Breck's Mill Area facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Breck's Mill Area – Henry Clay Village Historic District
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Brecks Mill, June 2011
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 Location in Delaware
Location in the United States
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| Location | Breck's Lane and Creek Rd., New Castle County, Delaware (Wilmington address) |
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| Area | 110 acres (45 ha) |
| Built | 1813 |
| Architectural style | Federal, Late 19th And 20th Century Revivals, Mid 19th Century Revival, Late Victorian |
| NRHP reference No. | 71000230, 87000663 (Boundary Increase), 87000683 (Boundary Decrease) |
| Added to NRHP | November 5, 1971, January 25, 1988 |
The Breck's Mill Area is a special historic place in New Castle County, Delaware, near Wilmington. It's also known as the Breck's Mill Area-Henry Clay Village Historic District. This area is located along the beautiful Brandywine Creek.
It's called a "historic district" because it has many old buildings, sites, and structures that are important to history. There are 56 main buildings, five sites, and three structures that help tell the story of this area. The district includes the old mill building, homes where workers lived, and the house of the mill owner.
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Breck's Mill: A Historic Building
Breck's Mill was first built in 1813. Sadly, it burned down and was rebuilt in 1846. It's a strong, three-story building made of stone. It measures about 55 feet long and 43 feet wide. A cool feature is its stone bell tower, which has a brick top floor.
What is Breck's Mill Used For Now?
The mill stopped working in 1854. Since 1890, it has been used as a fun place for recreation. Today, Breck's Mill is home to several interesting businesses:
- The post office for Montchanin, Delaware
- The Somerville Manning Gallery, an art gallery
- André Harvey's sculpture studio, where amazing sculptures are created
Henry Clay Village: Homes and More
The Henry Clay Village part of the district has many historic buildings. These include small homes where the mill workers used to live. They could be single homes or double homes (for two families).
Important Buildings in Henry Clay Village
Some of the other important buildings in Henry Clay Village are:
- The Charles I. du Pont house, built in 1823
- The Ernest du Pont house, built in 1916
- The William F. Raskob house
- Hagee's Tavern, an old gathering spot
- Greenhill Presbyterian Church
- The original building for the Alexis I. duPont High School, built in 1893
Rokeby: The Mill Owner's Home
"Rokeby" is a large, two-story house built in 1836. It's designed in a style called late Federal. The house is about 55 feet wide and 26 feet deep. It has a beautiful two-story portico (a covered entrance with columns) that looks out over the Brandywine Creek.
Who Lived at Rokeby?
Rokeby was built by William Breck, who owned the mill. He built it for his new wife, Gabrielle du Pont. People think the house might have been designed to look like another famous house called Louviers.
A Nationally Recognized Historic Place
The Breck's Mill Area – Henry Clay Village Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971. This means it's recognized by the United States government as a place important to history. The district's boundaries were updated in 1988.
