Our history

A Vision for Development

The development catalog for Brandywine Ridge began with a quote from Thoreau:

"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach...."

Our beautiful 480 acre neighborhood was planned to preserve the feeling of living in nature. The catalog noted, "Winding roads reveal beautifully wooded homesites from 1/2 to 22 acres. Elegant, semi custom homes offer the ingenious design capabilities of Ann Capron and civilized amenities such as gas heat, and public water and sewer."

Dwight Farms County Club and Vacation Resort

The first notable development of our land was The Dwight Farms Country Club and Vacation Resort. The main purpose of the camp was to provide a place for city children to visit during the summer months in this refreshing landscape.

Fast Facts

The cost of the train trip from Philadelphia (round trip) was $1.20.

The rate for board and lodging, covering all privileges, was $1.00 per day.

"Camp Dwight" was specifically targeted for boys aged 8 to 18 with a capacity for 112 boys and included tennis courts, basketball courts, baseball diamond, pool and volleyball court.

By 1923, girls were also enjoying "Camp Sunrise," which had similar facilities for girls from 8 to 18.

Life at Camp Dwight

Newspaper articles from 1947 note that over 2500 different campers attended the Downingtown campsite, with a staff of 96. Camping at the Y included athletics of all kinds, games, horse-back riding, handicraft, nature lore, medieval lore with Robin Hood and his Merry Men, and more. There was a swimming pool (Hampton Court sits there now), nurses station (with doctor and nurse in residence) and one counselor for every six children. A Tent Village, Indian Village, Pioneer Village, baseball field, stable, outdoor chapel, rifle range and theatre existed. The most famous structure at the camp came in 1930 with the addition of the camp castle, which included a drawbridge!

In 1954, a fire causing $70,000 loss occurred in the dining hall. Despite the inconvenience, normal operations continued throughout the summer. In 1955, a case of Rocky Mountain tick fever was discovered at the camp. DDT was sprayed to combat the disease. A clean bill of health was given to the camp thereafter.

Learn More About Brandywine Valley History

Milltown (Downingtown) and the Brandywine River played an important role in the development of the country. By the early 18th century, the Brandywine Valley was America's paper milling center and the major supplier to the print shop of Benjamin Franklin in Philadelphia. In 1776, the mills supplied the paper to print currency for the colonies and the Continental Congress and... the Declaration of Independence!