Brandywine Valley - The Most Scenic Drives in America: 120 Spectacular Road Trips - page 1001

ber. With time—and the help of the Du Pont fortune—his investment evolved into Long-
wood Gardens, one of the grandest gardens in the world.
Located just west of the intersection of Rtes. 1 and 52, this paradise of plants boasts
more than 11,000 different species in two types of settings: outdoors on 350 exquisitely
manicured acres, and indoors in conservatories that shelter 20 indoor gardens. Among the
most notable attractions here are the Flower Garden Walk, the Italian Water Garden, the
Main Fountain Garden, the indoor Children's Garden, the Orchid Display, and the Silver
Garden, featuring plants that flourish in some of the world's harshest environments. On
summer evenings you can spread a blanket beside one of the three Fountain Gardens and
enjoy a concert, play, or fireworks display.
5. Chadds Ford
Just south of the intersection of Rtes. 1 and 100 lies another institution that inspires
deep pride among area residents, the Brandywine River Museum. Displayed on its walls
are works by Howard Pyle, Rockwell Kent, and some 300 other artists. But it is the
Wyeths—America's so-called First Family of Art—who give the place its special éclat.
Three generations are represented here: N. C. Wyeth, one of the most popular and prolific
illustrators of his day; his son Andrew, the celebrated realist painter; and Andrew's son,
Jamie, who carries on the family's tradition of richly textured landscapes that capture the
quiet splendor of their beloved Brandywine Valley.
The building that houses this unique collection of Americana—a converted 19th-cen-
tury gristmill—is something of a work of art in itself. The galleries (including one illumin-
ated solely by natural light) are graced by the original hand-hewn beams and wide-board
pine floors. The lobbies, walled with glass, look out onto gardens of wildflowers and, bey-
ond, the Brandywine River, where herons can sometimes be seen nabbing fish in the shal-
lows.
Heading north on Rte. 1, the drive passes through Chadds Ford. The town is named for
John Chad, a farmer who ran a ferry back and forth across the Brandywine River in the
early 1700s. At the intersection of Rtes. 1 and 100, head north on Rte. 100. About half a
mile up the road you'll find Chad's carefully preserved two-story house, now a museum.
6. Brandywine Battlefield
On September 11, 1777, British troops marched past the site of the Brandywine River Mu-
seum and, less than a mile to the east, defeated Gen George Washington and his army. The