Brinton Run Preserve is now owned by NALT, and open to the public!
Support the creation of a community space at Brinton Run Preserve.
Located at 6 Oakland Road in Chadds Ford Township and within the Brandywine Creek Greenway, Brinton Run Preserve’s 71 acres support a variety of wildlife habitats, including woodlands, fields, streams and a pond. The preserve is also one of the most important tracts on the Brandywine Battlefield.
The former owner, Mrs. Frank Baldino, approached NALT to help find an alternative to development and to create a shared conservation solution. Through the incredible support of many, NALT now owns Brinton Run Preserve!
Brinton Run Preserve is open to the public so visitors can appreciate this piece of nature and its rich history. To ensure the property is never developed, the property has been placed under a Conservation Easement, held by Chadds Ford Township. This is NALT’s very first public preserve!
History
Just 3 miles from NALT headquarters, within the Dilworthtown Historic District and across from the historical Brinton 1704 House, Brinton Run Preserve played a role in a final skirmish during the Battle of the Brandywine, as you can see below.
On September 11, 1777, General George Washington was determined to prevent the British from capturing the American seat of government, Philadelphia. Taking up positions along Brandywine Creek, Washington mistakenly believed that his army blocked all fords across the Brandywine. Opposing Washington was an army of 15,500 British Regulars and Hessian troops. While one detachment demonstrated against the American front at Chadds Ford, the bulk, hidden by heavy fog, crossed further upstream. When the main British force appeared undetected on the Continental right flank, Washington dispatched troops to shore up the position. Despite putting up a stiff resistance, the Continentals were eventually overrun. A stout rearguard action and organized retreat kept the defeat from turning into disaster. Although the British went on to occupy Philadelphia, the bulk of the Continental Army survived to fight another day. All told, approximately 30,000 troops were engaged in the fighting, with nearly 1,900 combined total casualties.
– American Battlefield Trust
Funding & Vision
NALT was able to raise $3.85 million to purchase the property with financial support from the American Battlefield Trust, Chadds Ford Township, Delaware County’s Open Space and Recreation Grant Program, Mt. Cuba Center, the National Park Service’s American Battlefield Protection Program, and the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
Through local partnerships with the Brinton 1704 House, Chadds Ford Township and other groups, NALT hopes to create a community space where everyone is welcome to enjoy nature and appreciate the unique history of Brinton Run Preserve. We have placed place a conservation easement on Brinton Run Preserve, protecting the property in perpetuity. The conservation easement is held by Chadds Ford Township. Read more here.
NALT removed a modern home on the property and is now continuing to improve the preserve by:
- Removing invasive plants and reintroducing native plant species.
- Implementing a comprehensive trail system.
- Undertaking riparian maintenance.
- Creating opportunities for community programming with a variety of local partners.
- Creating interpretive opportunities to help passive recreational users better understand the history of the Battle of Brandywine.
Purchasing the property was the first step, but we still have a long way to go before we can complete our vision for Brinton Run Preserve and the greater community.
Help us create pollinator meadows, trails, educational programming and more by contributing to the Brinton Run Preserve operating fund.
Brinton Run Preserve is open to the public! Stay updated on our progress and get naturalist updates by signing up for our Friends of Brinton Run Preserve mailing list below or following our Facebook and Instagram pages!
Please contact us with any questions for Brinton Run Preserve.
If you are interested in volunteering at Brinton Run Preserve, please contact us with link above and we will add your name to a list of contacts for future volunteer opportunities at the preserve.
