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 was able to acquire Brinton Run Preserve. 

Brinton Run Preserve is now 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.

Brinton Run Preserve is located on the traditional territory of the Lenape, whose homeland includes Delaware, New Jersey, Eastern Pennsylvania, and southern New York. To recognize this legacy of the land is an expression of respect and honor to the Indigenous people who, for over 10,000 years, have been the caretakers of these lands and of the Lenape Sipu, The River of Human Beings, more commonly known as the Delaware River. It is here that the people called the ‘grandfather tribe’ and the ‘peacemakers’ have lived their lives, spoken their language, and held their ceremonies for thousands of years.

The Lenape were the first tribe to sign a treaty with the United States and the first tribe to have land set aside for them in New Jersey. Over a period of 250 years, many Lenape people were removed from their lands and dispersed throughout the country, with some taking refuge within other tribes. A large number of Lenape families, however, remained in their homelands and continue the traditions of their ancestors up to the present day.

North American Land Trust openly recognizes the Lenape Indian tribe as the original inhabitants of Brinton Run Preserve. We acknowledge the Lenape people as the indigenous stewards of their homelands and also the spiritual keepers of the Lenape Sipu, or Delaware River.  By signing the Treaty of Renewed Friendship in 2022, North American Land Trust commits to actively support our Lenape sisters and brothers in whatever way we are able to, for a term of four years, helping to maintain the cultural identity of Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey and Southern New York.

Recent efforts to document bat diversity and use at Brinton Run Preserve with the help of Wildlife Acoustics bat recorders have shown that the preserve is thriving with nocturnal activity. Learn more with our Bats of Brinton Run Preserve Story Map.