Karen Marshall landed the position she had long admired as heritage preservation coordinator for Chester County while–as the saying goes–she was busy making other plans.
Karen’s passion for preservation and historic districts became her profession later in life after working as a marketing consultant for TV stations throughout the country. Even while she was a marketer, she still gravitated toward the historic districts in different states and did some work for cultural and historical organizations. For instance, she was a performance coordinator for the President’s Office at the College of Charleston in South Carolina and she was also a marketing consultant for historic and cultural sites in Baltimore, Maryland.
But Chester County was her favorite place by far. She had been attending Chester County Day, an annual house tour organized by the Women’s Auxiliary to Chester County Hospital that features historic homes and gardens, for years before moving here.
I am an author researching the Wright Brothers Airplane Invention for an upcoming book. George A. Spratt of West Brandywine assisted the Wright Brothers at Kitty Hawk in 1901, 1902, and 1903. He also showed them how to execute Wind Tunnel Experiments that led to their success. In December of 1906, Wilbur and Orville Wright visited the Spratt Farm in West Brandywine and spent a couple of days there. I have determined that several buildings from the Spratt Farm are still there. The Barn at the 800 Reeceville Road property is original. There is a picture of Spratt’s 1908 Glider that has the Barn in the background. Also, across Reeceville Road, there are two other properties that were owned by Spratt at 781 and 785 Reeceville Road.
On the West Brandywine Township Historic Resources Map of 2013, these properties are on Sheet 12 of the map.(https://ecode360.com/documents/WE1756/public/368841110.pdf)
Are these 3 properties already considered historic properties?
Would would be needed to get historic signs posted near the property to inform townspeople in West Brandywine of the historic significance of the Spratt Farm?
Note I have been researching for my book for the past 6 years and have spent the last 2+ years researching the contributions of George Alexander Spratt to the invention of the airplane. His role was significant.
Thanks,
Bob Korkuc
Amherst, New Hampshire