty’s Dream largely relies on the work of West Grove resident Bailey Newsom. He appreciates supplies (such as cat food and cat litter) and cash to cover costs. Frosty’s Dream can be reached at 610869-0657 or bnewsom12@gmail.com.
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Pet Supplies Plus in Avondale showcases cats for adoption, Learn Alchon said.
Seven cages at the sanctuary hold different types of cats: shy females; free roamers; “older gentlemen,” most with feline immunodeficiency virus; semi-feral cats; cats with inflammatory bowel disease; a cat “who’s a project, emotionally shut down”; and kittens in waiting.
The Angel Wings Kitty Sanctuary in Landenberg, a nonprofit since 2019, is led by Debbie Learn Alchon and has about 20 volunteers who help care for and have quality time with resident cats and coordinate adoptions. The sanctuary appreciates supplies (such as cat food, paper towels, trash bags and cat litter) and cash donations at angelwingskittysanctuary.com.
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BEFORE 2 WEEKS
AFTER MONTHS6
Does Your Lawn Need Rejuvenated?
By Sierra RyanWallick
Landenberg resident Sierra RyanWallick.
Yet, nothing seemed to take my symptoms away.
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I started finding these small spots all of my body that started the size of a pea and some grew to the size of a softball. I was tested for Lyme Disease, and I was positive.
resiliencethroughobstaclesNavigating
I started having symptoms of insomnia, uncontrollable skin itchiness, nausea, irritable bowel syndrome, adult acne, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, and the list goes on. I was even taken to the emergency room when I experienced mysterious numbness on the right side of my body, and they couldn’t figure out what was wrong with me.
|Landenberg People|
On June 10, 2012, when I was 14, I got sick with a fever that completely wiped me of energy, and I never fully recovered.
During this time, I collected 27 different diagnoses and traveled hours every month to appointments. At one point, I had a PICC line surgically inserted into my arm that intravenously pumped medication directly into my heart. Unfortunately, I reacted to the cleaning products in the bandaging, so for a month and a half, it looked like I had a chemical burn on my arm. For two years, I took a medication that unknowingly gave me severe depression and suicidal thoughts, and at one point, I was taking over 50 pills a day that was comparable to putting my body through chemo treatment.
Can you imagine? All it took was one tiny tick to completely destroy the life trajectory that I had set for myself. Little did I know that this one tick had wiped the slate clean, so I would have to start over with new life dreams. But spoiler alert… Because I was forced to rebuild my life, I needed to make it better than I had ever imagined, but there was a lot that I had to go through first.
Over the next five years, I experienced every symptom in the book, from debilitating fatigue (where I had between zero to four hours of productive energy a day) to brain fog where I couldn’t tell my mom what I had just spent 30 minutes trying
Courtesy photo
to remember after reading one page of my textbook.
Twenty-four year-old Landenberg resident Sierra RyanWallick has lived with Lyme Disease since she was 14 years old. In late June, she shared her story as part of the Ted-X Youth @ Wilmington Series – one that believes courage and a proper mindset can overcome any of life’s roadblocks
I share all of this because the trauma and pain of having a health crisis so young forced me to work out techniques to not just survive but figure out how to thrive, too. What I ended up doing was taking these lessons of pain and turning them into success through mindset changes. I’m going to use the acronym P-A-I-N to share how we can all use pain for triumph in everyday life.
1. New opportunities have emerged that weren’t there before the challenge. Since I had limited energy, I developed hyper-focus and a dedicated work ethic to focus only on projects that brought me immense purpose. I was forced to choose which people, projects and activities were important to me, and prioritize those above all else. I had to grow up quickly, and was thrown into adulthood early, so I became self-aware much faster than my peers.
3. An increased confidence in one’s own strength. I realized that even though I have a disability, I still feel like I can do whatever I set my mind to. Ever since I started my non-profit when I was ten, I have believed that I can positively change the world, and that everyone has the same ability. That strong belief in positive power has helped me persevere despite obstacles.4.Agreater
Spelling out P-A-I-N
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appreciation for life. Once you considered if life is worth living or not -- and when you choose to stay -- that makes life all the sweeter. You appreciate the good days all the more because there have been so many bad days, and I now appreciate the beauty of balance.
The first letter is ‘P,’ which stands for post-traumatic growth -- transformation through trauma, which happened in my journey. Based on UNC Charlotte’s Posttraumatic Growth Research Group, there are five general areas where posttraumatic growth tends to occur:
2. Changes in relationships with others, where you develop a closer relationship or feel a closer connection to others who have suffered. During this time, my illness helped me discover my love for writing. I wrote poems, flash fiction, and short stories about my experience and emotions. As Anne Frank once said, “Paper is more patient than people.” I wrote because a lot of my friends didn’t understand what I was going through, but I connected with others at readings, where people resonated with my words of pain and purpose.
Courtesymorephoto
Sierra RyanWallick
And finally, the ‘N’ in P-A-I-N stands for New Mindset, which for me was cultivating an entrepreneurial mindset. I would challenge myself to view obstacles not as roadblocks preventing me from achieving something, but as opportunities to grow. This translates into the obstacle is the way. In one of Ryan Holiday’s podcasts “The Daily Stoic,” he talks about an old Zen story that says, “never forget that inside every obstacle is a chance to improve your condition.”
I turned my focus to the habits I controlled that could help me in the long term. This is delayed gratification, and it’s doing things for your future self.
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5. A deepening or significant change in one’s belief system, spiritually or religiously. I started to believe in the power of the universe and knowing what I needed at the right time. While I don’t believe that everything happens for a reason, I do now believe that you can find a reason for everything that happens. This means that an event that caused us pain can be turned into something positive that has meaning if you choose.
Next, the “A” in P-A-I-N stands for “Amor Fati.” One of the most powerful tools I’ve used in my life is studying the stoic philosophy. Amor Fati (a love of fate) is my favorite stoic idea, where you embrace everything that happens to you. Everything is fueled to your life – good and bad – and in your eyes, it is all the same. This is a really hard concept to accept, but once you can see all events as neutral and as part of the story that you’re writing, the happier you will be.
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I love this idea because with my chronic illness --
Next, the “I” in P-A-I-N stands for instant vs. delayed gratification. At first, I fell into the trap of wanting only instant gratification. I wanted my health challenge to be solved immediately. But there was no magic pill in the 50+ pills I had been taking daily to help my symptoms, and I had to look at the long game and what choices I can make now that will help my health later.
RyanWallick delivered her address at the Ted-X Youth @ Wilmington event in June.
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The story is an abridged version of RyanWallick’s entire 17-minute Tex-X Youth @ Wilmington talk. To hear the speech in its entirety, visit “Navigating Obstacles Through Resilience,” available on YouTube.
I also believe that people don’t know their full potential until they’re tested. They don’t know their full capability until their limits are reached and then stretched and expanded. I would rather have gone through everything I did and know my full capability than live my life in the dark without knowing what my superpowers are. And you can do this yourself, even if you aren’t experiencing a health crisis like I did. You can push your own limits without any outside circumstances pushing them for you.
A 4.0 student at the University of Delaware, Sierra RyanWallick founded AutumnLeaf Fundraisers at the age of 10, and has raised over $100,000 over the past 14 years from the sale of handmade items by over 200 volunteers for Forgotten Cats animal rescue service in Greenville, Del.
Sierra RyanWallick
In my case, I was challenged by an outside force of chronic illness, so I had more growing pains because it was forced growth, but the upside is that I grew faster than I otherwise
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would have -- and in ways that I never thought I could.
RyanWallick also helped to co-found Native Nourishment, a non-profit organization that recognizes food insecurities among the Native American population, and recently founded UP Cycle Design, a sustainable fashion brand creating handmade, UPcycled products with the goal of a zero-waste, transparent process.
times that I can count -- I have had a challenge thrown my way that has caused a roadblock for me. The idea is that the new direction you are heading from a roadblock pivot is actually the direction you are meant to go. It’s an opportunity, not an obstacle.
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I believe that challenges are gifts, but they are only gifts if you make them gifts. You need to rise to the challenge instead of giving up. You’re not a victim; you’re stronger because of this, but only if you take steps to become stronger.
Rising to the challenge
In 2016, she received the Jefferson Award for Outstanding National or Global Service by Young Americans and later received a Diana Award, which recognizes humanitarian work and community action.
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Accompanied by his dog Lilly and friends and family, Jones – who also took over wine-making responsibilities at Paradocx Vineyard in Landenberg last fall, just in time
“It’s also been the result of a partnership between Acadian and the support of my neighbors, the community, and friends and family.”
In his welcome letter to patrons of Kreutz Creek Vineyards, Jones detailed what he was inheriting – four acres of 20-year growth of Vitis vinifera (common grape vine) and three acres of complex Vitis vinifera hybrid grape vines, among them some complex Bordeaux varieties. The coincidence was uncanny, he wrote, given his family’s origins in Europe. “The Winemaker in this instance (Jones) is a descendent of the Acadians who brought some of these same types of grapevines with them across the Atlantic to North America in the early 1600s from the territory of France,” Jones wrote. “Learning to adapt and partner with the land and its inhabitants is the primary tradition of the Acadian people.
‘A celebration of wine’
When winemaker Kyle Jones first arrived at Kreutz Creek Vineyards in West Grove last November, he was there to purchase equipment from Jim and Carole Kirkpatrick, who were retiring after owning and operating the vineyard for the past 25 years.
By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer
Generation Next
20 Landenberg Life | Fall/Winter 2022 | |Landenbergwww.chestercounty.comPeople|
There, high on the hill, Jones saw the enveloping sweep of the vineyards’ nearly eight acres, tumbling gently eastward. Everything that Jones had ever wanted and needed as a winemaker was already there, firmly entrenched and permanent. Vines as thick and sturdy as heavy rope were meticulously lined up in neat rows. A small but efficient production facility stood in the center of the vineyard. The spacious and airy home the Kirkpatricks lived in offered beautiful views of the vineyard below, and could be easily converted into a wine tasting area for guests. It was all there in front of Jones like a dream fulfilled, and last December, he became the new owner of the vineyard and proceeded to give it a new name: The Acadian Wine Company.“Ihavebeen making wine for several years, so the potential of owning a winery as a business was always in he back of my mind,” said Jones, who had been the head winemaker at Nissley Vineyards & Winery in Lancaster County until 2021. “Winemaking is a creative outlet for me, and starting from scratch in the wine industry seems like
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For Kyle Jones, the winemaker at Paradocx Vi getting the grape from the vine to the bottle display at his new vineyard and tasting room
a daunting undertaking, but the potential of our growing regions and taking over a turn-key operation has made this more achievable.
“Likewise, the grapevines contained in these vineyards have flourished from twenty-five years of growth and adaptation in this site.”
Photos by Richard L. Gaw Kyle Jones of the Acadian Wine Company in West Grove.
CoConConnotintininituedededueu oonn PaPaggeegee 2211
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Vineyard, the science of is a passion. It’s all on in West Grove
According to the National Council of Real Estate Investment Fiduciaries (NCREIF) 60% of the existing communities are 17-plus years old and not designed to meet customers’ needs. Most senior living communities are 20-plus years old (58%), while only 14.5% are less than five years old. Many older senior living communities were built without the ability to update technology, health, safety or mobility infrastructure, along with smaller units and less of an emphasis on community spaces. New communities are integrating a more hospitality-centered design to facilitate ease of living and social connections, as well as a sense of community among residents and integrate a more hospitality-centered design to facilitate ease of living and social connections, as well as a sense of community among residents.Agrowing retirement population and lack of inventory presents opportunities but also challenges due to a new wave of seniors being more selective and discriminating in the services they need and embrace. The baby boomer generation often referred to as the next “wave”. Today the eldest of the group are now 75 and within 10 years even the youngest of that cohort will be at least 65.
Frank DeMarinis, Leisure Care General Manager (The Vero) When deciding on development opportunities thought was made to not only what senior trends are on a high level but the needs of the local market. Newark downtown is a very attractive and desirable living space, however, seniors often cannot find available housing such as ranch homes or single homes of manageable size and accessibility at reasonable cost. They want to be part of the epicenter but have limited options in a development market heavily focused on townhome and student housing. Our location is integral to local restaurants and shopping as well as life outside the community living space. We are finding seniors in this market also have appreciation for higher level activities and our locality to the University and programs such as Osher Lifelong Learning.
Senior
Terri Doody, Leisure Care (The Vero) Having worked in the local senior living industry these past 10 years I can attest there is a strong need for new communities. The senior living options are aging more rapidly then the populations they serve. We are in the market of establishing true “communities” not a “facility”
Housing has become a leading sector for real estate development, and the industry is expected to only become stronger over the next decade. An aging population and longer life expectancy is boosting the demand for expansion of senior living options. Developing high-quality, desirable senior living communities is not just about an attractive place to live; it’s about creating space where people feel safe, supported, connected and cared for. Selecting strategic geographic locations that enable seniors to engage in the surrounding community and experience amenities outside their walls is also becoming key to a successful community. Site selection plays a key role in a successful senior living.
Changing Landscape in Senior Living Options… Senior Livings Adapting to Future Needs
Frank DeMarinis, Leisure Care General Manager (The Vero) Having a community with multiple care types available requires an in-depth licensing process. As a brand we offer a more modern approach having an integrated living space for both independent living and assisted living allowing residents to age in place without having to physically move as their needs increase. We license the entire community so that we do not have to further disrupt a resident rather dispatch medical staff to where they are needed.Weincorporate hospitality, multifamily and health care all in one. Hospitality services include transportation, housekeeping, entertainment, dining options and other amenities. The multifamily component is focused on a homelike setting and if needed can provide care services such as assistance with bathing, eating and other activities.
The greatest current and future demand trend for a truly successful community is the High Demand for Direct Care Workers. The senior living industry is already feeling the effects of not having enough direct care workers to provide care to the growing number of seniors.
A previous model of prevalence has been the Continuing Care Retirement Community Model (CCRC) offering a range of independent living to intermediate care often on a combined campus. Though historically a popular model some challenges include having to physically move one’s residence as their need(s) increase as well as sometimes having to “buy in” defined as a sizeable community fee in addition to monthly rent.
The senior living sector was challenged during the COVID-19 pandemic with decreasing occupancy, negative press and increased expense. Some communities went into lockdown mode, allowing only essential team members in the building and implementing quarantine protocols for new residents and any resident having left the building. During the pandemic, “needs-based” residents moved in at a steadier pace in comparison to independent living seniors that do not need as much care. Post pandemic we are again seeing the trend move toward residents moving not for
necessity alone but social needs, hospitality and lifestyle.
Frank DeMarinis, Leisure Care General Manager (The Vero) Even before covid we were seeing trendsetters like Amazon raising the bar for the workforce. A paradigm change was already in works for “living wage” over minimum wage. The antiquated model of high priced living options serviced by one of the lower average wages per sector of non skilled workforce required a shift. Leading operators recognize “you get what you pay for” and competitive wages not only ensure a consistent skilled workforce but a strong product. I am proud we offer a leading wage to our workforce ensuring the best talent. Our proximity and partnership to the University of Delaware not only is a benefit to Seniors but tapping into educated and ambitious labor force with a desire to grow. As we continue to partner with the University our goal is to give back to the community at large offering internships, educational opportunities and vocational mentorship. Our culinary program offers hospitality opportunities and our wellness program a focus for Health Sciences.
Senior housing generally services those over 75 years and is typically divided into four categories: independent living, assisted living, memory care and nursing care.
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Consequently, Chester County has continued to emerge as a major player on the regional wine scene, highlighted by over one dozen wineries and tasting rooms that are drawing visitors from the entire Mid-Atlantic and beyond.
for harvest season -- is currently preparing his vineyards for the growing of Cabernet Franc, Chambourcin, Chardonnay, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Vidal, as well as converting several rooms in the middle level and exterior deck of the former Kirkpatrick home to what has recently become a popular and spacious tasting area.
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Even in its first year, the tasting room and adjacent deck at the Acadian Wine Company have already become a very popular spot for planned visits, private tastings and public events.
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Jones enters another growing season knowing all too well that the life of a winemaker is both a labor of love and an investment in both science and creativity – and all of it dependent upon the intangibles of the climate the grapes grow in. As a Pennsylvania winemaker, Jones is at a double advantage; the commonwealth ranks as the nation’s fourth-largest producer of wine, accounting for 1.5 percent of the total volume, behind California, Washington and New York. In addition, the rocky soil and micro-climate in the county makes the area particularly well suited to growing many varieties of grapes.
“I want this to be a space where people can partake in a celebration of wine,” he said. “We want our guests to be welcomed here to our ‘home,’ where they can enjoy the fruits of our labor on this magnificent piece of property.”
Acadian Wine Company
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“The winemaking region in the southeastern corner of Pennsylvania is capable of standing on the world stage,” Jones said. “There is no excuse to produce bad wine. If I believe that wine is a communal experience and not just separate pillars on their own hills -- there has to be a cohesiveness of winemakers. We’re not competitors, but collaborators.”Whilethereis no reference book that demonstrates how a winemaker can blend together the business, creative and entertainment aspects of owning a winery, Jones said that it often comes down to the small details
“I have painted the bar top white because when I walk into a wine tasting room and pick up a glass of wine on a wooden bar, I can’t see the wine,” he said. “That level
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Continued from Page 24 Jenny Chen Pediatric and Family Dentistry Tired of not having any teeth? We have the solution! 207 North Guernsey Road West Grove, PA. 19390 Tel: 610-869-0991 www.smilesinpa.com We can fill out school forms for children. jennyc499@gmail.com HABLAMOSESPAÑOL JENNY CHEN DMD, PHD UNIVERSIT Y OF PENNSYLVANIA ROBERT DELIE DMD IMPLANT SPECIALIST Hours AHMAD CHARKAS ORTHODONTISTDMD We take most insurance including Medicaid Monday-Thursday8:30am-5pm ConsultationSPECIALFALLFREEImplantandBraces Specializing in cosmetic, pediatric, implant & orthodontic Dentistry ANXIETY FREE DENTAL CARE &CHILDRENFORADULTS
Acadian Wine Company
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over the last decade a must-visit mecca for oenophiles that continues to add vineyards and tasting rooms and further place the county on the map of wine-growing regions in the mid-Atlantic and beyond.
“Chester County is also the warmest grape-growing region in Pennsylvania.”
‘Capable of standing on the world stage’
Combining great soil, moderate temperatures and the ingenuity of wine growers, Chester County has become
Jones’ role as the winemaker at Paradocx served as his introduction to the wine estate process in southern Chester County, as well as its fertile soil climate, and even though his work at Nissley was only a little more than an hour’s drive away from Landenberg, the quality of the soil, he said, is markedly different.
“The soils in Chester County are far more compelling than that of Lancaster County, and it’s because it’s that much closer to the Atlantic Ocean,” he said. “The age of the two soils are as much as two-and-a-half million years, and it’s resulted in a well-drained topsoil that serves as a key factor in growing ability.
The tasting room at the Acadian Wine Company offers stunning views of the vineyard, as well as a variety of wines by the bottle and the glass.
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Continued from Page 26
To contact Staff Writer Richard L. Gaw, e-mail rgaw@ chestercounty.com.
Let it pour.
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of attention – and intention – is what is underpinning everything.”Sinceits’opening in April, the tasting room and adjacent outdoor deck at the Acadian Wine Company has welcomed wine lovers on a tour of Chester County vineyards, special events like bridal showers and couples who stop by on a lazy weekend afternoon for a “Itasting.have the pleasure of offering them wines that I have made and stand behind,” he said. “I get the honor of placing my wine on the table beside varietals from California, Italy and France and unabashedly say, ‘this is Pennsylvania wine, and it belongs here.’
Acadian Wine Company
“I may be the next generation of winemakers in this region, but I stand on the shoulders of giants. All of the work that they have done makes what I do possible.”
The Acadian Wine Company is located at 553 S. Guernsey Road in West Grove. To keep up to date about The Acadian Wine Company, visit www. acadianwinecompany.com, or e-mail info@acadianwinecompany.com.
The Acadian Wine Company tasting room is open on Thursdays from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., Fridays from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m., Saturdays from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Sundays from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. The vineyard also hosts yoga sessions on Thursday evening at 6:30 p.m. with Lynn Slocumb from The Light Within, and is open seven days a week for curb-side pick-up, private events and private wine tastings.
t
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|Landenberg Q&A|
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Lorenzo DeAngelis, Kennett High School
After serving as the head principal of Kennett Middle School for the past seven years, Lorenzo DeAngelis was recently named the new principal of Kennett High School. Just prior to the start of the 2022-23 academic year, Landenberg Life recently spoke to the long-time educator about educating through COVID-19, school safety, navigating through the pressures of student life to achieve happiness -- and the photograph of his father serving a meatball to his oldest child.
Lorenzo DeAngelis, Kennett High School
Photos by Richard L. Gaw
Principal,
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Principal,
Following the 2020-21 academic year, DeAngelis, front row, joyously celebrated with the teachers and administration of Kennett Middle School for the school’s outstanding work during COVID-19.
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Continued from
Landenberg Life: You served as principal of Kennett Middle School during a time that tested the patience and fortitude of the school’s teachers, its administration and the entire school community. Take the readers of Landenberg Life back to 2020 and 2021, when COVID-19 forced the school to invent a new way of teaching and learning – and how you succeeded.
Lorenzo DeAngelis: We relied on the foundation of who we were already, and with that, I knew that we could get through anything. I’m not saying that navigating our way through that time was easy; it was a struggle and we needed to make sure that we were able to do everything possible for our kids and meet them where they were. We also needed to make sure that we were all okay as a staff. The pandemic changed our culture and in particular, we saw that student behaviors were a lot different than we had ever seen before.
We agreed as a staff that we were going to tighten the reigns, to make sure that we were going to have clear conversations about our expectations and, when needed, provide support. We quickly began to see upticks in more positive behaviors.
Lorenzo DeAngelis Page 30
nication with their fellow students and adults. When you are virtually learning in your room and have no contact with other people for a while, that has an affect on you. In November of 2021, we met as a faculty and I stood in front of them and said, “I hear you. We’re trying to figure out their new behaviors, too. Our culture has changed and we have to do something about it.”
By the time February of 2022 came around, we began to take the temperature of the school again. I asked the staff, “So, where are we?” The staff gave a giant thumbs-up. We were not at 100 percent, but we were moving in the right direction. We relied on our team, our foundation and our family. I’m grateful that I had a great team to keep me in check, as well.
We saw our students struggling with proper commu-
How so?
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If there was one silver lining that emerged from the dark cloud of COVID-19, it was that remote learning provides an effective alternative to the in-person classroom experience. How do you see virtual learning becoming a permanent component of primary education?
I did not really have any role models in my educational career from Grade 1 through Grade 12 who served as a light bulb for me. Throughout my experiences in education, I have become so in tune with
We have different kinds of learners in our classrooms, and sometimes technology needs to be used for learners and sometimes it doesn’t. For instance, one group responds better to technology and other groups may just need a teacher say it to them. When you differentiate your instruction, you are able to reach more learners in their best learning style. It has helped give our students choices.
There is likely not an educator alive who has not been influenced to pursue a career in education by a former teacher, coach or mentor. Was there that person or persons in your life, and if so, how did they inspire you?
Nothing will ever replace a teacher in front of a child in a live classroom. The experience that children get when they have an outstanding individual leading them in a classroom is irreplaceable. With regard to virtual learning, we all got a crash course on technology and were able to design lessons in ways we never did before. There is still technology we use in live classrooms that we adapted from our experience in virtual learning, but what really has turned the tide was our ability to differentiate learning.
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Every month, our Director of Facilities George Wolhafe and our Director of Technology Dan Maguire are working hard to prepare our staff with safety training and exercises. Every month, they walk all of us through our safety
Continued from Page 33
You began your educational career at Kennett High School as a teacher in 2001.
High school students have always faced pressures of various kinds: peer, academic and social lead the list, but today’s teenager faces another kind: school safety. As you step into your new role at Kennett High School, how is the school and the district addressing this growing concern expressed by the entire school community? With due respect to the confidentiality of the specifics, what safety measures are in place?
being that person. I want to be the person who is the role model. I want to make sure that each student has a role model. I want to make sure all staff can serve to inspire them. My hope is that these kids know that someone is here for them, and that our teachers know that they are role models.
Lorenzo DeAngelis
Interestingly enough, the way I got to Kennett was through our rival, Unionville High School. After I graduated from West Chester University, I student-taught at Unionville and then served as a substitute teacher there. One day I was sitting in the PE office preparing my application packets for other schools and the athletic director Dennis White was on the phone, I heard him say into the phone, “Do you have any PE openings?” He then told me, “Lorenzo. Drive down the street and drop off your application at Kennett High School.” Little did I know that he was talking to Jeff Thomas, the former athletic director and now the assistant principal for Kennett High School. I dropped off my application at the district office, and on the July 4th weekend, the human resources director told me, “You’re in.”
Safety is our primary concern. Students aren’t going to learn anything if it isn’t safe. Staff aren’t going to be at maximum productivity if they don’t feel safe in this building. We have a strong district emergency response team, and we have a great partnership with the Kennett Borough Police, the Kennett Township Police, the Southern Chester County Regional Police, our local fire departments and Chester County Safe Schools.
We have had training sessions that have allowed us to think more broadly about safety in our schools and be as well prepared as possible.
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Continued on Page 36
After seven years as the Principal of Kennett Middle School, Lorenzo DeAngelis was named as the new Principal of Kennett High School.
preparedness plans. Safety procedures are about musclememory. It’s about reacting quickly according to what we have been taught. It’s about going directly to our protocol.
Let’s talk about another kind of pressure. Today’s students live in a global society, and they are competing for those same openings at the best colleges with students from around the world. What advice do you have for those underclassmen who already feel overburdened by this pressure, this “need to succeed,” imposed or self-imposed?
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Simply said, it’s not “Goodbye.” It’s “I’ll see you soon.”
Happiness comes from the power of relationships. If these students know that they are cared for and have relationships with each other and the adults in the building, their tide rises. The only way any organization becomes successful is by having a great culture and climate. When you see an entity operate at a high level, you begin to see that pursuit of happiness, and you see people working for each other for the betterment of that organization. When you have a school climate that is operating at that high level – from students to teachers to administration – how would you not want to be a part of that?
I want to continue that feeling here that when our school community walks into our building, they are proud that they represent our school. When visitors walk into our building, I want them to feel that same strong culture and climate.
Let’s switch our attention to a huge intangible of high school, and allow me to pull it from our nation’s most important document: the pursuit of happiness. With the mounting pressures that every high school student faces, how does the high school and the school district help create an environment of compassion, understanding and mutual respect?
Many of the middle school’s eighth grade class of 2022 are following you up the road to the high school, but you’re saying “Goodbye” to hundreds – even thousands – of students and parents you’ve gotten to know over the years at Kennett Middle School. What do you wish to say to that community?
First and foremost, I want to make sure that the culture and climate remains something for all of us to be proud of.
As you make the transition from the middle school to the high school, what are some of your personal goals for the 2022-23 academic year?
Continued from Page 35
Lorenzo DeAngelis
The first thing I want to say to our students and their parents is, “Relax. Take a breath.” I understand that there is pressure to do well, but we’re also talking about kids who are between 14 and 18 years of age. Students need to know that they have support systems, and that they will be supported by their parents and the school community. The important thing for students to know is they don’t want to miss their entire high school experience. We want them to enjoy it. My motto is Work Hard and Be Kind. When you do those two things, everything else will be taken care of.
www.chestercounty.com | Fall/Winter 2022 | Landenberg Life 37 *Cannot be combined with any other offer. Previous sales excluded. Good at initial presentation only. $1,000 discount is only available to be used towards purchasing Luxstone walls. Additional work is extra and optional. Financing available for qualified buyers. Exp. 09/01/2021 PA:PA013302 * NJ: 13VH 04301900 MD: MD129485 * DE: 2008206060 NO PRICE QUOTES GIVEN VIA PHONE.www.HomeSmartindHomeSmartind.com Home Smart Industries is the areas only Authorized Dealer of Kohler’s LuxStone shower wall system made of 70% real crushed marble and professionally installed at prices comparable to acrylic showers. Don’t cover your problem up with a tub or Specialists at a price you can afford. 4.9 Stars, 373 reviews on Project time: 2 weeks 2 DAYS. INDUSTRIES Bathtubs Showers Kohler Walk-In Baths Authorized Dealer 0% APR Low monthly payment plans ONBATH & ONBATHSHOWERREPLACEMENTS SHOWERREPLACEMENTS $1,000 OFF plus FREE ESTIMATES and 888-670-3731 Call Home Smart today to schedule your free in-home estimate. >Must call this number< Why settle for shower walls that look like plastic? Kohler Crushed Stone Showers By Home Smart
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What is your favorite spot in Landenberg? That one is easy. Kennett Middle School. I still spend time there watching my boys practice football for the KennettUnionville Titans. Being able to drive into that parking lot every day for 12 years and see that clock tower and that beautiful building…How can Kennett Middle School not be everyone’s favorite place in Landenberg?
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Lorenzo DeAngelis hosts a dinner party, and can invite anyone – living or not, famous or not. Who would we see around that
Lorenzotable?DeAngelis
~Pasta.Richard L. Gaw
What food or item can always be found in the DeAngelis refrigerator?
My children didn’t get to know my father. My oldest was three years old when he passed away, my second son was a baby and my daughter never met him. I would like to have him at the dinner table. My mother has a framed photograph of my son Luca sitting in his high chair and being fed a large meatball on a fork from my father, and Luca’s mouth is wide open. That remains about the only reminder of their grandfather, and my children deserve more.
I want to lift that culture and climate and morale to make sure that we continue to operate on all cylinders. I want us to continue to be the best school in the land. The ultimate goal here is to help these kids become good citizens. It’s their intrinsic motivation that will get them to fully to where they want to be in life – going to college, getting a job or joining the armed forces – but we are there to prepare them for that. Our role is to ask them, “What kind of person do you want to be? Let us help you.”
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The largest form of beauty often arrives quietly, and the 200-acre Peacedale Preserve in Landenberg continues to bestow its own gifts of nature and serenity 40 Landenberg Life | Fall/Winter 2022 | www.chestercounty.com
|Landenberg Life Photo Essay| The Peacedale Preserve: Landenberg’s short and peaceful walk
PHOTOS BY JIM COARSE | TEXT BY RICHARD L. GAW
“To him whom contemplates a trait of natural beauty, no harm nor despair can come. The doctrines of despair, spiritual or political servitude, were never taught by those who shared the serenity of Nature. For each phase of Nature, though not invisible, is yet not too distinct or obtrusive. It is there to be found when we look for it, but not too demanding of our attention.”
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-Henry David Thoreau
In witness to the expanse of rust-colored canyons, the density of a forest fertile with forever green, and the chorus rush of mighty rivers, we are stilled into a momentary place where just to stand there and watch is enough.
At 222 acres, the Peacedale Preserve in Landenberg – lovingly owned and maintained by Natural Lands – does not overwhelm its visitors, but rather soothes them along the short distance of its distinct trails.
From its vast expanses of woodlands, wheat
To behold Nature is to often be overwhelmed by its majesty.
CConCoononttininintiuueedduede onon PaPaggegeee 4141
since its founding more than seven decades ago, the agency has helped to preserve more than agency’s permanent protection. In 1973, Natural Lands received a donation remained in the care of Natural Lands, limited
Continued from 41
Peacedale Preserve is just one of 42 nature preserves owned by Natural Lands across 13 counties in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and
Peacedale Preserve reveals an entire breadth of nature along its 1.1-mile loop trail. For those who have traversed the land, it is
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Page
The Peacedale Preserve
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The Peacedale Preserve
Continued Page 44
access to funding at the time, the property remained an isolated parcel with no trail system in place. In 2009, Natural Lands purchased an adjoining 133-acre property from a developer that had received approval for subdivision, but due to the economic downturn, decided to sell the land instead.
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Peacedale Preserve is located at 157 Peacedale Road in Landenberg. To learn more, orhttp://www.natlands.org/peacedale-preserve/visitcall610-353-5587.
Later that same year, and again in 2011, Natural Lands acquired additional neighboring properties, bringing the preserve to its present size.
from
Today, it serves as a testament to the importance of land conservation, whether it is a magthrough a Landenberg treasure.
Born in January 1942, Lydia Richardson was the fourth of five children to Maurice – everyone called him “Johnny” -- and Mary Richardson, and was raised in a yellow, twostory house on Broad Run Road in Landenberg, on property purchased by her grandfather in 1908. For children who grew up in Landenberg in the 1940s and 1950s, their world was confined to the space between home, school, church, the Landenberg Store and the natural wonders of the land – the ponds and quarries and hillsides that served as stages for their Adjacentadventures.tothehouse was Richardson’s Garage, where
‘I was very angry’
“Landenberg at that time was mostly dirt roads, and you were lucky if you ever saw a car go by,” Lydia said in the home she and her husband Bill have lived in since 1968, which sits across the Broad Run Road home where she grew up. “You could go down to the local stream we called ‘The Big Creek’ with all of the neighborhood kids, as well as swim over at Kelton’s Quarry.”
It was there that these men delighted in teasing and giving her a nickel every time she used a swear word in front of them, and by the time she was ten, Lydia Richardson had not only hustled her way to a part-time job, she had developed the vocabulary of a longshoreman.
It was her father’s shop, however, that became a second home for the young girl, because it was here where Lydia Richardson came to the first realization that life could have a hardened edge to it – a certain gruffness – that she saw manifested in the form of the chisled hands and sweatembossed faces of the farmers who came by to see her father about a leaky valve or a broken tail pipe.
Following her graduation from Kennett High School in
Let thine hand help me; for I have chosen thy precepts. I have longed for thy salvation, O Lord; and thy law is my delight. Let my soul live, and it shall praise thee; and let thy judgments help me. I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek thy servant; for I do not forget thy commandments.
Psalms, Chapter 119
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Continued on Page 46 Jump Continued from Page 46 |Landenberg People|
The Gum Lady
In a strictly spiritual sense, the life that Lydia Akerman lives now may be dramatically different than the life she once lived, but in many ways, the people, places and things that have informed her life have remained undramatically the same.
Lydia Akerman spent many years of her life embittered by the loss of her mother, but through the help of a neighbor and the welcoming arms of the Landenberg United Methodist Church, her life has become a daily list of blessings and giving back to others
her father supplied the area’s vehicles and machinery with kerosene and gasoline, and where he also performed car repairs, inspections and welding.
By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer
1960, the strong young woman was devastated from loss, but rather than relinquish to the pain, she began to build a proverbial wall around her emotions that would last for the next eleven years.
Photos by Richard L. Gaw Lydia and Bill Akerman were both raised in Landenberg.
“I was very angry,” Lydia said. “My mother had just died and I am working full time at NVF and helping to raise my
Continued on Page 48 www.chestercounty.com | Fall/Winter 2022 | Landenberg Life 47
“My mother had just died, and I was helping my father raise my kid sister Linda who was ten years younger than
Continued on Page 47
1959, Lydia began work as a secretary at the NVF Paper Mill in Yorklyn, where as one of the only women on staff, she made her mark as a secretary in an office full of men, countering their swear words with a big and brassy set of herThen,own.in
me,” she said. “I could have just accepted my mother’s death and gone through the pain of it, but instead I carried myself like I was tough, because I felt I had to.
“I used to think, ‘No one is ever going to hurt me again likeFollowingthat.’” their mother’s passing, it was generally accepted by her father and her siblings that Lydia would simply “take over” for her deceased mother.
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The Akermans were married on Sept. 9, 1961, fittingly at the Landenberg United Methodist Church.
The gum lady Continued from Page 47
kid sister and take care of my father in my mother’s absence. By then, I had two older sisters who had their own families and homes just down the road.
Into Lydia’s self-contained wall, Bill Akerman began to slowly chip away.
“On Sundays, they used to come over for family dinners, and on one Sunday, I told my father, ‘Daddy, I am tired of this crap. What the hell do they think this is, a diner?’”
Raised on Chesterville Road, the young Akerman, who was a friend of Lydia’s
Continued on Page 50
‘Bill Akerman will stop by here one night’
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brother, often rode his bike to Richardson’s Garage, where he’d get a quick welding job, repair and an earful of good ribbing from Johnny. When he graduated from Kennett High School in 1956, Bill began dating Beverly, but little did he know that he had caught the eye of Lydia Richardson, who was 15 at the time.
Continued from Page 48
Eventually – and true to Lydia’s father’s word -- Bill did stop by and on Sept. 9, 1961, the couple was married at the Landenberg United Methodist Church, moved into a house trailer at the corner of Saw Mill and Broad Run roads, built their home on the same property in 1968, and welcomed their son Bill in 1963. True to the family tradition, Bill followed his father as an industrial electrician and is now the co- owner of Akerman-Hannum
“Daddy and I would sit on the swing at night when we would see Bill going to Bev’s and he would tell me, ‘Bill Akerman will stop by here one night. Don’t you worry,’” Lydia said. “At the time, my older brother, Monte, ran around with a lot of boys in Landenberg who rode motorcycles and drove hot rods and smoked and drank beer, but Bill did none of that. One day, my father told me, ‘You are not allowed to go out with any of your brother’s friends…except that Akerman kid.’”
Continued on Page 52 Lydia with her younger sister.
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The gum lady
In 1971, Lydia, still a vibrant part of NVF and a young mother and wife, was diagnosed with a malignant thyroid. At the time, she thought her diagnosis was merely a nagging roadblock to a busy life, not a first step to what would become the dawn of a transformed life.
Electric – and lives just doors away from his parents with his wife of 35 years, Debbie.
“It was then that she told me about Jesus. I asked her, ‘So how do I get this Jesus?’ She said that all I had to do was ask Him into my life, and ask forgiveness for my sins, my bitterness, my anger and my hate, and that was all there was to it. When I got home later that day, I knelt down and prayed that God would take this pain and anger and bitterness away from me and a weight like a ton of bricks was lifted off my shoulders.
“I was resting in my room at the old Memorial Hospital in Wilmington after my surgery to remove the thyroid, when my surgeon – Dr. Edward Mechanic – visited me,” Lydia said. “He looked at my bandaged neck and he told me, ‘You are a lucky person, Lydia. You were born under a good star.’ I asked him, ‘Just what in the hell do you mean by that?’
“Lynne knew that I was hurting – she saw the bitterness inside me, yet she never judged me,” Lydia said. “I had never met anyone who was so at peace, so content and so joyous that she glowed. I just saw something in her that I wanted.
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In their proper order, love, marriage, a child and a home arrived in Lydia’s life. Anger, her lingering possession, would not leave.
“He told me that the Lord was looking after me. He said, ‘If you had not had your thyroid removed and just had it radiated, it would have taken care of your thyroid but it would not have killed the malignancy, and you wouldn’t have too many years to live.’”
For the next six weeks, Lydia recuperated at home from her surgery, and over that time, she would welcome and visit concerned neighbors. One of those neighbors was Lynne McMullen, who lived on Saw Mill Road. Quickly, the two women forged a friendship, and whenever Lydia would visit Lynne, she would find her playing and singing gospel songs on the family piano or reading from Scripture at the dining room table.
‘...and that was all there was to it’
The gum lady
The Gum Lady
“About six months after I came to Christ, my oldest sister Mary told me father, ‘All Lydia talks about now is how Jesus helped change her life. I am worried about her. She needs to see a doctor or be locked up.’ My father patted Mary on the back and said to her, ‘It’s the best thing that has ever happened to Lydia.’”
Continued on Page 54
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It is a rare visit to the Landenberg United Methodist Church during a service or a celebration to not find Lydia Akerman. From its ministries to its membership – from its pews to its people – she has become one of the church’s Lydia, as a child in Landenberg.
Lydia Akerman is there,” Bill said. “People tell me all the time, ‘I wouldn’t have returned if it weren’t for Lydia. I will always cherish her warmth and understanding.’”
“There are no strangers in Landenberg Church as long as
“The first step in the reordering of my life was to realize that the God who created this universe cared enough about me that He died for my sins and chose that perfect time for me to recognize Him,” she said. “I believe that I had to live the first part of my life in anger and resentment in order that I could be a witness to that same pain and be able to help someone else.
Continued on Page 56
from Page 53
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The gum lady
Recently, Lydia introduced herself to a young woman who had arrived at the church for the first time, and whose expression immediately showed sadness and grief. She later told Lydia that she had just lost her grandmother. Lydia wrapped her arms around the young woman and they prayed together.
unofficial matriarchs, who can be found in the kitchen preparing the annual chicken dinner, other fundraisers, giving hugs and greetings to other church members prior to and afterSheservice.makes small gift bags for visitors of the congregation and sends follow-up cards to the visitors. She has taught all grades of Sunday School and led women’s prayer groups, and nearly every Sunday after service, she hands out chewing gum to children – and anyone else who requests a piece. The moniker “Gum lady” has stuck; on the occasion of his wedding in North Carolina a few years ago, Josh Boyd – who grew up on Coopers Hawk Lane and whose family had known the Akermans well through the church – sent his wedding invitation addressed to “Mr. William Akerman and the Gum Lady,” and when Lydia and Bill arrived at the wedding, they left wedding gifts for Josh and his new bride, that included a case of chewing gum.
Continued
“I know now that had my mother not died when I was
www.chestercounty.com | Fall/Winter 2022 | Landenberg Life 55 TRUSTEDELECTRICALEXPERTSBOOKYOURGENERACGENERATORINSTALLATIONTODAY ServingSouthernChesterCounty&NorthernDelaware Fromresidentialelectricalupgradestocommercialretrofits andinstallations,webringourproblem-solvingandelectrical expertisetoyou. Generacstandbygeneratorsdeliveryoupeaceofmind.WholehomebackuppowerforanyemergencysituationGeneracCertifiedExpertsRemoteMonitoringYearlyMaintenancePriceMatchGuarantee7YearWarranty Call 610-869-7325 to start your project www.newlondonelectric.com Scan for GeneratorSpecialOffer
The gum lady
To contact Staff Writer Richard L. Gaw, email rgaw@chestercounty. com. In addition to being regular parishioners and volunteers, Lydia and Bill regularly attend Bible Study at the Landenberg United Methodist Church.
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18 and left me to live through all of those years in that private pain, I would never be able to help another person who lost a parent or a loved one when they were young. To me, that is what the Landenberg United Methodist Church is all about. Christ gives you two things: to love the Lord with all of your heart, soul and mind. The other is to love your fellow man as“Iyourself.amnot here to judge but to love, and God has given me the heart to love other people.”
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Photo: Lamborn House in August 2022.
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By Gene ContributingPisasaleWriter
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The Lamborn House: New Garden’s heritageNew Garden’s he of history
The settlement of southern Chester County, much of it done by Quakers in the early-mid 18th century, is the defining story of our region. A largely unexplored and highly forested area, requiring backbreaking work to clear, was considered by many ripe for opportunity. When William Penn approved title for 350 acres of land in New Garden Township, members of the Lamborn family did not know that eventually they would be owners of a property which itself after two centuries would become part of a of a public park. Located in New Garden Township Park, the Lamborn House stands as a showpiece of history for residents who wish to appreciate the heritage of the township.
|Landenberg Life||Landenberg History|
House:ouse:heritageeritage
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The tale of the home begins back in the early 1700s, when James Starr was one of 27 Irish Quakers who purchased land in New Garden Township. The 350 acres, along what we know today as Penn Green Road and Starr Road, were acquired by James Starr and later subdivided for sale. Robert Lamborn was born in Berkshire, England in 1697, later fell in love with a local girl named Sarah Swayne, who later moved away with her family to start a new life in America. According to Dr. Margaret “Peg” Jones, historian of New Garden Township, Robert was heartbroken, but undeterred. He finally got permission to sail from England to try and find his lost love. At the age of 16, he left England and subsequently landed in New Castle, Delaware.
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The Lamborn House
Continued on Page 62 Quaker Meeting Records - Thomas Lamborn Family.
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After working as an indentured servant, he found his way to Philadelphia, where he hoped to meet someone who knew the Swayne family. Amazingly, shortly after walking the streets of the city, Robert ran into Francis Swayne, Sarah’s father. Francis agreed to take young Robert to meet up with his daughter. Robert and Sarah were married in 1722, settled near London Grove and raised a family of nine children.
The New Garden Township Park.
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The Lamborn House
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One of those children was Thomas. In 1777, according to Jones and the New Garden Historical Commission, Thomas rented acreage for his own use and in 1783, purchased the 200 acres which would later become New Garden Township Park. This land witnessed an important part of American history when General William Howe’s troops maneuvered through the area leading up to the Battle of the Brandywine
The New Garden Township Historical Commission’s narrative on the event mentions that militiamen “detached his horses from his plow… the militia beat sheaves of wheat against the posts in his barn to remove the grain… Colonial authorities confiscated 2 cows, 6 sheep, 4 lambs, 2 pewter dishes and 2 plates. Altogether, during the War years, Thomas Lamborn was fined about 769 pounds or $4,000, all because he refused to support the patriot cause.”
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on September 11, 1777. Marauding British troops pilfered whatever they could grab from local farmsteads, including Lamborn’s property, taking away precious resources and supplies. It wasn’t only the British who expropriated supplies; hungry colonial militia moving through the region did the same.
Being a Quaker or a pacifist during the war clearly had some very negative repercussions for many citizens. Aside from a relatively brief interruption, the Lamborn property stayed within the family for 146 years, from 1783 to 1929. The original structure on the property was a log cabin, believed to have been built in the 1740s, in which Thomas and his wife Dinah raised their nine children. In 1816, a two-story brick addition was built; the original log structure was replaced with a stone kitchen. Further changes were added when, according to the Township, Thomas Lamborn’s grandson Josiah added two porches, and covered the brick with stucco. The Township created a public park in the 1990s with a purchase of the Lamborn property, but despite alternate uses of the house by the Township and outside groups including the Boy Scouts, the structure deteriorated.
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At one point, the New Garden Township Board of Supervisors considered having the building demolished,
A photograph from a University of Delaware report on the Lamborn House shows a portion of the exterior wall as seen from the kitchen stairwell.
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New Garden Lyceum with volunteers Chris Robinson (left) and Brian Roberts (right), the chairman of the New Garden Historical Commission.
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the Lamborn House is fully functional and being rented to a private party, generating revenue for the Township. This structure- home to one family for many decadesremains an important part of our heritage- and it is not the only historic structure on the property. Volunteers are working to refurbish the Lyceum next door, which dates back to 1852 and was both a meeting place and schoolhouse for many years. Township personnel hope someday soon to have it fully refurbished and open for public viewings.
Gene Pisasale is an historian, author and lecturer based in Kennett Square. His ten books focus mostly on the Chester County/Mid-Atlantic region. His latest book is “Forgotten Founding Fathers: Pennsylvania and Delaware in the American Revolution.” Gene’s books can be found on his website at www.GenePisasale.com and on www. Amazon.com. He can be reached via e-mail at Gene@ GenePisasale.com.
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Continued from Page 64 but the Historical Commission noted that it was worth preserving due to its status as one of only a few houses in southern Chester County which has a steeply pitched roof typical of Welsh builders of the 18th century. The Commission petitioned the township to keep the house and renovate it to maintain its structural and historical integrity. Approval was granted and over a two-year period, exterior work included a new kitchen roof and repairs to the brick walls, along with work on new windows and frames, the kitchen chimney and electrical fixtures. The interior also required much effort. Starting in 2014, volunteers contributed more than 600 hours of work, plastering, mending the floorboards, doors and repainting the walls. Further work included installation of chimney caps and a wrought iron railing. The Lamborn House has come back to life due to the exceptional efforts, generosity and dedication of numerous volunteers who all wanted to see a part of our local heritage preserved for future generations to enjoy. Today
The Lamborn House
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