Elam
The historic buildings in Elam represent architecture spanning from the early 1720s through the 1880s, and are important to the industrial and religious history of Concord Township. The earliest buildings in Elam were private residences to longstanding Concord Township families: the Palmers, Thatchers, and Hannums. Later historical residents such as the Charles Smith House (c. 1850) represent Victorian-era farmhouses, and still stands today. The Smith family was integral to both Elam Village history and Concord Township history as a whole, and are the namesakes behind Smithbridge Road. James Smith built the Drove Tavern in 1818 near the intersection of Smithbridge Road and Route 202. The Drove Tavern grew to include an inn that operated until the late 1800s. Elam Village established their own post office in 1864 at the corner of Smithbridge Road and Route 202, with Marshall P. Wilkinson as postmaster, and operated until 1902. According to the 1897 Elam Directory, the village was bustling with business people and tradesmen such as paperhangers, insurance agents, butchers, carpenters, barbers, blacksmiths, stonemasons, general store owners, shoemakers, postmaster, physicians, dentists, and even a veterinarian. Elam Village also holds religious significance in Concord Township. After the establishment and boom of the Brandywine Camp Summit in the Johnson’s Corner-Beaver Valley area in the 1860s, Elam Methodist Church was established in 1882. The original church was built using stone quarried from the adjoining husband farm. The church solidified itself into the religious fabric of Concord Township, and is still active today. Currently, Elam Village is home to modern housing developments, retail businesses, and township park space. The historic buildings are primarily private residences. Approx. 11 Historic Inventory Resources remaining. Elam Church Drover Tavern W.E. May House Thatcher-Minnich Barn
Johnson’s Corner
Johnson’s Corner is a small area within the larger Beaver Valley district that sits across from the intersection of Smithbridge Road and Route 202/Wilmington-West Chester Pike from Elam Village. The Johnson’s Corner area is characterized by three remaining historic buildings ranging from the 1730s through the late 1800s. Johnson’s Corner is historically significant in Concord Township inn and milll industries, as well as the home to the largest commercial farmer within the Beaver Valley area — William Johnson. Prior to William Johnson’s commercial success, the Newlin family was important to the society and industry in Johnson’s Village from its inception. Nathaniel Newlin III built a stone house on the corner of the Wilmington-West Chester Pike in 1732 that passed to Pennsylvania politician Nathaniel Newlin IV, who served in the Pennsylvania Constitutional Convention, state assembly, and state senate. He converted the building into an inn for the nine tun wagons traveling down the pike. It served as a public inn from 1748-1776 as the Nine Tun Inn, and through the early 1800s as Newlin’s Tavern. William Johnson, the namesake of Johnson’s Corner, purchased the house in 1840, and enlarged the house for his residence. Mr. Johnson owned the largest farm in the larger Beaver Valley area, and represented the top quartile of Concord Township’s wealth distribution. Today, the building is used as Pennsylvania state representative Craig Williams’s office. Another prominent industry in the area was feldspar mining at the turn of the 20th century. The Brandywine Summit Feldspar Company operated a feldspar mine in the Johnson’s Corner area, which was the largest feldspar mine in the world at the time. Feldspar is a natural mineral used to make false teeth, china, dishes, etc. The mine was worked through, and mining moved to Upper Chichester Township in the 1910s. Presently, the Johnson’s Corner is characterized by modern retail and commercial businesses along the Wilmington-West Chester Pike, and private historic residential buildings.
Copper Beech Tree
The Copper Beech Tree For many years, the Pierce Willits property that currently houses the Concord Township Historical Society Museum has enjoyed an old establishment. In the side yard there stands an ancient Copper Beech tree. The arrangement of the dark leaves is such that they overlap one another, creating an impenetrable canopy and a welcome cool space in the stifling Concord Township summers. It is believed that the Copper Beech tree was planted when the original log cabin was replaced with the stone home built by the Pierce family, the original inhabitants of the Willits farm. That would make our Copper Beech tree about 200 years old! It continues to provide welcome shade and interesting conversation starters for any passersby. May 2016
Civil War and Concord
The Civil War and Concord One hundred and fifty years ago, on April 9, 1865, General Lee surrendered to General Grant at Appomattox Court House, Virginia, ending the war between the North and South. To commemorate the Sesquicentennial of the Civil War, our museum has some exhibits that highlight the part Concord Township played in that conflict. The Society has an original photo of the horse that carried Major Frederick Cushman Newhall, of Philadelphia, when he escorted General Grant to the Court House, on behalf of General Sheridan. This photo included a narrative in the frame, which explained the importance of the horse. The “Concordville Rifles”, Company D of the Pa 97th Regiment, was formed in 1861 with 50 men from the local area. This Company was part of the reinforcements sent to Fort Wagner, South Carolina, but found only dead and wounded members of the 54th US Colored Troops Regiment. The movie Glory is based on this battle. Pennsylvania was the 2nd northern state in number of troops in this war, at 362,000, suffering a lost of 10%. William Palmer, of a prominent local Quaker family dating to the 17th century, joined the 16th Regiment Pa Militia, Company D, under Colonel Joseph Willcox, of another prominent local family dating to 1720. Of the letters Palmer sent home, he writes to his father “I have a little time to spare this morning and I thought that I would write a few lines to thee and let thee know where we are and how are getting along, … there are about four thousand militia from Penn encamped here… Jackson’s army is about 15 miles from here. McClellan’s army is situated directly between us and them about 10 miles from us. August 2015