Aerial view of Bancroft Mills in the 1930s (Hagley Library)

Dear Preservation 911,

This is the end of an era for Delaware's Brandywine Valley.

The largest and longest running mill complex on the Brandywine went bankrupt in late May 2003. Bancroft Mills, presently known as the Wilmington Piece Dye Company, was doing essentially the same thing (textile finishing) since 1831—that's 172 years.

The site, historically known as Kentmere, has been the location of some of the earliest and most significant mills in Wilmington, Del. These include: Gilpin Mills (1787), the first paper mill in Delaware; Riddle Mills (1845), a cotton mill; and Bancroft Mills (1831, with 1895 expansion), which in 1930 was the largest cotton finishing works in the world. Physical structures from all three eras of operation exist on the site today.

A bankruptcy trustee in Atlanta has been tasked with liquidating the assets, and residential developers are making bids on this historic property with riverfront views.

I hope to see a combination of preservation/adaptive reuse of the historic buildings combined with public trail access through the site and to the riverfront.

Delaware Today's December issue has a story about the site. Look for it.

This is truly a gem of Delaware that should not go unnoticed, be paved over, or gated shut. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Robert Keller

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