Chadds Ford Township officials plan to auction off Painter’s Folly, once the studio and retreat for artist Andrew Wyeth, writes Kyle Bagenstose for Hidden City.
The 170-year-old home at 1421 Baltimore Pike borders Delaware and Chester Counties at the site of the Battle of Brandywine.
The three-story 16-room Italianate home was built in 1857 by Quaker farmer Samuel Painter and was later leased to artist Howard Pyle, who used it to launch the Brandywine School of Art.
Among his students was artist Newell Convers “NC” Wyeth.
Pyle was obsessed with the American Revolution and, in 1902, produced his most famous work that depicted the Battle of Brandywine.
The home was purchased in 1975 by George and Helen Sipala. They befriended artist Andrew Wyeth, who maintained a studio on the third floor.
“Wyeth often retreated to Painter’s Folly to escape the press, prying neighbors, jealous models, and even his own family,” notes the Painter’s Folly Preservation Alliance.
Chadds Ford Township bought the property with open space funds in 2018. Township officials say they have been unable to find outside help and can no longer afford to maintain the property.
The proposed sale is opposed by some preservationists and historians.
Read more about Painter’s Folly in Hidden City.
