Terracina
To the right is a gabled house, built in 1848 for Dr. and Mrs. Charles Huston. Its designer - a son of Dr. R. M. Huston of Jefferson Medical College, owner at one time of "Wood burn," the present home of the Philadelphia Country Club near Bala - lived here until his death in 1897, and operated the Brandywine (or Lukens) Iron Works for over forty years. In 1878, he published at the Franklin Institute and article on the "Strength and Ductility of Iron and Steel Boiler Plate at Different Temperatures," and in 1879, a paper on the "Effect of Continued and Progressively Working Stress Upon Iron," pioneer investigations in two subjects of considerable recent interest. The Doctor's wife, nee Isabella P. Lukens, authoress of several poems and a book of European travel, founded and helped to maintain the Coatesville Public Library. Although in her youth she had attended a military ball at West Point, later in life Mrs. Huston adhered to the most strict views of the Society of Friends and disapproved polite prevarications, but being of a kindly nature was loath to hurt anyone's feelings. Once a fond lady, who had a painfully ugly daughter, accosted her with, "Don't you think ____ is lovely?" Their hearers appreciated the conscientious answer: "I think all young girls are more or less attractive."

Brandywine Mansion
On the right, at the south end of the Lukens Employees' Cooperative Store, is what was once "The Brandywine Mansion." The lower portion, some of it now torn away, was probably built before the Flemings acquired the property in the 1750's. In 1787, Moses Coates purchased the building, together with a large tract of land, comprising the center of the present city of Coatesville, and erected, 1788, the western end, with a barn of which the date stone, engraved with his children's initials, is at the Coach-and-Four Inn. He invented an apple paring machine, a horse rake and a self-setting sawmill, demonstrating a model of the latter before President Thomas Jefferson in 1802. In 1794, he entertained President Washington, who was returning from the Whiskey Rebellion in western Pennsylvania. In 1810, his son-in-law, Jesse Kersey, a Friends minister, acquired some land from him on the south side of the Lancaster Turnpike to lay out building lots, the first development of the town, and, together with Isaac Pennock, a neighboring iron manufacturer, bought this place with the accompanying farm and a saw mill on the Brandywine, converting it into the Brandywine Iron Works. Pennock became sole owner in 1815 and rented it to his son-in-law, Dr. Charles Lukens, who, about 820, made charcoal iron boiler plate, probably the first in America; and, in 1825 before his death, plates for the "Codorus," first iron clad steamship. Isaac Pennock had died before Dr. Lukens, and his daughter, Rebecca, Mrs. Lukens, took the "Brandywine" property as her share of his estate. She immediately set out to fulfill her husband's contracts, pay his debts, and establish the project profitably. In an old letter she says, "our character for making boiler iron stood first in the market; hence, we had as much business as we could do." A determined and shrewd executive, "R. W. Lukens" liked to entertain young people, and was proud of her position as "Mistress of Brandywine." Her personality is still impressed on the Lukens Steel Co. From about 1830, much of her boiler iron went into Mississippi River steamboats, and the modern plant, containing the world's widest plate mill, has produced steel for seven defenders of the "America's Cup." South of the "Brandywine Mansion" was a "Chinese garden," with weeping willow, summer house and gold fish pond. On the north was a rose garden. At the west was a building, which sheltered "a high swung coach, upholstered in cream colored brocade and light drab cloth--with steps that folded up quite out of the way." The spirited pair of horses that drew it caused fears for Mrs. Lukens' safety. She would sometimes sit in this vehicle in front of Squire Everhart's tore in West Chester, while his latest importation of Canton shawls were shown to her.

In-between business hours, Mrs. Lukens was an intensive reader, some of her selections being beyond the severe bounds set by the Society of Friends. After her husband's death, his brother Soloman, a sternly religious member of the sect, came to help his sister-in-law manage the workmen. A committee made one of its periodic visits to see that the rules of the Society were being lived up to, and found a French novel on the drawing room table. When the proprietress of the Brandywine Iron Works learned its disapproval, she was equal to the occasion. "I was going over this book to see if it is fit reading for Soloman and the children."

The house has had many unusual impressions. When Dr. Lukens died some of the Methodist workmen, standing at his bedside, declared they heard strains of celestial music in the room. Later Mrs. Lukens had occasion to nurse in his last illness one of her uncles, who had become an unbeliever. When he expired, it was reported in the neighborhood that the dogs howled all night. About twenty years ago the building was used as lodgings for a number of reformed derelicts converted in a mission in Philadelphia, who were given here a chance to make a new start. . . .

Laurel Iron Works
After crossing the stone bridge, the macadam road turns left. Here is the confluence of the Buck Run into the Brandywine River. The site of historic Laurel Iron Works, is up-stream about 0.4 mile. Currently the site is private property, so please do not trespass. Laurel Mansion was located in what is now an open space below, and northwest of, a current plastered dwelling. Beyond the vanished "Big House" is the former Iron Works Office. The earlier mill stood where the present barnyard is. According to tradition, a forge existed before the Revolutionary War and the oldest part of the residence was built of logs. In 1793, a "double" forge and saw mill were erected here by Samuel, Wm. and Jesse Laverty, these, in the early 1800s, being acquired by Joseph Pyle. In the 1840s Joshua Edge and Hugh E. Steele purchased the property and, in 1844, admitted S. B. Worth into partnership, Mr. Edge withdrawing shortly thereafter. In 1851, Steele & Worth bought the Viaduct Mill at Coatesville, and rented Laurel to Charles E. and Joseph L. Pennock. When the latter, in 1853, acquired the Valley Iron Works at Rock Run near Coatesville, their lease was taken by James Penrose, who gave it up after three years. "The trouble with the iron business," he said, "is that, when it is good, you can't go away, and, when it is poor, you can't afford to go away." From 1856, and for approximately 20 years, "Laurel" was operated by Hugh E. Steele, while his partner, S. B. Worth, ran "Viaduct." During this period, there were rolled bete plates for the "Monitor" of Civil War fame; for the first locomotive that traversed the United States from Atlantic to Pacific; and for the first American steamship to enter a Chinese port. The mansion was noted for the charm of its hospitality. An Englishman, after a visit to Laurel, expressed his appreciation of the Steele's courtesies, when he said that it reminded him more of a British country house than anything he had experienced in America. It was a long, rambling structure with a lovely garden stretching down to the edge of the dam. Mrs. Steele used to tell her grandchildren that the noise of the mill meant, "Go penny, come pound; go penny, come pound," but, when the business cycle hit hard times, this sounded like "Go pound, come penny; go pound, come penny." After the Steeles had left Laurel, the iron works, then situated near the Reading Railroad, were operated for a short time by Messrs. Jenner and Andrews.

Fallowfield Orthodox Friends Burying Ground
To the right enclosed with a stone wall is the Fallowfield Orthodox Friends burying ground, containing the graves of Mrs. "R. W. Lukens" and her two oldest daughters. Just south of this stood the meeting house, built shortly after 1827 when the separation took place between the two branches of Friends. Part of the ground was sold to the A. M. E. Church when the meeting was discontinued.

Fallowfield Friends' Meeting
Bear right. On the left is Fallowfield Friends' Meeting, established 1795, a year after the present house was built. The name is believed to have come from Lancelot Fallowfield of Great Strickland, Westmoreland County England, one of the first purchasers from William Penn. His right was bought by John Salkeld, a Friends' minister who took up land in this country 1714, and may have suggested the name. The latter, somewhat of an eccentric, was particularly hard on those who went to sleep in meeting. On one occasion, when he noticed several members overcome with drowsiness, he suddenly sprang to his feet exclaiming "Fire! Fire!" Everyone was awake immediately, and one of the excited sleepers cried out, "Where? Where?" "In Hell," responded John, "to burn up the drowsy and unconcerned." Once a youthful member "took an opportunity to labor with him for allowing his eccentricities to carry him sometimes to far. The aged minister listened to all his young friend had to say, and then quietly answered, 'Why, John, I have overcome ten times as much as though ever had to content with.' "
Primitive Hall - At the left is a brick dwelling, with plaster coves in the gable and under the roof, "Primitive Hall," built, 1738 by Joseph Pennock on a tract of 1250 acres patented to him, 1703. In 1681 Wm. Penn executed two grants of 2500 acres apiece to Francis and George Rogers, who, 1683, sold the same, or a total of 5000 acres of unlocated land to George Collet. The latter, an enterprising English Friend, was lessee, in connection with his business, of several Irish properties, including Kilhouse Castle near Clonnel, Tipperary County, and settled his Pennsylvania holdings on his daughter, Mary; her husband, Christopher Pennock; and their offspring, later in 1696 confirming this by will. When these descended to their surviving son, Joseph, it made the latter one of the prosperous young men of the Colony. "In one of his passages to this country in a letter-of-marque, he was captured by a French ship-of-war and confined in France as a prisoner upwards of a year," subsequently making his escape. In 1705 he married Mary, daughter of Samuel Levis, a former member of the Governor's Council, who came from a Huguenot branch of the ducal family, "de Levis." Joseph wore a large wig, in fashion at that period, and his fiancée, to test his disposition before their marriage, had somebody remove it from his room one night and hide it. The next morning when he appeared without it, but with his usual affability, she felt it was safe to proceed with their plans. In 1714 they moved to this place, the site of their first home being just S. E. of the present gateway. "Primitive Hall" contains some unusual features. To the rear was originally a kitchen with a large fireplace, the back log said to have been dragged in by a small ox. In the rooms where the family lived, exclusive of attic, cellar and kitchen, where originally oiled paper or parchment was probably used, there were exactly 365 window panes, one for each day in the year. The original glass was quite think, of a greenish shade and imported from England. Eight of the rooms contained large corner fireplaces. The stairs form two small galleries where one can look down on both the upper and lower halls. The latter was once paved with brick and elaborately paneled. In front of the lowest step has been found a square hole where the silver, pewter and lead clock weights were buried during the Revolution. The property has never ceased to belong to Joseph's descendants. Joseph Pennock for a number of years was a Justice of Chester County, and member of the Provincial Assembly. Of his children: Nathaniel and Joseph, Jr. were members of Assembly; the former in 1756 being one of the commissioners appointed to make provision for the Acadian exiles from Nova Scotia. One of his daughters, Sarah, was the first wife and inspiration of Humphrey Marshall, the botanist.

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