Ivy Mills Historic District facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Ivy Mills Historic District
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Ivy Mills Mansion House, November 2009
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 Location in Pennsylvania
Location in the United States
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| Location | Corner of Ivy Mills and Pole Cat Rds., Concord Township, Pennsylvania |
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| Area | 38.4 acres (15.5 ha) |
| Built | 1829 |
| NRHP reference No. | 72001117 |
| Added to NRHP | August 21, 1972 |
The Ivy Mills Historic District is a special area in Concord Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. It's like a time capsule, holding the old buildings and stories of a very important place. This district includes the remains of an old paper mill built in 1829, a clerk's house from around 1830, and the beautiful Ivy Mills Mansion House, which was built in 1837.
The mansion is a large, two-and-a-half-story building made of stuccoed stone. It has a unique sloped roof on one side, called a saltbox wing, and a wide porch where people could relax. The very first paper mill here was built in 1729, and the original mansion house was from 1744. These first buildings were later replaced by the ones you can see today in the early 1800s. This historic district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972, meaning it's recognized as a really important part of American history.
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A Look Back in Time: The Story of Ivy Mills
In 1726, a man named Thomas Willcox and his partner, Thomas Brown, built a mill dam across the Chester Creek. Just three years later, in 1729, they built a paper mill, and soon after, they sold their first paper! This makes Ivy Mills the second oldest paper mill ever built in America. Only the Rittenhouse mill in Philadelphia is older.
Paper for a Young Nation
At first, Ivy Mills made thick paper called pressboard and then paper for printing. Thomas Willcox was a good friend of Benjamin Franklin, a famous American inventor and statesman. It's known that Willcox made paper especially for Franklin.
Ivy Mills played a huge role in American history. It received the very first order for paper used to print money for the American colonies and later for the new country. After 1775, during the American Revolution, the mill almost entirely focused on making paper for the government's money, loan papers, and other important documents. The government relied completely on Ivy Mills for paper to print its currency during the Revolution.
The Ivy Mills continued to supply paper for the Continental and United States governments. It even supplied paper to many South American countries! Paper was made at Ivy Mills for a very long time, until 1886. After that, the mill slowly fell apart and became the ruins you see today.
A Place of Faith: The Oldest Catholic Parish
Besides the paper mill, Ivy Mills was also home to an important religious site. A mission chapel was started at Ivy Mills in 1730. This makes it the oldest Roman Catholic parish (a church community) in all of Pennsylvania!
In 1837, a new chapel called St. Mary's Chapel was built as part of the new Ivy Mills Mansion. As more and more people joined the church, the congregation grew too big for the chapel. So, in 1852, a new, larger church called St. Thomas the Apostle Church was built about a mile away in what is now Chester Heights.
This historic district was officially added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972, recognizing its importance in both industrial and religious history.
Images for kids
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Photo taken in 2017 of PA Historical Market in front of Ivy Mills Historic District
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