Spring/Summer 2022
Middletown Life
Magazine
Odessa's Magical Place of History, Matrimony and Happiness – Page 44
Inside Bethesda United Methodist Church Local students provide solutions Camp Adventureland Complimentary Copy
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|Middletown Life| Middletown Life Spring/Summer 2022
Middletown Life
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Table of Contents 8
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Bethesda United Methodist Church celebrates 200 years 36
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Capstone projects by local high school students
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Camp Adventureland
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The historic Zoar Church in Odessa
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Photo essay: Odessa Historic Secret Garden
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Q & A with Steven and Crystal Ashby
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Historic wanderings around Middletown
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Middletown Life Spring/Summer 2022 Letter from the Editor:
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A number of stories in this issue of Middletown Life celebrate—in different ways—the long and special history of the Middletown area. In his story, “Historic wanderings around Middletown: An academy, a church and a mill,” writer Gene Pisasale explores some important links to the past that will be of interest to local residents. The Bethesda United Methodist Church has a long history in the heart of the Middletown community. Writer John Chambless explores how the church is celebrating its 200th anniversary this year. During that time, there has been a line of more than 70 pastors who have led the congregation. Chambless talks to the current pastor John Hornberger about the church’s past and its future. Thanks to the dedication and vision of individuals and organizations, generations of Middletown, Odessa and Townsend families have strolled the 72-acre grounds of the Historic Odessa Foundation that include the Colonial Revival Secret Garden adjacent to the Corbit-Sharp House, where they are swept up in the beauty of the heirloom plants and the soft breezes that come from the Appoquinimink River. The photo essay in this issue focuses on Odessa’s magical place of history, matrimony and happiness. The subjects of the Q & A are Crystal and Steven Ashby of Crystal’s Comfort Food. Middletown Life recently caught up with Crystal and Steven to learn about their influences, their flavors and the special guests they would like to see around that dinner table. It’s all fun and games at Camp Adventureland, the entertainment venue that brings a summer camp themed spot offering entertaining choices for customers wanting to test their physical or analytical skills. Camp Adventureland offers everything from escape rooms to ladder ball to axe throwing for guests. In “Fabricating their future,” writer Ken Mammarella offers a look at some of the capstone projects that seniors in the Appoquinimink School District have undertaken this year. For the past several decades, Zoar United Methodist Episcopal Church has stood vacant and neglected, but through the work of a committed organization, Friends of Zoar, the old church is on the precipice of a rebirth. The objective of Friends of Zoar is simple: To raise funding to support restoration of the church, the adjacent social hall and kitchen, the surrounding grounds, and to engage the general public in interpretive programming. The stories in this issue, we hope, reveal not only Middletown’s glorious past, but its tremendous future as well. We hope you enjoy these stories, and we always welcome comments and suggestions for stories to highlight in a future issue of Middletown Life. Sincerely, Randy Lieberman, Publisher randyl@chestercounty.com, 610-869-5553 Steve Hoffman, Editor editor@chestercounty.com, 610-869-5553, Ext. 13
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|Middletown Spotlight|
Standing firm on two centuries of faith Bethesda United Methodist Church has a long history in the heart of Middletown
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By John Chambless Contributing Writer
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he spire of the Bethesda United Methodist Church is the highest point in Middletown, but as pastor John Hornberger leads the way through several doors underneath the landmark brick church, it’s clear that Bethesda also has the deepest foundation. Shining his camera flashlight, Hornberger lit up the brick walls and bare earth dug by hand in the 1800s. There has been a church in this same location since 1822. In February, Bethesda marked its 200th year. That’s a line of more than 70 pastors who have led the congregation. “It inspires me,” Hornberger said. “I’m very proud to be the pastor here. I’m very humbled by it. I think back about a group of people walking down this street, which of course was dirt at the time, and they came upon this lot and were inspired to build a church.” A written history of the church, assembled over five decades by various church members, lists all the pastors who have served at Bethesda from its earliest days as a simple wooden structure, now replaced by the elegant brick building. In 1822, Middletown was a tiny hamlet in the midst of huge farms and peach orchards, and served as a bustling center of trade. Bethesda began as the Methodist Episcopal Church of Middletown, and in 1939, the church was part of
the reconfigured Methodist Church, which in turn became the United Methodist Church in 1968. In the fledgling years of the church, Middletown was home to only a few hundred people. When the current sanctuary was constructed in 1849, the congregation was one of the largest in the region, at about 300 members. Among them were influential leaders such as B.T. Biggs, then-Governor of Delaware. The sanctuary is actually on the third floor of the building, accessed originally only by stairs, but now reached by elevator. The interior is much the same as the way it appeared in the 1800s – elaborately painted ceiling and imposing pillars, with a huge mural of Christ’s ascension painted in 1910 by Adolph Frei of Philadelphia, an artist whose work is reflected in more than 500 churches in Europe and America. There’s a balcony, burnished wooden pews, and what looks like the original flooring, scuffed by more than a century of use. Stained glass windows were installed in 1879, and they remain in immaculate condition, carefully maintained. There’s a sense of history in every inch of the building, something which Hornberger said he’s acutely aware of. This is the oldest church building he has pastored. “To be honest, it feels too elegant sometimes,” he said. Hornberger came to Bethesda after pastoring in Snow Hill, Md., as well Continued on Page 10
PHOTOS: Opposite page; Photo by John Chambless, Bethesda United Methodist Church celebrated its 200th anniversary in February. Top of page; Photos by John Chambless, The floor of the church has been gently scuffed by generations of worshipers. The church was put on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. Pastor John Hornberger in the church cellar, where the 1800s earth walls can still be seen. Courtesy photo, The steeple was reslated in 1995. The spire is still the highest point in Middletown.
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Bethesda United Methodist Church Continued from Page 9
as Lancaster, Pa., and Claymont, Del. While the church stood strong through the Civil War, Hornberger said he’s not aware of a record of abolitionists speaking there, although there were certainly plenty of people on both sides of the slavery issue in lower Delaware and nearby Maryland. “Even Methodist founder John Wesley, back in the 1700s, was definitely anti-slavery,” Hornberger said. “We have a balcony which is very difficult to get up to. When they had balconies in churches back in those days, they were possibly for African Americans to sit. I think about all the people who might have had trouble walking, and they still had to get up there.” The cemetery adjoining the church is packed with stones bearing the names of families that still live in the area, and the earliest legible stone dates to 1825. The parking lot for the church is where an 1850 parsonage used to stand. It was demolished in 1972. Continued on Page 12
Photos by John Chambless
Generations of local families are interred in the church cemetery.
Bethesda United Methodist Church has welcomed generations of families.
A baptismal font given to the Many of the gravestones near the church date back to the mid-1800s. church in the 1920s.
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Bethesda United Methodist Church Continued from Page 10
The beautiful preservation of the church led to its being added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. But achieving 200 years as a still-active congregation is a milestone that all of the members – presently about 174 – take great pride in. Hornberger, in his comments to mark the anniversary, wrote, “This is an exciting time to be a member of Bethesda United Methodist Church. As we look back, it is evident that God has been alive in our church for many years. As we celebrate our 200th anniversary, may the fond memories of the past draw us closer to the realization that we are not through serving Him as we move forward.” At 77, he has come through a health crisis recently and is now dedicating time to beginning voice and piano lessons, as well as an exercise program. He lives in Newark with his wife. They have grandchildren ranging from age 3 to 33. Hornberger is particularly proud of the church’s outreach to the community. Currently, the congregation supports Neighborhood House with food donations and snacks and books for children; Friendship House, with meal kits and hygiene kits for those experiencing homelessness; and Our Daily Bread, a soup kitchen that feeds low-income families. On the fourth Tuesday of each month, volunteers from Bethesda purchase, prepare and serve dinner there. Continued on Page 14
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Photo by John Chambless
Pastor John Hornberger sits in the elaborate pulpit of the Bethesda United Methodist Church. The mural behind him was painted by Adolph C. Frei in 1910.
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Bethesda United Methodist Church Continued from Page 12
In February, the community need had grown to serving 131 people. Church members also make sleeping bags for the homeless and distribute them through the Sunday Breakfast Mission in Wilmington. And they support a sewing center through the Congo Restoration Project, which allows women in the Congo to achieve financial self-sufficiency. Hornberger often speaks at funerals, many arranged through Daniels and Hutchison in Middletown. In a letter commemorating the church’s milestone, Robert C. Hutchinson, Jr., wrote, “Much has changed outside the walls of Bethesda, but inside, much has stayed the same. The words spoken today are, for the most part, the same stated 200 years ago. The mission of faith, hope and charity continues on. In my 35 years in funeral service, I have had the honor and privilege to get to know some of the pastors who have had the charge at Bethesda ... I have been blessed to have such a unique and spiritual relationship Photo by John Chambless with these great individuals. Bethesda and its clergy have The elegant interior of the church has been carefully maintained for more been a guiding light to so many residents in our community than 100 years. during the loss of a loved one, and I know that as the congregation celebrates this bicentennial milestone, that guiding light will continue for many years to come.” For more information about Bethesda United Methodist Church, visit www.MiddletownHope.com.
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|Middletown Education|
Fabricating their fu Jump
Continued from Page 16
For their capstone projects, seniors in the Appoquinimink School District engineering pathway devise interesting solutions to everyday problems Stories by Ken Mammarella, Contributing Writer
Headlight Glare Reducer: A solution to a shared problem
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am Anderson, Rami Masu and Dithya M. Shake considered issues as diverse as fishing and lawnmowers before they settled on their Headlight Glare Reducer. “A really fun way to learn,” Rami said of that process of considering problems, doing research and then developing a solution. The Appoquinmink High seniors, all in teacher Stephen Landry’s engineering design and development class, tackled what Rami called the “really annoying” glare from other vehicles or other sources when driving at night. “It’s a problem we all had on back roads,” said Dithya, who plans to major in engineering but hasn’t selected a college. True, rearview mirrors can tilt to ease the problem. Their glare reducer is a tinted acrylic screen that slides up to cover the mirror and filter out the glare. “It’s really convenient,” Dithya said. They sprayed on a 35 percent car-window tint on the acrylic, said Rami, who plans to major in computer engineering at the University of Delaware. Velcro straps and a 3D-printed frame finished the gadget, said Sam, who plans to major in engineering. Jose Curras of W.L. Gore was their mentor. Road testing showed that the reducer stayed in place. Data from a light sensor to measure glare reduction didn’t make sense, Dithya said, so they used a pass-fail test in the school parking lot, with the reducer in Dithya’s Honda CR-V and the high beams behind it in Rami’s Honda Accord. It passed. 16
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Luigi Ciuffetelli photos courtesy of Appoquinimink School District
Appoquinimink High seniors Rami Masu, Dithya Shake and Sam Anderson demonstrate how to install their invention, a rearview mirror attachment that reduces headlight glare.
The students discuss their senior capstone project with Engineering Pathway teacher Stephen Landry.
Middletown Life | Spring/Summer 2022 | www.middletownlifemagazine.com
future PHOTOS Luigi Ciuffetelli photos courtesy of Appoquinimink School District
LEFT: Engineering Pathway teacher Cory Hafer discusses the design process with the Ecobrush team. ABOVE: Andrew sketched out the main attributes of their invention. Courtesy of Andrew Tosten
Ecobrush: Better for your teeth and the environment
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he Ecobrush improves teeth cleaning and whitening, in a convenient and ecologically friendly way, Middletown High seniors Sean Babbitt and Andrew Tosten have concluded. “We took the best aspects of the major types of brushes on the market and projected them into one piece,” said Sean, who is planning to major in aerospace engineering at Penn State or the University of Maryland or engineering at the University of Delaware. The students in Cory Hafer’s engineering design and development class began their projects by listing 50 everyday problems. That showed the pair cared about pollution, particularly plastic pollution. Toothbrushes should be replaced every few months, leading to significant plastic waste. That’s why their handle is silicone, which Andrew said biodegrades in five years, not
the 50 for the bamboo handle on his toothbrush and several centuries for plastic handles (and the resulting microplastics are called increasingly villainous). Silicone is commonly used in utensils designed for nonstick cookware. The Ecobrush uses charcoal bristles (more biodegradable than traditional nylon bristles, and they also help with whitening, like charcoal filters cleanse drinking water). And the brush screws onto toothpaste tubes and allows toothpaste to be delivered through a hollow shaft to the bristles. The pair used 3D printing for prototyping, said Andrew, who plans to major in aeronautical science at EmbryRiddle. They also got advice from mentor Adam Binkley of TA Instruments. “The Ecobrush is better for the environment and better for me,” Sean concluded. Continued on Page 18 www.middletownlifemagazine.com | Spring/Summer 2022 | Middletown Life
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Fabricating their future Continued from Page 17
PJL Mirror Tech: A better way for drivers to see ahead of them
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aylen Harrison was frustrated by being unable to see around all the big vehicles and farm equipment he encountered on Choptank Road as he drove his Hyundai Elantra to Appoquinimink High. That issue also spoke to fellow seniors Paul Sarro and Luis Zavala. The result: PJL Mirror Tech, named for the three students, with the letters “in an order that sounded nice,” said Jaylen, who will major in chemical engineering at the University of Delaware. The PJL mirror attaches with a suction cup to the driver’s side backseat window. The image, seen in the standard sideview mirror, lets drivers see around vehicles in front of them. It’s like “a third eye,” said Luis, who’s applied to Delaware Technical Community College and
Luigi Ciuffetelli photos courtesy of Appoquinimink School District
Appoquinimink High seniors Jaylen Harrison, Luis Zavala and Paul Sarro adjust their wide-view driving mirror in the school parking lot. Their invention gives drivers the ability to see more than 220 feet in either direction when passing vehicles.
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hasn’t picked a major. Luis, whose father is a carpenter, took charge of the fabrication. Jaylen used his math skills to figure out the mirror supplied an extra 8 degrees of visibility, among other calculations. And Paul led their final presentation. They got advice from mentor Kevin Vandervort, a manager at Hoober Inc. Their system went through multiple prototypes, ending with a round convex mirror and just one heavy-duty suction cup, said Paul, who plans to major in engineering at University of Delaware. Road-testing with engineering teacher Stephen Landry ensured their PJL mirror didn’t detach when speeding up, braking suddenly and making sharp turns. New vehicles use cameras to increase field of vision, but the PJL mirror could be an easy accessory to older models, they believe. Installing it makes the backseat window unusable, Jaylen said, “but that’s a tradeoff that’s well worth the safety.” Continued on Page 20
Photos courtesy of the students
Luis Zavala took charge of the fabrication. www.middletownlifemagazine.com | Spring/Summer 2022 | Middletown Life
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Fabricating their future Continued from Page 19
Bear Bars: Ursine marauders kept out
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iddletown High School seniors Conner Hertzog, Aiden Kleinmeulman, Christion Simms and Daniel Willis are concerned about hungry bears. Aiden and Conner like to go camping, and that started the talk about protecting backpackers’ food from bears. However, the research by these students in Cory Hafer’s engineering design and development class found plenty of bear-resistant canisters. “They’re engineered like crazy,” said Daniel, who’s choosing among five colleges to study mechanical engineering. So they pivoted to keeping bears from coming indoors. (Well after they finished their work, several black bears collectively dubbed Hank the Tank made international headlines for breaking into dozens of homes near Lake Tahoe to peacefully scarf down people food.) Continued on Page 22
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Luigi Ciuffetelli photos courtesy of Appoquinimink School District
Middletown seniors Daniel Willis (from left), Conner Hertzog, Aiden Kleinmeulman and Christion Simms demonstrate Bear Bars, which would keep bears from breaking into homes through their windows.Continued on Page 20
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Fabricating their future Continued from Page 20
Bear Bars feature closely spaced horizontal bars, with a dowel and cotter pin to lock them in place. They were designed for windows, with adjustable bars that could span 2 to 4 feet, Daniel said. Mentor Dom Muzzi of WhitingTurner “helped us to envision this and learn how to interact with customers,” said Christion, who plans to major in engineering, probably at the University of Delaware. A $50 budget kept them from making Bear Bars in metal, so they did two prototypes in wood, said Conner, who plans to major Luigi Ciuffetelli photos courtesy of Appoquinimink School District Bear Bars team members discuss their contributions with Engineering Pathway teacher Corey Hafer in aerospace engineering at and Debbie Kirk, a work-based learning specialist. Embry-Riddle. They tested the bars’ strength virtually using computer- out instructions remove the bars quickly if they needed to? aided design, said Aiden, who will major in engineering at Not really, so they added a tab to the cotter pin to make the University of Delaware. it stand out, Conner said, and red arrows to show how to Another key test was done in real life: Could people with- slide the bars.
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|Around Middletown|
It’s all fun and gam es at Camp A Photos courtesy Camp Adventureland
Aerial view of Camp Adventureland’s axe throwing lanes at Camp Hatchet.
Continued on Page 24
Camp Adventureland guests pose for a photo in front of the axe throwing lanes.
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View of Jason’s Tavern, where campers can order from a selection of over 50 varieties of craft beer, wine and seltzers.
p Adventureland eland
and’s het.
Escape room s, axe throwing available in Middletown By Natalie Smith Contributing Writer
Y
ction
ou could say that Brian Moores is serious about people having fun. Moores is an owner/operator of the axe-throwing, escaperoom solving Camp Adventureland, a summer-camp themed spot offering entertaining choices for customers wanting to test their physical or analytical skills. “We’re primarily a family-oriented entertainment venue,” Moores said of the 12,000-foot facility off Patriot Drive in Middletown. In addition to axes and the escape rooms, “campers” may try their hands at knife-throwing, cornhole or ladder ball. Feeling a little hungry? There’s a concession area where snacks are available, and for adults, Jason’s Tavern boasts more than 50 craft beers, wines and seltzers. The sport of indoor axe-throwing has participants competing by trying to hit a target for accuracy. Throwers are trained and supervised. Knife-throwing is also at a target. Moores said Camp Adventureland is the only venue in the Delaware Valley to offer the sport. “We have several customers who come back every couple of weeks,” he said. “We have a pro shop where we sell axes and knives for those who come on a regular basis and want to have their own implements, rather than using the ones we have on site.” Moores said there’s also enough interest in this activity which allows his facility to operate Wednesday-night leagues. Participants ages 10 to 17 are allowed to throw axes and knives with adult supervision, but those 9 and under don’t have to feel left out. Continued on Page 28 www.middletownlifemagazine.com | Spring/Summer 2022 | Middletown Life
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Camp Adventureland Continued from Page 25
“I developed a couple of new games, specifically a [foam] suction-cup axe game and a bean bag game that are both based upon the scoring principles and design of the axethrowing target,” Moores said. “One of them is kind of a cross between a bean bag toss and Skee-Ball.” The throwing and scoring are the same as the adult games. According to Moores, about 4,000 square feet is dedicated to the escape rooms, with four rooms in operation. The area for axe- and knife-throwing is 6,500 square feet while another 1,500 square feet is allocated for cornhole competition as well as the reception area. There’s plenty of room for entertainment. For the uninitiated, escape rooms, which have been popular both online and in person for a number of years, are interactive adventures in which participants discover and use clues to reckon their way out of a themed room. When working as a group, players generally are limited to an hour. The current escape rooms in Camp Adventureland are Curse of the Jade Skull, The Blind Tiger Speakeasy, The Sirens Song and Save Santa’s Workshop. “Probably 50 percent of the people who come in have never
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Panoramic view of the Blind Tiger Speakeasy escape room interior.
done an escape room before, and the ones that come in that have done a couple before are looking for a good experience,” Moores said, describing the pains that Camp Adventureland takes to make its rooms challenging. “Ours are primarily electronically focused. There’s a lot of proximity switches and magnetic switches in a lot of the artifacts and so forth, put in specific locations or oriented in different directions and based upon a story line. “Each one of the rooms starts out with not only a theme but a complete story line,” he said. He explained an escape-room experience. “If someone were coming into Save Santa’s Workshop, for instance, we would bring them in for their registration and before they even come into the back into what we refer to as Camp Escape, we tell them all about the safety rules; don’t touch anything like light bulbs or light switches. [We] tell them how to manipulate things without breaking something.” Continued on Page 30 28
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Camp Adventureland Continued from Page 28
He said they would be brought to an area that was set up like a cabin with cots, lockers and a fake fireplace. “It looks like you’re walking into a summer-camp cabin,” he said. Moores invites the participants to gather around the fireplace. He gives them the radios for communication between them and the controller room. Then he tells them a story. “We’re in Santa’s Workshop. Here’s what happens: Jack Frost, the dirty little devil, he and his minions got into Santa’s workshop last night and made a complete mess of it. This is what they did: they messed up his paint set; they hid a bunch of his tools. And the worst thing they did was they hid the chief elf’s key which he uses to start the workshop machinery and make toys. Without that, there won’t be any toys this Christmas. So, your job is to get in there, put everything back to where it was and figure out what he did with chief elf’s keys. You get Santa’s Workshop working again. “[The escape room participants are] escorted into the room and I explain a couple of the options in the room,” he added. “There is a tote board here, and as you fin-
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ish up your puzzles, this will keep a tally of where you’re located in your progress. And I explain to them how to reset the positional lock, so they don’t play with something that they don’t understand. I start up the audio and Santa Claus comes on and welcomes them to the room and Santa Claus and Jack Frost have a back- A Camp Adventureland guest poses in front of their bull’s-eye in the knife throwing lanes. and-forth conversation and then off they go to their escape-room event. “We set the escape room and watch them over a camera. And if they have questions, they can call us on the radio or they can say, ‘how much time do we have left?’ And we let them know.” Moores and his staff handle the escape-room participants with a light touch. “I take the opinion that people are paying a fair amount of
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Continued on Page 32
Camp Adventureland Continued from Page 30
money to come into escape rooms, and have an experience with their family,” he said. “So we try not to integrate ourselves into the experience unless they’re invited in by the guests. So when you see something going wrong … if they’re having a rough time, don’t get frustrated for them and say, listen turn around look at such-and-such, which a lot of people tend to do in other escape rooms. They kind of guide them along the way. “We’re here if you need us, but we’re not going to interfere. If you want help we’re more than happy to give it, but we’re not going to just jump in there willy-nilly.” Moores’ background is paramedics at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. He and his wife Meg Etherington were at first silent investors in Camp Adventureland when a series of circumstances had them taking over the business. Moores ended up working full time at Camp Adventureland for two years, and Etherington, who has a job in publishing, tackled the businesses’ books. “I have an L-shaped desk,” Etherington said. “I face one way for my 9-5 and then swivel my chair around and I have Adventureland stuff for a couple hours. Usually at night and on Saturdays, that’s when I catch up on everything.”
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After going headfirst into the business, Etherington said that she believes they learned better administration skills. “We’ve just become a lot more efficient with our time and people management,” she said. Moores, as someone who wasn’t sure others could meet his standards, said, “When you’re doing a business like this, you have to develop some trust and you have to have the ability to understand that sometimes things will be 90 percent, and then work from there. Maybe next time you can get 92 percent.” For those continuing to look for additional escape-room challenges, Moores said customers are in luck. Two new rooms are planned for Camp Adventureland this fall. Moores said that a mobile facility called “The Axe Shack,” a 16-foot-long trailer with two internal targets for axe and knife throwing is also part of the business. Along with the throwing areas in the Shack, come two cornhole courts, two ladder ball courts and two kids’ bean bag targets. “A lot of fun in a big, rolling box,” said Moores. Natalie Smith may be contacted at natalie@DoubleSMedia. com. Continued on Page 32
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|Middletown History|
Answering Lucretia’s prayer For the past several decades, Zoar United Methodist Episcopal Church has stood vacant and neglected, but through the work of a committed organization, the old church is on the precipice of a rebirth By Richard L. Gaw Staff Writer
shingles, and there were Gothic-style windows that illuminated the church in tinted sunlight. For the next nine decades, Zoar served as a second home In 1845, at Fourth and Osborn Streets in Cantwell’s Bridge for individuals and families through two world wars, the – renamed Odessa in 1855 – the first local, free Black Great Depression, and the ugly, persistent wave of discrimiMethodist Church was built. nation that hung like a fog over them. It was named Zoar – “a place of refThey came to the church to pray, to uge” -- and its congregation, made up sing, to bask in the warmth of fellowof both the enslaved and free Blacks, ship and hear the words of clergy like was jubilant with anticipation of what the Rev. Charles Albert Tindley, who was to come. Previously, they were earned the name “grandfather of gospel forced to confine their worship to the music.” Services at Zoar were often allbalcony of Drawyers Presbyterian day affairs, alive with the scent of food, Church. the sweet music of choirs and the color By 1870, the congregation had of seasonal decorations. Its pews were swelled to over 150, forcing the parishfilled with ladies wearing an array of ioners to consider the construction colorful hats and restless children, stalof a larger building to accommodate wart men in their Sunday best and the everyone. Under the stewardship of reverent opening and closing of Bibles. Rev. Arthur Hamilton, a new church Over time, due mostly to aging worbegan to rise on land purchased from shippers, the congregation declined. local grocer and coal merchant Daniel In 1973, the church stopped its reguStevens. In 1881, Zoar Methodist lar services. Soon after, the Peninsula Episcopal Church at 620 Main Street Methodist Conference gave Zoar to St. in Odessa opened its doors for the first Paul’s U.M. Church, a predominantPhoto courtesy of Friends of Zoar time, and was one of the largest build- A newspaper clipping depicts some of the church’s ly white congregation, and Zoar was ings in the area. declared a “limited service” church. parishioners gathered for a special occasion. The church was simple yet regal: Recently, it was deemed a surplus its brick was laid in common bond with buttressed corners property owned by the Conference, and has been dormant creating a cruciform plan; the median gable roof of the nave since 2015, while its deceased members lay buried at Lee and gabled-roofed wings were covered with patterned slate Chapel and Dale Memorial Church a short distance away. 36
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Photos by Richard L. Gaw Friends of Zoar stand near the altar of Zoar Methodist Episcopal Church at 620 Main For more than nine decades, Zoar served as a second home for individuals and families through two world wars, the Great Depression and persistent discrimination. Street in Odessa.
‘I’m all in’ When Kate O’Donnell entered Zoar Church again in January of 2022, she did not have far to walk. The Appoquinimink Friends Meeting House where O’Donnell is a member stands behind Zoar Methodist Episcopal Church. Built in 1785 and only 20’ x 22’ in size, the meetinghouse is reputed to have been a station on the Underground Railroad. Its basement and loft second story – which had a removable panel under the eaves – was likely used to hide escaping slaves, and is a documented stop on the Underground Railroad Tour as noted by the National Park Service. About four years ago, O’Donnell saw that the doors to the old church were unsecured, and with a camera in hand, she entered. “My first experience in this building was one of extreme sorrow, and it was not sorrow because of its condition, but sorrow because it appeared that the congregation had intended to come back the following weekend,” she said. “They had left a very large Bible on the lectern. They left artificial flowers in vases on each of the windowsills, but it had appeared that someone had made the decision that it was no longer viable to continue operating as it once had. “While it hurt my heart to see this building orphaned, I also thought that it had so much promise.” O’Donnell shared her photographs with her friend
Anthony Johnson, a certified lay speaker at Dale Memorial United Methodist Church, as well as with her husband Craig O’Donnell and several others. Soon after, she received a phone call from the Rev. Kevin Benjamin of St. Paul’s United Methodist Church who told O’Donnell that Zoar might be purchased by an out-of-town interest. “I began asking my friends Photos courtesy of Friends of Zoar what was going to happen to An archival photograph of the this building if someone from church’s congregation outside out of our area were to get a the church. hold of it,” she said. “There is a rich cultural story about the African-American community and Black Methodist churches in southern New Castle County, and this church represents that story being told,” Johnson said. “This church was founded by the first generation of free Blacks – a significant history all by itself, but the subsequent generations that followed were equally as important. “I told Kate, ‘I am all in.’” Soon after, Friends of Zoar was formed. Continued on Page 38
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Zoar United Methodist Episcopal Church Continued from Page 37
‘Bringing it back to life’ The objective of Friends of Zoar is simple: To raise funding to support restoration of the church, the adjacent social hall and kitchen, the surrounding grounds, and to engage the general public in interpretive programming. Getting there, however, will be a step-by-step process that will begin with the group’s initiatives to purchase the building, which is currently in motion. It will be followed by asking restoration architects to survey the church and create work plans for its refurbishing, and then applying for construction grants. “The Peninsula Methodist Conference is willing to deed the property to us,” said Steve Johnson, treasurer of Friends of Zoar. “They are happy to see it come into the hands of people who wish to revive it. We hope to receive the title by the Spring and then begin our fundraising efforts.” Eventually, Friends of Zoar hopes to fully refurbish the church while keeping as much of the building’s original architecture and character as possible, beginning with refreshing the interior and weatherizing the church. What cannot be salvaged will be modeled as close to the original design of the church as possible, Steve Johnson said. “We saw this as an opportunity to honor those who once worshipped here and to restore an important building and bring it back to life,” he said. “While we haven’t yet established what our total mission will be, we know that our efforts Continued on Page 40
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Once funding and grants are received, the building will undergo renovation and include repairs to its ceiling.
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Zoar United Methodist Episcopal Church
|Middletown Life| Continued from Page 38
are about a building that that represents a piece of Delaware history, and bringing it back to life.” “This is in line with adaptive re-use rather than it being an active house of worship,” said O’Donnell. After the buildings are restored, Friends of Zoar members envision the building becoming a cultural resource for the community, filled with event-based programming that will host celebrations like Juneteenth and Harriet Tubman Day, as well as gospel music concerts and featured speakers. Long-range plans have also included using the church as a community outreach center that will provide assistance to the underserved and the homeless, as well as for early childhood education. Odessa Mayor Harvey C. Smith, Jr. said that once remodeled, Zoar will join the many homes along Main Street that form the Historic District in Odessa. “This church would have ended up like many pieces of property – continuing to decay – were it not for Friends of Zoar,” he said. “Without their help, it may have become another denomination and the history of this building could have been lost. This opens up a dormant structure and gives it a future, so that it will become an integral part of this community, just as the homes in the Historic District of Odessa have become.” Friends of Zoar member Eric Mease did his master’s degree thesis on U.S. Colored Troops from Cecil County, and whenever he enters an historic district Continued on Page 42
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Nearly perfect stained glass windows illuminate the church’s interior at times during the day.
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Zoar United Methodist |Middletown Life|Episcopal Church Continued from Page 40
that has a burial ground designated for African Americans, he studies and surveys the tombstones. A few years ago, while teaching at Lewis B. Redding School in Middletown, Mease visited the nearby Dale United Methodist Cemetery. During his tour, Mease discovered a name on a tombstone, and after extensive research, he connected the name to Zoar United Methodist Episcopal Church, and then made an even more important discovery: The man once served on the church’s board of trustees. “As an historian, saving a building is important, but more than that, it is about saving history – the history of a church, the history of a community and a history of a people,” he said. “There is a lot of white history being taught, explained and opened up to the public, but we are still deficient on the history of people of color. Restoring this building would be a huge step in the direction of diversifying our history and the stories that we tell to each other – to our kids and future generations. “It’s important to preserve that in order to know where we are going.”
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Lucretia’s prayer Of the many parishioners at Dale Memorial United Methodist Church, one of them is 92-year-old Lucretia Munson, who is the oldest surviving member of Zoar United Methodist Episcopal Church. For Lucretia, the memory of the old church and her many moments there are never far from her mind, and during a prayer meeting conducted by Anthony Johnson at Dale Memorial, she began praying that someday, Zoar church would see the day when it would open again. “More than anything, Mrs. Munson prayed that the doors of this church would be open and that someone’s soul would be saved and that church services could take place here,” Anthony Johnson said. “We – every member of Friends of Zoar and beyond -- have faith that all of these things will come to pass, because she has earnestly been praying for that.” “The name ‘Friends of Zoar’ was chosen to honor the caretakers of this building during its declining years. More
Many of the features remain from the church, which served parishioners from the time it opened in 1881 to 1973, when regular services ended.
than anything, they were committed to preaching the gospel and making certain that someone would continue to have an opportunity to give their life to Christ. Mrs. Munson is one of those people, and we are here to see that her prayer comes true.”
To learn more about the work of Friends of Zoar, to volunteer or to make a financial contribution, visit www. friendsofzoar.org, or email friendsofzoar@gmail.com. To contact Staff Writer Richard L. Gaw, email rgaw@chestercounty.com.
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|Middletown Life Photo Essay|
Odessa’s magical place o matrimony and happiness
Photos by Moonloop Photography 44
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e of history,
Text by Richard L. Gaw
C
an we count the times when our footsteps have traced the same paths of our history, in such a way that has not only transported us back to another time but heightened the moments we have walked through it? There is such a place of emotions and delights – where imagination meets nature and our nation’s past collides with new beginnings – and it invites you to take your own steps through it. Thanks to the dedication and vision of individuals and organizations, generations of Middletown, Odessa and Townsend families have strolled the 72-acre grounds of the Historic Odessa Foundation that include the Colonial Revival Secret Garden adjacent to the Corbit-Sharp House, where they are swept up in the beauty of the heirloom plants and the soft breezes that come from the Appoquinimink River. They have delighted in celebrating the holidays there, when the Foundation opens its historic houses and transforms them into scenes from classic books and fairy tales. They have delighted in the spectacular visuals of the Storybook Trees exhibit, spent countless hours in conversation with local artists who have celebrated their work at shows at the Bank, walked side-by-side with historic reenactors and sipped artisan brews, malts and mead at the annual Historic Odessa Brewfest. Continued on Page 46 www.middletownlifemagazine.com | Spring/Summer 2022 | Middletown Life
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Odessa’s secret garden Continued from Page 45
It is also a magical place where dreams begin. Set in the storybook of American history, the grounds of the Historic Odessa Foundation provide a landscaped backdrop for weddings. For the past several years, brides and grooms have shared their promises beside restored 18th and 19thcentury homes and gardens, tilted champagne flutes on the patio of the Corbit-Sharp House, and posed for moonlight photographs against the rustic Fieldstone Stable. In many ways, the mission of the Historic Odessa Foundation is more than just preserving our past, but also celebrating it, and for those on the receiving side of their efforts, we get to walk through history, and celebrate those heightened moments, together. Historic Odessa is now open for Spring tours. For a complete list of all events and activities, visit the Historic Odessa Foundation’s website at www.historicodessa.org.
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|Middletown Life Q&A|
Crystal Crystal and and Steven Steven Ashby Ashby of of Crystal’s Crystal’s Comfort Comfort Food Food F
rom the time Crystal and Steven Ashby first opened the doors to their Crystal’s Comfort Food in April 2021, the tastes of their influences brought a new sensation of cooking to the Middletown area. The secret? Some regular customers say it’s the award-winning sauces, while others say it’s the “soul” found in each recipe. Middletown Life recently caught up with Crystal and Steven to learn about their influences, their flavors and the special guests they would like to see around that dinner table. Middletown Life: Let’s start your story at the beginning. Take the readers of Middletown Life back to the origins of food you were both raised on. Where did you grow up, and what were some of your favorite dishes when you were children? Steven: I’m from Philadelphia, so the first thing that comes to mind would obviously be cheesesteaks. My mother was known for her lasagna, which was a popular dish in my family. My grandmother made a lot of southern-style soul food, like macaroni and cheese, ham and cabbage and collard greens. Crystal: I grew up just outside of Philadelphia, but all of my family dinners and big family holidays all happened in Philadelphia. My grandmothers and aunts were in the kitchen, and the rule was that you didn’t go in the kitchen unless you were cooking. We had the whole set-up: fried chicken, macaroni cheese – all of the things that you should eat every day. There isn’t a chef alive who doesn’t draw his or her inspiration from someone or somewhere. Who or what has influenced the two of you and what you bring to Crystal’s Comfort Food? 48
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Crystal: My mother was a huge inspiration for me. I looked at everything she did and how she did it, and how she made it work. I used to tell myself that if my mother as a single parent could do it on her own, I could do it as a woman who has been married for 13 years. I imagine myself as “My mother 2.0.” Steven: My father has worked for SEPTA for 30-plus years, but my mother had three jobs when I was young. She worked at a gas station, a daycare center and a nightclub, while also taking care of my brother and me. Her work ethic has spearheaded me throughout my life. She always told me, ‘Don’t ever take anything from anyone, and always work for what you want.’ From her, all I have ever known has been to work hard and figure it out on my own, so with my background and how my mother raised me and how Crystal’s mother taught her, we have meshed perfectly together. In 2013, you both lost your jobs, and moved your family to Delaware. By 2016, you had begun a food catering service. Talk about what led to the formation of that business. Crystal: That was something that I literally just fell into. When we first moved to Delaware, we lived in my mother’s family room for a month and a half, because we needed to start over. Steven had received unemployment compensation from SEPTA stemming from his injury, but I had lost my job and was also pregnant with our second child. Although we did end up getting jobs, all of the money we were making was going to rent and daycare, so I decided that I needed to stop working. Being from Philadelphia, cheesesteaks and buffalo wings were our favorites, but I could not find great wings anywhere in Delaware, so I went to our kitchen and made
Photo by Richard L. Gaw
Crystal and Steven Ashby of Crystal’s Comfort Food in Middletown.
them myself, and began to bring my home recipe to every family event. After our third child was born, Steven and I began a cleaning company, and one day I invited a cleaning company colleague to come over to give me advice on the business, and as he was enjoying his dinner, he asked me, ‘Why are you running a cleaning company when you can cook like this?’ The next day, he asked us to cater an event for his fraternity. Within an hour-and-a-half, we created the name “Crystal’s Comfort Food,” we got a license, insurance, put the menu together and sent it to him. Word-of-mouth put us on the map. What did the both of you see in Middletown in terms of potential for your business? Steven: The one thing we began to notice when we first moved to Middletown was that there was very little variety in terms of restaurant food. There were the standard burger joints and a few pizza joints, but there were no places where you could get great wings, and we were wing people. Crystal: There was no restaurant that I was able to find where I could walk in and get a plate of food that felt like
my mother or my grandmother had made it – something that didn’t taste like it came from a restaurant but from a home kitchen. We knew that if we set up a comfort food restaurant in Middletown that it would become a big hit. Crystal’s Comfort Food opened on April 9, 2021. Your slogan reads: “It’s soul good.” What does “soul” taste like? Crystal: It starts with the seasonings you put in it. You have to be specific on what you put in your food to make it taste the way it tastes. It’s a thought process that begins by taking your time and really caring about how you approach each dish. We don’t measure when it comes to soul food. We mix until it tastes good. It’s also the environment in which we cook. I have my music blasting really loud when I cook. We hear dancing and singing – everything working as one -- like when you wake up on Christmas morning and your mother is making breakfast in the kitchen and you know it’s about to be a great day. That’s how I feel when I walk into my kitchen and turn on my sound system. Continued on Page 50 www.middletownlifemagazine.com | Spring/Summer 2022 | Middletown Life
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Crystal’s Comfort Food Continued from Page 49
No matter how challenging the day has been, when I begin to cook, it opens my soul, and I translate that to my food.
his classmates started a young entrepreneur group, and last summer, he opened up his own water ice stand here. We told him, ‘That is on you.’
There is a video that circulated in 2021 that celebrated the opening of Crystal’s Comfort Food, in which three young chefs – your sons – are seen wearing chef’s hats and mixing up ingredients. At the end of the video, your fourth son is being held by Crystal’s brother as they enter the restaurant. Your customers will get a chance to see these young men grow up. Have any of them expressed an early interest in following in Mom and Dad’s footsteps? Crystal: They talk about being business owners and taking over the restaurant, but they haven’t yet started to say that they want to become a chef like me. Steven: Children tend to mimic their parents. If your parents are real estate owners, you are likely to say, ‘I could do that.’ Our sons look at us less as chefs and more as entrepreneurs. Four years ago, our oldest son and some of
The customer reviews for Crystal’s Comfort Food have been amazing. Talk about the additional ways your happy customers can order and pick up your food. Crystal: We recently linked in with Door Dash. In addition to having the restaurant, we also have a line of our sauces that are available online on our website and a new frozen food line called FROCO – is scheduled to be available this summer online, on Insta Cart, on Door Dash, and hopefully in supermarkets.
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In less than one year – and despite a pandemic -- you have built up a steady and consistent customer base. You have received rave reviews. You have been featured on the Food Network. You are developing innovative methods of distribution and pursuing new markets. Paint the future of Crystal’s Comfort Food for the readers of Middletown Life.
Crystal: The next step I see is a stand-alone location with a drive-thru. If KFC can do it, CCF can do it, because it would open up a new method for customers to access soul food. I am thinking bigger in terms of our exposure – I want to be in the malls, with drive-thru capability and at additional single-standing restaurants. Steven: You ever see these movies where business people come to a restaurant after work and have a drink and relax while great jazz music plays in the background? That is the type of destination we want to build – a place where people can not only enjoy their company and live jazz music, but also a limited menu of Crystal’s Comfort Food. Our biggest concern, however, is our reluctance to franchise our business, because we feel that it would take away the same tastes and quality that we have made here. What is your favorite place in Middletown? Steven: Our home! When we drop our sons off with their grandmother, our home becomes the best place in the world! Continued on Page 52
Courtesy photo
Since the restaurant’s opening in April 2021, Crystal’s wings have graced the tables of homes throughout Middletown.
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Crystal’s Comfort Food Continued from Page 51
The two of you host a dinner party and can invite anyone – famous or not, living or not – to enjoy your food. Who will sit around that table? Steven: My mother is no longer here, so I would definitely love to see her again. Crystal: The comedian Dave Chappelle, and here is why. I love how unapologetic he is. He loves everyone, and no matter what people say about him, he doesn’t care. He puts everything he feels out there, and asks people to take it or leave it. That’s how I feel about myself. This is who I am, take it or leave it. When people give me suggestions about my menu or the restaurant’s color scheme or about whom I hire, my answer is always, ‘Why? I just want to be Crystal.’ Chappelle said, ‘It’s just jokes. I just want to make people laugh.’ Similarly, it’s just food and I just want to feed people. What food or beverage can always be found in your refrigerator at home? Crystal: You can always find a bottle of our sauce there. There is always some kind of Crystal’s Comfort Food there, as well.
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Courtesy photo
Crystal’s popular hot sauces can be purchased online by visiting the restaurant’s website.
Crystal’s Comfort Food is located at 426 East Main Street in Middletown. To learn more, see the menu or to place an order, visit www.CrystalsComfortFood.com.
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|Middletown History|
Middletown Academy.
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I
f you’re driving around Middletown, Delaware and want to find some links to the past, you won’t have to go too far. On the west side of Broad Street near Crawford stands Continued on Page 58
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Historic Middletown Continued from Page 56
a building whose roots go back almost two centuries. In 1824, a group of local citizens petitioned the General Assembly to construct a building for “an academy and elementary school, and also a room for public worship.” A lottery was held the next year and $10,000 was raised to purchase six acres of land for the structure. A problem arose almost immediately. According to historian Thomas J. Scharf, author of “History of Delaware: 1609-1888,” one landowner refused to sell, so a trustee of the proposed institution, William Crawford, donated a two-acre lot for the Historic photograph of Noxontown, Delaware. school. Construction began in 1826 and was completed the following year. The Middletown Academy was a private school typically utilized by the families of ‘country gentlemen.’ The building is solid brick with a yellow stucco facade, two and a half stories in height with a belfry and Old Noxontown Mill, courtesy of Historic American Engineering Record.
Continued on Page 60
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Historic Middletown Continued from Page 58
cupola, as well as four dormers arched above the roof. For years it was called “the Yellow Prison” by students. In “Historic Landmarks of Delaware and the Eastern Shore,” author Betty Harrington Macdonald states that Reverend John Wilson was the first principal of the academy starting in 1827 at a salary of $400 per year. An early advertisement mentioned tutoring in the “English branches” for $8 a session; mathematics training cost two dollars more. For those families who lived far away, Macdonald mentions that early advertising stated: “Good boarding can be had in respectable families in the village at the rate of $40 per session” and “a few boarders can be accommodated in the family of the principal.” As this author attended a small private Catholic school as a child, these words hint at how schools used to operate many years ago. The Academy functioned as a private institution until 1876, when it was leased to two public school districts. Classes were held there until 1929, when a local school was built. The trustees sold the Academy building to the federal government, but public interest prompted the St. Georges Hundred Historical Society to purchase it in 1945. Fifteen years later, the town bought the building Continued on Page 60 and over the years it has housed offices, a meeting hall, police station and library, more recently the local historical society and Chamber of Commerce. It was listed on Continued on Page 62
Mass being held at Old St. Anne’s Church. 60
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Historic Middletown Continued from Page 60
the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. A building whose roots go back roughly three centuries also calls Middletown its home. Old St. Anne’s Church was built in 1768 on the site of a former wooden church previously constructed around 1705. The church was named in honor of Queen Anne, the English monarch at the time. Macdonald in her book mentions that after a period of rotation among various preachers, the Church stabilized under the leadership of Reverend Philip Reading starting around 1746. A staunch supporter of the Crown, Reading began hearing protests from church members as the American Revolution got underway. He never preached there again after July 21, 1776. The beautiful Flemish bond brick structure is a sturdy reminder of how churches were built over 250 years ago. An east end Palladian window allows light inside; some of the other windows are shuttered. Macdonald describes galleries on the south and west walls; box pews with doors have three sections for those who want to worship. Outside the building stands a white oak tree believed to be more than 400 years old. The nearby cemetery holds a distinctive gravestone- that of artist Continued on Page 64
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Old St. Anne’s Church in Middletown, Delaware.
Historical marker for Old St. Anne’s Church.
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NO PRICE QUOTES WILL BE GIVEN VIA PHONE. 13 Mount Pleasant Drive Aston, Pennsylvania 19014. www.middletownlifemagazine.com | Spring/Summer 2022 | Middletown Life
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Historic Middletown Continued from Page 62
Frank Schoonover (1877- 1972). Schoonover was one of the highly gifted students of Howard Pyle, founder of the Brandywine School of Artists. He became one of the most successful illustrators of the early-mid 20th century. His works along with those of his mentor are featured at the Delaware Museum of Art. Just southeast of Middletown, you can see a part of early industrial America still in good shape. The Noxontown Mill has roots that go back to around 1740, after Thomas Noxon built a dam on nearby Appoquinimink Creek. The grist mill which operated there supplied schooners which sailed up the Appoquinimink to load grain from its doors. A small settlement grew up around the mill which came to be called Noxontown. Macdonald notes that by the time of the Revolutionary War, the area had a bakehouse, a brew house and an inn. It has been reported that Noxon’s son was living at the property when British General William Howe’s forces prepared to march northward to assault colonial troops near Cooch’s Bridge. The mill has undergone several restorations over the
decades, from the 1880s to the 1950s and despite its age, is in remarkably good condition. The site was listed on the National Register in 1973. So, if you’re looking to find some of Delaware’s “roots,” these sites around Middletown can bring you all the way back to the days when our country was young, early settlers worked the land and our republic was just beginning to take shape.
Gene Pisasale is an historian, author and lecturer based in Kennett Square. He has written ten books focusing mostly on the Chester County and Philadelphia area. His latest book is “Forgotten Founding Fathers: Pennsylvania and Delaware in the American Revolution.” His books are available on www.Amazon.com and through his website at www.GenePisasale.com. Gene can be reached via e-mail at Gene@GenePisasale.com.
DELAWARE’S OLDEST RUNNING TAVERN
302-376-8222 • 12 West Main Street, Middletown, DE 19709 64
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Artist and illustrator Frank Schoonover.
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Your Dream Event Unique • Rustic • Waterfront • Secluded Weddings Corporate Events Festivals Fundraisers
THOUSAND ACRE FARM 260 South Reedy Point Road, Middletown, DE 302-445-8880 | events@thousandacrefarm.com | | www.thousandacrefarm.com
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