Amidst a freezing of federal funds, one grant from the National Park Service came through for the Joseph Davis House, a historic property in Chadds Ford where artist N.C. Wyeth once lived and worked.
On Tuesday, the National Park Service announced a $1.8 million grant for the 16-acre site where part of the 1777 Battle for Brandywine took place, writes Frank Kummer for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Chadds Ford Township, the North American Land Trust (NALT), and others have been raising money for over a year to buy and preserve the property.
The grant was a nice surprise since the federal Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has been cutting or freezing federal funds.
“It really made things uncertain and unpredictable there for a while,” NALT president Steve Carter said. “It was a milestone moment for us to actually receive the award announcement. It was a big day. A great day for us.”
The federal grant covers half of the $3.6 million NALT needs to acquire the Joseph Davis tract off Baltimore Pike in Chadds Ford. Plans call for opening the property to the public as a preserve.
NALT saved the property from a 46 housing-unit development by acquiring it from Wayne Megill in June.
Find out more about the property’s history in The Philadelphia Inquirer.
