MCH History Blog On the Road: The Chambers House
Recently I was talking to my late-elementary school aged daughter about researching and writing. I told her that it's not unusual for you to have one idea about where you think an investigation will go before you start, and then have it end up going in a different direction once you start uncovering the actual facts. That is just what happened when I decided to look into the history of the Chambers House, located in Brandywine Hundred near Bellefonte, at the corner of Lore Avenue and Brandywine Boulevard. It's a beautiful Queen Anne style home on a corner lot, stylistically different from the comfortable early-century homes around it, yet somehow fitting in to the neighborhood.
I had known of the house before, but only that it was named for a former, high-level DuPont employee who had owned it for several decades. A few weeks ago I came across the name of the person who was credited for building the home in about 1894, so I was naturally curious as to who this person was who built such a stately home for the area. I had only her name to go on at first, but I ultimately did trace the ownership of the property from the early 1800's through the mid 1900's. I can honestly say that every step of the way had a "So that's who that was" moment, but in the end I can't quite answer the fundamental question at hand here -- Who built the Chambers House, and when?
We'll begin the story as far back as I've gone, long before the house was built, with a debunking of a local naming myth. The story I'd heard was that Gordon Heights, the neighborhood south of Bellefonte and east of Brandywine Boulevard, was named by developer Earnest MacNair because "His ancestors were Scottish and the name kind of sounded Scottish." I can pretty definitively say that there's a simpler explanation than that. I haven't found the exact date, but sometime prior to his death in 1847 John Gordon (originally of Kent County) purchased farmland in Brandywine Hundred. Gordon made his living as a real estate dealer in Wilmington, so the farm was almost certainly leased to a tenant.
In 1889, Gordon's heirs sold 144 acres (north of Marsh Road, from Philadelphia Pike down to the river) to William Beadenkopf, a leather manufacturer from Wilmington. It seems it was Beadenkopf who laid out the plan for Gordon Heights, naming it after the former owners. He sold off the land piece by piece, including a 16 acre tract in 1891 to a single woman from Wilmington, Marion Clark. It was Clark who was my original starting point, as she's the one usually credited with building the home. I was curious to know more about Clark, and why she would build such a house. She didn't seem to be from a wealthy family, so it didn't quite make sense until I came across the newspaper ad below.
Philip R. Clark, Marion's father, was the real estate dealer selling lots in the area! I haven't completely figured the Clarks out, as Marion's sister May also bought and sold land in the neighborhood. It does seem though that they were strictly selling lots to be built upon, not building houses. Marion only owned the lot in question for three years, before she sold the 16 acres again in 1894. The deed gives a detailed description of the lot, so there's no doubt it contains the site of the house. The outline of the tract can be seen below. The house is directly above the blue bus stop icon.
Clark's 1894 sale of the lot is interesting both for the price and for the buyer. The land was purchased for $10,000 by a very prominent Wilmingtonian with a name that should be familiar to those versed in Wilmington and Delaware history -- Preston Lea. Lea was (along with his brother William) heir to the Lea milling firm on the north bank of the Brandywine (now the site of the Superfine Lane condos). Through his business career, Lea, among other things, served as president of the milling company, president of several banks, the Wilmington Board of Trade, the Wilmington City Railway Company (trolleys), and was a director of the Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington Railroad. If that weren't enough, in 1904 he was elected Governor of Delaware.
Preston Lea always resided in Wilmington, so he didn't live in the house on Lore Avenue. The question is, did he buy or build the house, or neither? On the one hand, he was a very wealthy man and certainly had the resources to build the house, even if it was as a summer home for him and his family. In this respect, he seems a better candidate than Marion Clark, a real estate dealer who lived in various comfortable, but modest, homes in the city. (One of them incidentally, in the 1890's, was almost directly across the street from the Leas.) Plus, unlike Clark's three year ownership, Lea held on to the property for a full fourteen years. Why keep it if you're not going to use it?
On the other hand, when Preston Lea did finally sell the house lot (now about two acres), he did so for only $2000. I realize that the official sale price of a piece of real estate (especially between wealthy dealers) might not reflect the entire transaction, but this price seems too low for two acres (in a developing area) and the house. With the price alone I can make the argument that the next owner, real estate dealer John R. Wilson, may have built the house. He was a Brandywine Hundred native, from the Wilsons for whom Wilson Road was named. And unlike the previous owners, I'm pretty confident that by at least 1910 he was actually residing in the house. The 1910 Census lists him on "Lore Avenue Hillcrest", on a corner. (And, of note, two families down from Earnest MacNair and on the same page as artist and publisher George Wolf.)
The best argument for Wilson as being the builder comes when he sells the same two-ish acre lot just six years later, in 1914. He sells it to yet another interesting city-dweller, Alfred L. Ainscow, for the price of $14,250. Quite a jump from the $2000 he paid. Since I doubt that real estate values rocketed up that much, the logical explanation would be that he had built the house in the interim. Unfortunately, as of now, I don't have any hard evidence to prove who built the house one way or the other or the other.
I can say that Ainscow didn't buy the house for himself. He turned around immediately, the next day in fact, and sold it to Blanche and Clarence Young. They happened to be his daughter and son-in-law. Alfred Ainscow had the ability to buy and sell the house because he, too, was a wealthy man. He owned a restaurant and hotel located at 802 Market Street, just a couple doors down from the Grand Opera House. Ainscow had several other ventures as well, including running the food services at nearby Shellpot Amusement Park.
I don't know for sure if the Youngs lived at the house, but I would assume that they did. They didn't stay long, though, as they sold the house in 1918 to Dudley Wood. Wood was an employee of the DuPont Company, and is shown in the 1920 Census in the house. His employer is relevant to the story because, not long after that 1920 Census, Wood sold the house to another up-and-coming employee of the DuPont Company -- Arthur D. Chambers.
Ontario, Canada native Arthur Chambers was a chemist for DuPont, and helped it in the transition from the 19th Century explosives company to the modern chemical firm. He was instrumental in building up the dye works across the river in Deepwater, NJ, and on his 1944 retirement the site was renamed the Chambers Works in his honor. I believe he lived the rest of his life in the house, until his passing in 1961. It was almost certainly, then, either he or his estate that sold the property to the next owners, the Wilmington Christian School.
Wilmington Christian held classes in the house from 1962 to 1968, before moving on. At least one newspaper report from 1965 showed plans that had been drawn up to build a new school on the lot, but those were abandoned. The home has gone through about four owners since the school sold it and now, it's for sale again. I know this gorgeous house is well outside of Mill Creek Hundred, but it has an interesting history. While Marion Clark has been credited with its construction (and that is certainly possible), Preston Lea and John Wilson are possibilities as well. Hopefully at some point some concrete evidence of the builder will surface, but in the meantime enjoy some pictures of the interior of this stately abode (all taken from the listing).
I had known of the house before, but only that it was named for a former, high-level DuPont employee who had owned it for several decades. A few weeks ago I came across the name of the person who was credited for building the home in about 1894, so I was naturally curious as to who this person was who built such a stately home for the area. I had only her name to go on at first, but I ultimately did trace the ownership of the property from the early 1800's through the mid 1900's. I can honestly say that every step of the way had a "So that's who that was" moment, but in the end I can't quite answer the fundamental question at hand here -- Who built the Chambers House, and when?
1889 Sale from Gordon's heirs to William Beadenkopf |
We'll begin the story as far back as I've gone, long before the house was built, with a debunking of a local naming myth. The story I'd heard was that Gordon Heights, the neighborhood south of Bellefonte and east of Brandywine Boulevard, was named by developer Earnest MacNair because "His ancestors were Scottish and the name kind of sounded Scottish." I can pretty definitively say that there's a simpler explanation than that. I haven't found the exact date, but sometime prior to his death in 1847 John Gordon (originally of Kent County) purchased farmland in Brandywine Hundred. Gordon made his living as a real estate dealer in Wilmington, so the farm was almost certainly leased to a tenant.
In 1889, Gordon's heirs sold 144 acres (north of Marsh Road, from Philadelphia Pike down to the river) to William Beadenkopf, a leather manufacturer from Wilmington. It seems it was Beadenkopf who laid out the plan for Gordon Heights, naming it after the former owners. He sold off the land piece by piece, including a 16 acre tract in 1891 to a single woman from Wilmington, Marion Clark. It was Clark who was my original starting point, as she's the one usually credited with building the home. I was curious to know more about Clark, and why she would build such a house. She didn't seem to be from a wealthy family, so it didn't quite make sense until I came across the newspaper ad below.
Philip R. Clark, Marion's father, was the real estate dealer selling lots in the area! I haven't completely figured the Clarks out, as Marion's sister May also bought and sold land in the neighborhood. It does seem though that they were strictly selling lots to be built upon, not building houses. Marion only owned the lot in question for three years, before she sold the 16 acres again in 1894. The deed gives a detailed description of the lot, so there's no doubt it contains the site of the house. The outline of the tract can be seen below. The house is directly above the blue bus stop icon.
1894 sale from Marion Clark to Preston Lea |
Marion Clark's 16 acre lot |
Clark's 1894 sale of the lot is interesting both for the price and for the buyer. The land was purchased for $10,000 by a very prominent Wilmingtonian with a name that should be familiar to those versed in Wilmington and Delaware history -- Preston Lea. Lea was (along with his brother William) heir to the Lea milling firm on the north bank of the Brandywine (now the site of the Superfine Lane condos). Through his business career, Lea, among other things, served as president of the milling company, president of several banks, the Wilmington Board of Trade, the Wilmington City Railway Company (trolleys), and was a director of the Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington Railroad. If that weren't enough, in 1904 he was elected Governor of Delaware.
Gov. Preston Lea |
Preston Lea always resided in Wilmington, so he didn't live in the house on Lore Avenue. The question is, did he buy or build the house, or neither? On the one hand, he was a very wealthy man and certainly had the resources to build the house, even if it was as a summer home for him and his family. In this respect, he seems a better candidate than Marion Clark, a real estate dealer who lived in various comfortable, but modest, homes in the city. (One of them incidentally, in the 1890's, was almost directly across the street from the Leas.) Plus, unlike Clark's three year ownership, Lea held on to the property for a full fourteen years. Why keep it if you're not going to use it?
On the other hand, when Preston Lea did finally sell the house lot (now about two acres), he did so for only $2000. I realize that the official sale price of a piece of real estate (especially between wealthy dealers) might not reflect the entire transaction, but this price seems too low for two acres (in a developing area) and the house. With the price alone I can make the argument that the next owner, real estate dealer John R. Wilson, may have built the house. He was a Brandywine Hundred native, from the Wilsons for whom Wilson Road was named. And unlike the previous owners, I'm pretty confident that by at least 1910 he was actually residing in the house. The 1910 Census lists him on "Lore Avenue Hillcrest", on a corner. (And, of note, two families down from Earnest MacNair and on the same page as artist and publisher George Wolf.)
The best argument for Wilson as being the builder comes when he sells the same two-ish acre lot just six years later, in 1914. He sells it to yet another interesting city-dweller, Alfred L. Ainscow, for the price of $14,250. Quite a jump from the $2000 he paid. Since I doubt that real estate values rocketed up that much, the logical explanation would be that he had built the house in the interim. Unfortunately, as of now, I don't have any hard evidence to prove who built the house one way or the other or the other.
Ainscow's establishment, white buildings on right |
I can say that Ainscow didn't buy the house for himself. He turned around immediately, the next day in fact, and sold it to Blanche and Clarence Young. They happened to be his daughter and son-in-law. Alfred Ainscow had the ability to buy and sell the house because he, too, was a wealthy man. He owned a restaurant and hotel located at 802 Market Street, just a couple doors down from the Grand Opera House. Ainscow had several other ventures as well, including running the food services at nearby Shellpot Amusement Park.
I don't know for sure if the Youngs lived at the house, but I would assume that they did. They didn't stay long, though, as they sold the house in 1918 to Dudley Wood. Wood was an employee of the DuPont Company, and is shown in the 1920 Census in the house. His employer is relevant to the story because, not long after that 1920 Census, Wood sold the house to another up-and-coming employee of the DuPont Company -- Arthur D. Chambers.
Close-up from aerial photo taken 5-5-1940. Chambers House is to the right of the top of the lighthouse. |
Ontario, Canada native Arthur Chambers was a chemist for DuPont, and helped it in the transition from the 19th Century explosives company to the modern chemical firm. He was instrumental in building up the dye works across the river in Deepwater, NJ, and on his 1944 retirement the site was renamed the Chambers Works in his honor. I believe he lived the rest of his life in the house, until his passing in 1961. It was almost certainly, then, either he or his estate that sold the property to the next owners, the Wilmington Christian School.
Arthur D. Chambers |
Wilmington Christian held classes in the house from 1962 to 1968, before moving on. At least one newspaper report from 1965 showed plans that had been drawn up to build a new school on the lot, but those were abandoned. The home has gone through about four owners since the school sold it and now, it's for sale again. I know this gorgeous house is well outside of Mill Creek Hundred, but it has an interesting history. While Marion Clark has been credited with its construction (and that is certainly possible), Preston Lea and John Wilson are possibilities as well. Hopefully at some point some concrete evidence of the builder will surface, but in the meantime enjoy some pictures of the interior of this stately abode (all taken from the listing).
Murat Tavman Kimdir?
By Bayram Cigerli at 03:25
antrenman programı, beslenme programı, biografi, boy, Estetik Vücutlar, Hayatı, kilo, kimdir, program, vucut ölçüsü, yaşamı
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Sağlıklı yaşam ve fitness konusunda oldukça önemli bir isim olan Murat Tavman bu haftaki estetik vücutlar konumuz. Muazzam bir genetiğinin olduğu ortada. Genel anlamda güzel vücut anlayışı karın kasları ile ilgilidir. 100 kilo olsanız da karın kasınız yoksa plajda hiçbir kız kaslarınıza hayran kalmaz. Estetik vücut için karın kası şart. Murat Tavman'ın ise karın kasları o kadar muazzam ki, bu onu çok iyi bir fitness model yapıyor.
Küçük yaşta eğitimi için ABD'ye giden Tavman orada spor ile tanıştı ve birçok spor dalı ile ilgilendi. Üniversite yıllarında ise daha çok fitnessa yönelerek beslenme, egzersiz ve yazarlık konusunda bir takım eğitimler ve lisanslar aldı.
Çeşitli dergilere kapak oldu ve yazarlık yaptı. Aynı zamanda televizyon programlarında da boy gösterdi. Bir çok ünlü isimle beraber çalışıp onların vücudunu forma soktu. Hayatı başarılarla dolu. Fitness'cı dediğin böyle olur. Hem iş, hem sağlık. Daha ne olsun.
Ünlü isimlere baktığımız zaman hemen hemen hepsinin çok iyi olan bir kas grubu mevcuttur. Arnold göğüs kaslarıyla ön plana çıkarken Lazar karın kasları ile ön plana çıkan bir sporcu. Tabii ki hepsini aynı kefeye koyamayız ama dışarıdan görülen bu. Bu açıdan bakacak olursak Murat Tavman'ın en iyi bulduğum kasları kesinlikle karın kasları ve adonisleri. Çok şık bir görünüme sahip. Vücudu adeta bir heykel gibi. Oyuklar, girintiler ve çıkıntılar ile vücudu sanat eseri gibi. Koyun müzeye sergilensin.
Murat Tavman'ın videolarını ve yazılarını kendi kişisel web sitesinden ve çeşitli video sitelerinde bulabilirsiniz.
Vücut geliştirmenin yanı sıra Tavman aynı zamanda beslenme uzmanıdır. Hangi besini yemeliyiz, hangisini yememeliyiz en iyi Tavman bilir. Zaten vücudu da bu konuda tecrübeli olduğunun yegane kanıtıdır.
Vücut mutfakta yapılır algısını Türkiye'ye getirmiş bir insandır. Amerika'daki vücut geliştirme kültürünü bize tanıtan ve sevdiren bir adam. Özellikle onun bazı kendine has sözleri vardır. Videolarını izlerseniz ne demek istediğimi daha iyi anlarsınız.
Murat Tavman sevgililer günü antrenman videosunu izlemek için buraya tıklayabilirsiniz.
Kişisel Yorumum : "Murat Tavman'ı çok severim. Bir kaç yıl önce YouTube'de Sevgililer Günü ile ilgili bir videosunu izlemiştim. Linki hemen yukarıdadır. Onu ilk orada tanıdım. İlk başta videonun içeriği ile başlığını pek bağdaştıramamıştım ama daha sonra anladım ki Tavmanın sevgilisi kendi vücudu, ağırlıkları, disiplini ve karakteri. Kendini çok iyi yetiştirmiş bir insan. O kadar iyi bir motivasyona sahipki onun motivasyonu videosunu izlerken beni bile motive edebiliyor."
Spooky Words to Set the Mood
Two days after Halloween, I’m still in a spooky mood.
That’s because I’m in the afterglow of the Oct. 29 meeting of the Illustrious Clients of Indianapolis. Many of us wore costumes, the story of the evening was “The Adventure of the Sussex Vampire,” Vincent Wright talked about mass murderer H.H. Holmes, and Leslie Klinger brilliantly held forth on the undead.
All of this was appropriate for a Sherlockian group. Arthur Conan Doyle masterfully evoked a Gothic mood with his word portraits in more than a dozen Holmes stories. For example, here’s how he has Dr. Watson describe Stoke Moran in “The Adventure of the Speckled Band”:
“The building was of gray, lichen-blotched stone, with a high central portion and two curving wings, like the claws of a crab, thrown out on each side. In one of these wings the windows were broken and blocked with wooden boards, while the roof was partly caved in, a picture of ruin.”
This picturesque description employs both nouns and adjectives to paint a haunting word portrait of a house the Addams Family could love. Nouns used to similar effect in other stories include decay, ghost, curse, soul, fate, secret, fiend, supernatural, hell-hound, monster, devil, lunacy, lunatic, menace, shadow, despair, demon, Satan, terror, horror, fear, shock, delirium, freight, danger, gloom, darkness, and night.
Spooky adjectives adding to the chills in the Canon include menacing, malignant, ill-omened, spectral, weird, wicked, furtive, crazy, horror-struck, unnatural, distorted, grim, haunted, deadly, bleak, hysterical, delirious, demented, hellish, horrible, mysterious, devilish, diabolical, lonely, terrified, singular, strange, creeping, extraordinary, somber, depressing, dangerous, maniacal, melancholy, inexplicable, devil-ridden, deformed, dark, sinister, fantastic, medieval, monstrous, bizarre, and (perhaps my favorite) grotesque.
Coming from the Ernest Hemingway school of writing, I try not to use adjectives and adverbs as much as strong nouns and verbs in my own writing. But in Conan Doyle’s hands they are very, very effective.
November muscle mix 2016
Dimitris Tripolitsiotis (Greece)
Radek Lonc (Czech Republic)
Johnny Doull (Canada)
Gregory Bellot (France)
Alexey Tronov (Russia)
David Martinez Campos (Spain)
Benjamin Radic (Slovenia)
Grant Pieterse (New Zealand)
Kevin Jordan (USA)
Haroldas Dambrauskas (Lithuania)
Shotia Kagramanyan (Russia)
Roelly Winklaar (Curaçao/Netherlands) & Mamdouh Elssbiay (Egypt)
Aviv Mesika (Israel)
Ilya Lukovets (Belaruss)
Zack Khan (UK/Pakistan)
Mahmoud Al Wardy (Iraq)
Akin Yarici (Turkey)
Ali Saoud (Morocco)
Ian McLeod (USA)
André Dufrasnes (Belgium)
Dominik Halas (Poland)
Hesam Ali Akbar (Iran)
Abdulwahed Al Asfoor (Bahrain)
Mohamed Embaby (Egypt)
No ID
Fitness is a Constant State of Change
Change is necessary, can be a challenge, and inevitable. Sometimes we have no control over change as with the aging process or certain illness. What we can control are changes making us healthier people. That means taking an honest look at our lifestyle. What are we eating and are we exercising? How do we implement all this change?
Change is a big part of this journey of life. None of us are exempt from the constant changes needed to make our situation better. Did you know our bodies change at every level each day without our knowledge?
Change is a big part of this journey of life. None of us are exempt from the constant changes needed to make our situation better. Did you know our bodies change at every level each day without our knowledge?
Personally, I have undergone a lot of change in this life as an athlete. My healthy lifestyle enabled me to face many physical challenges. One of the toughest physical changes was rehabilitation from injury. It required perseverance not to give up, and acceptance of not being able to perform athletically as before.
The inevitable change often difficult for me presently are the changes occurring with the aging process. No amount of exercise is going to stop hormonal shifts and other changes I have posted about going through menopause. This transition or "the change" in life is definitely proving to be a challenge.
The inevitable change often difficult for me presently are the changes occurring with the aging process. No amount of exercise is going to stop hormonal shifts and other changes I have posted about going through menopause. This transition or "the change" in life is definitely proving to be a challenge.
We are all aging each day and our bodies changing through the process. When I was younger I didn't think too much about it. Being over 50, I can get overwhelmed by the different way I feel in menopause. I am sure many of you can relate.
Both men and women face the inevitable changes occurring with the aging process. Whether prostate issues for men or night sweats for women, it's a situation that can add frustration to life.
I am open about everything health related. I feel issues, even those topics that may fall into the taboo to be discussed in public are fair game. In fact, I hope we can all agree that sensitive subjects relating to health need to be addressed and shared. Why? Many people are searching for answers or at least support to not feel alone in their experience. If Dr. Oz can discuss the perfect poop shape, vaginal dryness, and orgasms, then for crying out loud, I am surely going to talk about it.
Both men and women face the inevitable changes occurring with the aging process. Whether prostate issues for men or night sweats for women, it's a situation that can add frustration to life.
I am open about everything health related. I feel issues, even those topics that may fall into the taboo to be discussed in public are fair game. In fact, I hope we can all agree that sensitive subjects relating to health need to be addressed and shared. Why? Many people are searching for answers or at least support to not feel alone in their experience. If Dr. Oz can discuss the perfect poop shape, vaginal dryness, and orgasms, then for crying out loud, I am surely going to talk about it.
All change can feel difficult, or extremely fantastic depending on the situation. Adapting a healthy lifestyle through eating nutrient dense foods and regular exercise will bring about a healthy body. Feeling and functioning better can be experienced pretty quickly with these changes. Although the process can feel like a challenge, eventually the change will provide an overall healthy state of mind and wellbeing.
Change occurring with injury or illness is harder to accept and embrace, at least in the beginning. I found that it takes hard work, lots of patience, and faith first and foremost. Also, the will to want to become healthier and better no matter what that looks like. Our life may be modified but our health can still be optimal. I discovered, the only disability that exists in life is the one existing in our mind.
The inevitable change of aging is also an area which will require patience and acceptance. We're all becoming new people every day with all this change. We don't always need to feel great about the aging process but it is a transition we need to accept. I'm not saying to celebrate hot flashes and lowered libidos because this is no fun for anyone. Our body is making hormone adjustments our thinking brain hasn't caught up to yet. It's simply our time to cut ourselves some slack and embrace the journey.
The important thing is to change those things we can control to become healthier people and let go of the rest.
Change occurring with injury or illness is harder to accept and embrace, at least in the beginning. I found that it takes hard work, lots of patience, and faith first and foremost. Also, the will to want to become healthier and better no matter what that looks like. Our life may be modified but our health can still be optimal. I discovered, the only disability that exists in life is the one existing in our mind.
The inevitable change of aging is also an area which will require patience and acceptance. We're all becoming new people every day with all this change. We don't always need to feel great about the aging process but it is a transition we need to accept. I'm not saying to celebrate hot flashes and lowered libidos because this is no fun for anyone. Our body is making hormone adjustments our thinking brain hasn't caught up to yet. It's simply our time to cut ourselves some slack and embrace the journey.
The important thing is to change those things we can control to become healthier people and let go of the rest.
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Be well and Stay Healthy |