72-519: Isabella Furnace was a cold blast charcoal iron furnace located in West Nantmeal Township, Pennsylvania . The furnace was named for Isabella Potts, wife of one of the partners, a member of the Potts ironmaking family. Isabella was the last iron furnace to be built in the county, in 1835, and was operated by members of the Potts family and their partners until 1855, when they lost control of it in
144-622: A French Huguenot , emigrated to the United States. Knowledgeable in the manufacture of gunpowder , by 1802 DuPont had begun making the explosive in a mill on the Brandywine River north of Brandywine Village and just outside the town of Wilmington. The DuPont company became a major supplier to the U.S. military. Located on the banks of the Brandywine River , the village was eventually annexed by Wilmington city. The greatest growth in
216-536: A court of equity , is empowered to grant broad relief in the form of injunctions and restraining orders, which is of particular importance when shareholders seek to block or enjoin corporate actions such as mergers or acquisitions. The Court of Chancery, as a statewide court, may hear cases in any of the state's three counties. A dedicated-use Chancery courthouse was constructed in 2003 in Georgetown, Sussex County. It has hosted high-profile complex corporate trials such as
288-560: A 2020 core metropolitan statistical area population of 6,228,601, representing the seventh largest metropolitan region in the nation, and a combined statistical area population of 7.366 million. Wilmington is built on the site of Fort Christina and the settlement Kristinehamn, the first Swedish settlement in North America. The modern city also encompasses other Swedish settlements, such as Timmerön / Timber Island (along Brandywine Creek ), Sidoland (South Wellington), Strandviken (along
360-568: A bankruptcy. It returned to the family in 1881, when it was purchased by Col. Joseph Potts (nephew of Isabella), who modernized it. The furnace, the last to operate in Chester County, went out of blast in 1894, a few months after Col. Potts' death, but remained largely intact until after his son's death in 1943. The remains of the furnace complex have been listed in the National Register of Historic Places since 1991. The original operators of
432-404: A charging house on the edge of the hillside; the mixed coal and ore could then move across a charging bridge into the top of the furnace stack, whose base was at the foot of the hill. Attached to the base of the furnace were a "wheel house", apparently used for storing casting sand and fire brick , and a casting house where molten iron from the furnace could run into molds. Just to the northwest lay
504-607: A conservation district. The historic districts are the Baynard Boulevard, Kentmere Parkway, Rockford Park, Cool Spring/Tilton Park, the tri-part sections of the Eastside, St. Marys and Old Swedes Church , Quaker Hill , Delaware Avenue, Trinity Vicinity, and Upper/Lower Market Street. The conservation district is Forty Acres. Wilmington has recently overcome its safety woes and is "safer now than it's ever been" with crime at its lowest rate in recent history. Prior to 2018, Wilmington
576-564: A fortune in the railroad and transportation industry, in the employ of the Pennsylvania Railroad and elsewhere. When he retired from that business, he desired to return to the property where he had been raised and become an ironmaster, like so many of his family before him. He won over the Smith brothers, who were reluctant to sell, and closed on the property on February 28, 1880. Potts was willing to make substantial investments in modernizing
648-430: A partnership including members of the allied Potts, Rutter, and Brooke families. In 1839 and 1840, respectively, Henry and David's brothers Robert Smith Potts and Joseph Potts were brought into the partnership. Ultimately, David bought out most of the family interest, except for a moiety held by his nephew, William A. Smith. David's nephew Charles Follen McKim , later an architect, was born at Isabella in 1847. The furnace
720-511: A residence for himself and his son William. However, he died in December 1893 and did not live to see it completed. William, his wife, and mother did move into "Langoma", but ironmaking at the furnace ended in April 1894, not long after Col. Potts' death. It was the last iron furnace operating in Chester County. The furnace and railroad spur were left largely intact, although unused. The slow dilapidation of
792-594: A series of wars between the Dutch and English , the area stabilized under British rule, with strong influences from the Quaker communities under the auspices of Proprietor William Penn . A borough charter was granted in 1739 by King George II , which changed the name of the settlement from Willington, after Thomas Willing (the first developer of the land, who organized the area in a grid pattern similar to that of its northern neighbor Philadelphia), to Wilmington, presumably after
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#1732852588426864-552: Is Wilfredo Campos. In 2002, the Wilmington Police Department started a program known to some in the neighborhoods as jump-outs in which unmarked police vans would patrol crime-prone neighborhoods late at night, suddenly converge at street corners where people were loitering and detain them temporarily. Using loitering as probable cause, the police would then photograph, search, and fingerprint everyone present. Along with apprehending anyone with drugs or weapons, it
936-589: Is led by Chief John Looney and maintains five engine companies, two ladder companies, a rescue squad company, and a marine company (fireboat) fire fighting fleet. Emergency medical services are provided through contract with the city's St. Francis Hospital, whose EMS division operates a minimum five BLS transport units at all times of the day. Advanced Life Support services in the City of Wilmington are provided by New Castle County's EMS Division with two city-based medic units. All Wilmington firefighters since 2002 are trained to
1008-563: Is located in Wilmington. The prison is often referred to as the "Gander Hill Prison" after the neighborhood it is located in. The prison opened in 1982. Many Wilmington City workers belong to one of several Locals of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees union. The city of Wilmington is made up of the following neighborhoods: The City of Wilmington designates nine areas as historic districts and one area as
1080-465: The 2020 United States census , there were 70,898 people, 31,754 households, and 13,572 families residing in the city. As of the census of 2010, there were 70,851 people, 28,615 households, and 15,398 families residing in the city. The population density was 6,497.6 inhabitants per square mile (2,508.7/km ). There were 32,820 housing units at an average density of 3,009.9 per square mile (1,162.1/km ) and with an occupancy rate of 87.2%. The racial makeup of
1152-639: The Delaware River near Simonds Garden) and Översidolandet (along the Christina River , near Woodcrest and Ashley Heights). The area now known as Wilmington was settled by the Lenape (or Delaware Indian) band led by Sachem (Chief) Mattahorn just before Henry Hudson sailed up the Len-api Hanna ("People Like Me River", present Delaware River ) in 1609. The area was called "Maax-waas Unk" or "Bear Place" after
1224-617: The Disney shareholder litigation . Because Delaware is the official state of incorporation for so many American companies, the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware, located in Wilmington, is one of the busiest of the 94 federal bankruptcy courts located around the United States. Delaware has among the strictest rules in the U.S. regarding out-of-state legal practice, allowing no reciprocity to lawyers who passed
1296-413: The 1950s, more people began living in the suburbs of North Wilmington and commuting into the city to work. This was made possible by extensive upgrades to area roads and highways and through the construction of Interstate 95 , which cut through several of Wilmington's neighborhoods and accelerated the city's population decline. Urban renewal projects in the 1950s and 1960s cleared entire blocks of housing in
1368-655: The British Prime Minister Spencer Compton , Earl of Wilmington , who took his title from Wilmington, East Sussex , in southern England. Although during the American Revolutionary War only one small battle was fought in Delaware, British troops occupied Wilmington shortly after the nearby Battle of Brandywine on September 11, 1777. The British remained in the town until they vacated Philadelphia in 1778. In 1800, Eleuthère Irénée du Pont ,
1440-708: The Center City and East Side areas. The Wilmington riot of 1968 , a few days after the April 4 assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. , became national news. On April 9, Governor Charles L. Terry, Jr. deployed the National Guard and the Delaware State Police to the city at the request of Mayor John Babiarz. Babiarz asked Terry to withdraw the National Guard the following week, but the governor kept them in
1512-727: The Christina River, the Coastal Plain land is flat, low-lying, and in places marshy. The Delaware River here is an estuary at sea level (with twice-daily high and low tides), providing sea-level access for ocean-going ships. On the western side of Market Street, the Piedmont topography is rocky and hilly, rising to a point that marks the watershed between the Brandywine River and the Christina River. This watershed line runs along Delaware Avenue westward from 10th Street and Market Street. These contrasting topography and soil conditions affected
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#17328525884261584-534: The City Council President. The Council President is elected by the entire city. The Mayor of Wilmington is also elected by the entire city. The current mayor of Wilmington is Mike Purzycki (D). The current city council members are listed in the table below. The Delaware Department of Correction Howard R. Young Correctional Institution , renamed from Multi-Purpose Criminal Justice Facility in 2004 and housing both pretrial and posttrial male prisoners,
1656-565: The Delaware headquarters of: Wilmington Trust (now a branch of M&T Bank , after Wilmington Trust merged with M&T in 2011), PNC Bank , Wells Fargo , JPMorgan Chase , HSBC , Citizens Bank , Wilmington Savings Fund Society , and Artisans' Bank), and legal services. A General Motors plant was closed in 2009. Wilmington is home to one Fortune 500 company, E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company . Science and Technology are also thriving as companies such as Incyte , Chemours , Corteva , Solenis and ZipCode call Wilmington home. In addition,
1728-692: The Dutch post Fort Casimir , located at the site of the present town of New Castle , which was built by the Dutch in 1651. Rising governed New Sweden until the autumn of 1655, when a Dutch fleet under the command of Peter Stuyvesant subjugated the Swedish forts and established the authority of the Colony of New Netherland throughout the area formerly controlled by the Swedes. This marked the end of Swedish rule in North America. Beginning in 1664, British colonization began; after
1800-451: The EMT-B level and serve as first responders for life-threatening emergencies. Much of Wilmington's economy is based on its status as the most populous and readily accessible city in Delaware, a state that made itself attractive to corporations with business-friendly financial laws and a longstanding reputation for a fair and effective judicial system. Contributing to the economic health of
1872-898: The Maax-waas Hanna (Bear River) that flowed by (present Christina River ). It was called the Bear River because it flowed west to the "Bear People", who are now known as the People of Conestoga or the Susquehannocks . The Dutch heard and spelled the river and the place as Minguannan . When settlers and traders from the Swedish South Company under Peter Minuit arrived in March 1638 on the Fogel Grip and Kalmar Nyckel , they purchased Maax-waas Unk from Chief Mattahorn and built Fort Christina at
1944-411: The age of 18 living with them, 23.5% were married couples living together, 24.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 46.2% were non-families. 38.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 3.18. In
2016-480: The average number of shooting incidents from 2003 through 2017, which is 108, the 72 shooting incidents in 2018 represent a 33% decrease over the 15-year period average. The Wilmington Police Department (WPD), is authorized to deploy up to 289 officers in motor vehicles, on foot, and on bicycle. Its operations are accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies. As of 2023, its chief of police
2088-408: The average seasonal total is 20.2 inches (51 cm). Extremes in temperature have ranged from −15 °F (−26 °C) on February 9, 1934, up to 107 °F (42 °C) on August 7, 1918, though both 100 °F (38 °C)+ and 0 °F (−18 °C) readings are uncommon; the last occurrence of each was July 18, 2012 and February 5, 1996, respectively. See or edit raw graph data . As of
2160-445: The boiler shed and blowing engine for the furnace's steam-powered tuyeres , and several ancillary buildings also lay in the floodplain on both sides of Perkins Run. Current aerial photography shows the coalhouse, casting and crushing houses, blowing engine house, and a small storage building have been reroofed and appear to form part of a private residence. The furnace stack appears to be largely demolished, and other buildings are gone;
2232-471: The cap on interest rates that banks may legally charge customers. Major credit card issuers such as Barclays Bank of Delaware (formerly Juniper Bank ), are headquartered in Wilmington. The Dutch banking giant ING Groep N.V. headquartered its U.S. internet banking unit, ING Direct (now Capital One 360), in Wilmington. Wilmington Trust is headquartered in Wilmington at Rodney Square . Barclays and Capital One 360 have very large and prominent locations along
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2304-714: The characteristics of a satellite city to Philadelphia, but Wilmington's long history as Delaware's principal city, its urban core, and its independent value as a business destination makes it more properly considered a small but independent city in the Philadelphia metropolitan area . Wilmington lies along the Fall Line geological transition from the Mid-Atlantic Piedmont Plateau to the Atlantic Coastal Plain . East of Market Street, and along both sides of
2376-474: The city is the corporate domicile of more than 50% of the publicly traded companies in the United States, and over 60% of the Fortune 500. Delaware chartered corporations rely on the state's Court of Chancery to decide legal disputes, which places legal decisions with a judge instead of a jury. The Court of Chancery, known both nationally and internationally for its speed, competence, and knowledgeable judiciary as
2448-613: The city occurred during the Civil War . Delaware, though officially remaining a member of the Union , was a border state and divided in its support of both the Confederate and the Union causes. The war created enormous demand for goods and materials supplied by Wilmington including ships, railroad cars, gunpowder, shoes, and other war-related goods. By 1868, Wilmington was producing more iron ships than
2520-613: The city until his term ended in January 1969. This is reportedly the longest occupation of an American city by state forces in the nation's history. In the 1980s, job growth and office construction were spurred by the arrival of national banks and financial institutions in the wake of the 1981 Financial Center Development Act, which liberalized the laws governing banks operating within the state, and similar laws in 1986. Today, many national and international banks, including Bank of America , Capital One , Chase , and Barclays , have operations in
2592-564: The city was $ 32,884, and the median income for a family was $ 37,352. Males working full-time had a median income of $ 41,878 versus $ 36,587 for females working full-time. The per capita income for the city was $ 24,861. 27.6% of the population and 24.9% of families were below the poverty line. 45.7% of those under the age of 18 and 16.5% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line. The Wilmington City Council consists of thirteen members. The council consists of eight members who are elected from geographic districts, four elected at-large and
2664-553: The city was 58.0% African American , 32.6% White , 0.4% Native American , 1.0% Asian , <0.1% Pacific Islander , 5.4% from other races , and 2.6% from two or more races. 12.4% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Non-Hispanic Whites were 27.9% of the population in 2010, compared to 40.5% in 1990. As of the census of 2000, the largest ethnicities included: Irish (8.7%), Italian (5.7%), German (5.2%), English (4.4%), and Polish (3.6%). There were 28,615 households, out of which 25.0% had children under
2736-413: The city, the age distribution of the population shows 24.4% under the age of 18, 10.0% from 18 to 24, 29.8% from 25 to 44, 24.2% from 45 to 64, and 11.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34.3 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.4 males. According to ACS one-year estimates for 2010, the median income for a household in
2808-628: The city, typically credit card operations. According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 17.0 square miles (44 km ), of which 10.9 square miles (28 km ) is land and 6.2 square miles (16 km ) is water. The total area is 36.25% water. The city sits at the confluence of the Christina and Delaware rivers , approximately 33 miles (53 km) southwest of Philadelphia . Wilmington Train Station , one of
2880-452: The clock. Other industries produced such goods as automobiles, leather products, and clothing. In desperate need of workers more and more minorities moved to the north and settled in places like Wilmington. This led to tensions that occasionally boiled over like the Wilmington, Delaware race riot of 1919 . The post-war prosperity again pushed residential development further out of the city. In
2952-479: The development of the city's first comprehensive park system. William Poole Bancroft , a successful Wilmington businessman influenced by the work of Frederick Law Olmsted , led the effort to establish open parkland in Wilmington. Rockford Park and Brandywine Park were created due to Bancroft's efforts. Both World Wars stimulated the city's industries. Industries vital to the war effort – shipyards, steel foundries, machinery, and chemical producers – operated around
Isabella Furnace - Misplaced Pages Continue
3024-444: The downtown and Wilmington Riverfront regions has been the presence of Wilmington Station , through which 665,000 people passed in 2009. Wilmington has become a national financial center for the credit card industry, largely due to regulations enacted by former Governor Pierre S. du Pont IV in 1981. The Financial Center Development Act of 1981, among other things, eliminated the usury laws enacted by most states, thereby removing
3096-433: The foundations and lower walls of the orehouse and screenhouse are still evident. Cold blast Cold blast , in ironmaking, refers to a metallurgical furnace where air is not preheated before being blown into the furnace. This represents the earliest stage in the development of ironmaking. Until the 1820s, the use of cold air was thought to be preferable to hot air for the production of high-quality iron; this effect
3168-443: The furnace in 1959 that "its wild setting in an over-grown field is quite striking". After the death of William Potts, the ruined furnace was sold by his estate to Frank Bloise, who sold it in 1945 to Langoma Industries, a clothing firm with which Bloise was involved. Langoma Industries intended to set up a clothing factory and a surrounding worker's town on the Potts estate. It was still owned by Langoma Industries in 1959. Ultimately,
3240-407: The furnace made in 1890 shows a number of structures arranged along the hillside sloping down to Perkins Run. Atop the hillside were a "coalhouse", "orehouse", and "screenhouse"; three large warehouses (about 100' x 50' each) with railroad trestles running into them for the delivery and storage of raw materials. Their elevated position allowed charcoal and ore to be moved directly to a crusher house and
3312-418: The furnace produced a remarkable aesthetic effect. Henry Seidel Canby referred in 1935 to "its moldering cupola furnace, like a Persian mosque of the twelfth century, its long walls and sleepy half-drained dam." This slow decay was accelerated after the death of William M. Potts in 1943, when the railroad was taken up and other metal was reclaimed for scrap. Even after this, HABS photographer Ned Goode said of
3384-478: The furnace were Henry Potts and his brother-in-law (and second cousin) John Potts Rutter, who bought a tract of land from Robert Wilson on April 1, 1835 for the furnace site. The land was along Perkins Run near where that stream emptied into the East Branch Brandywine Creek . The tract already included a fulling mill and a sawmill, and the transaction encompassed water rights to dam Perkins Run to power
3456-465: The furnace. His improvements included conversion from water to the more reliable steam power for creating the furnace blast. Potts also arranged for the construction of a spur line to the furnace from the East Brandywine and Waynesburg, which had come under the control of the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1876. This facilitated the shipment of raw materials to, and iron from, the furnace; in 1884, Isabella
3528-586: The furnace. The Potts and Rutter families were already extensively involved in the iron business in the vicinity of Philadelphia ; Henry's father Joseph was a partner in Glasgow Forge, on Manatawny Creek near Pottstown, Pennsylvania , and Henry was involved in ironmaking there and at Warwick Furnace , owned by his first cousin David Potts Jr. The furnace was completed by the end of the year and named in honor of Henry's wife Isabella, née Hitner. It proved to be
3600-519: The homicide total of 2016 despite only being 2/3 through the year. In 2014, Wilmington recorded 28 homicides, making for a rate of 39.5 per 100,000 residents, which is ten times the national average. Wilmington frequently appears on NeighborhoodScout's "Top 100 Most Dangerous Cities in the United States" list. In 2017, Wilmington was ranked as the 5th most dangerous city in the US. Nearby cities such as Camden, New Jersey, and Chester, Pennsylvania, also ranked in
3672-416: The industrial and residential development patterns within the city. The hilly west side was more attractive for the original residential areas, offering springs and sites for mills , better air quality , and fewer mosquitoes . Wilmington has a warm temperate climate or humid subtropical climate ( Köppen Cfa ), with hot and humid summers, cool to cold winters, and precipitation evenly spread throughout
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#17328525884263744-509: The last sizable furnace erected in northern Chester County. In the spring of 1836, Henry's brother David, formerly the owner of Springton Forge, was brought in as a partner and manager of the furnace. Henry retained a half interest and David and John each a quarter interest in Isabella Furnace. Ore from the furnace was obtained from the Jones and Warwick mines nearby. These mines were operated by
3816-436: The management of the furnace until 1881. About 1870, as the Wilmington and Reading Railroad built through the region on the way from Wilmington, Delaware to Birdsboro, Pennsylvania , it established a station called "Isabella" about a mile northwest of the furnace. In 1880, a new figure appeared upon the scene: Col. Joseph D. Potts (1829–1893), son of David Potts. Raised at Isabella Furnace, he regarded it as home. Potts made
3888-522: The mouth of the Maax-waas Hanna (which the Swedes renamed the Christina River after Queen Christina of Sweden ). The area was also known as "The Rocks", and is located near the foot of present-day Seventh Street. Fort Christina served as the headquarters for the colony of New Sweden which consisted of, for the most part, the lower Delaware River region (parts of present-day Delaware , Pennsylvania , and New Jersey ), but few colonists settled there. Dr. Timothy Stidham (Swedish: Timen Lulofsson Stiddem )
3960-443: The property was converted to a private residence by Dr. and Mrs. Daniel Leiberman, who sold the property about 1983. The original stack of the furnace was 33 feet (10 m) high, with a 6.5-foot (2.0 m) bosh. Either the 1864 or 1881 remodeling increased the height to 35 feet (11 m), with a 7.75-foot (2.36 m) bosh. The last remodeling, in 1886, enlarged the stack to 60 feet (18 m). A Hexamer General Survey plan of
4032-450: The rest of the country combined and it rated first in the production of gunpowder and second in carriages and leather. Due to the prosperity Wilmington enjoyed during the war, city merchants and manufacturers expanded Wilmington's residential boundaries westward in the form of large homes along tree-lined streets. This movement was spurred by the first horsecar line, which was initiated in 1864 along Delaware Avenue. The late 19th century saw
4104-635: The southernmost stops on Philadelphia's SEPTA rail transportation system, is also served by Northeast Corridor Amtrak passenger trains. Wilmington is served by I-95 and I-495 within city limits. In addition, the twin-span Delaware Memorial Bridge , a few miles south of the city, provides direct highway access between Delaware and New Jersey, carrying the I-295 eastern bypass route around Wilmington and Philadelphia, as well as US 40 , which continues eastward to Atlantic City, New Jersey . These transportation links and geographic proximity give Wilmington some of
4176-484: The top 15. In early 2017, the mayor's office as well as many public advocates called for comprehensive action to reduce astronomical crime rates in Wilmington, as the city saw a shooting almost every other day throughout the spring, and by May, the city had already seen 15 homicides. According to the WPD's 2018 Compstat report, shooting incidents have decreased to a level not seen in Wilmington in more than 15 years. When compared to
4248-572: The waterfront of the Christina River . In 1988, the Delaware legislature enacted a law which required a would-be acquirer to capture 85 percent of a Delaware chartered corporation's stock in a single transaction or wait three years before proceeding. This law strengthened Delaware's position as a safe haven for corporate charters during an especially turbulent time filled with hostile takeovers. Wilmington's other notable industries include insurance (American Life Insurance Company [ALICO], Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Delaware), retail banking (including
4320-525: The year. In July, the daily average is 76.8 °F (24.9 °C), with an average 21 days of 90 °F (32 °C)+ highs annually. Summer thunderstorms are common in the hottest months. The January daily average is 32.4 °F (0.2 °C), although temperatures may occasionally reach 10 °F (−12 °C) or 55 °F (13 °C) as fronts move toward and past the area. Snowfall is light to moderate, and variable, with some winters bringing very little of it and others witnessing several major snowstorms;
4392-632: Was a carpenter who, like David Potts, had made iron at Springton Forge. Under the new owners, the output of the forge in 1856 was 560 short tons (510 t) of blooms. Irey bought out Butler in 1860 and thereafter operated the forge himself. During the early years of the Civil War , the East Brandywine and Waynesburg Railroad was built along the East Branch of the Brandywine on its way from Downingtown to Waynesburg, now Honey Brook . Its Wyebrooke station
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#17328525884264464-574: Was a prominent citizen and doctor in Wilmington. He was born in 1610, probably in Hammel, Denmark, and raised in Gothenburg , Sweden. He arrived in New Sweden in 1654 and is recorded as the first physician in Delaware. The most important Swedish governor was Colonel Johan Printz , who ruled the colony under Swedish law from 1643 to 1653. He was succeeded by Johan Rising , who upon his arrival in 1654, seized
4536-535: Was about a half-mile south of the forge and provided a rail outlet for its products. The forge was remodeled in 1864 and it was presumably then that it became a furnace again, but Irey's operations during the Civil War were not profitable. He sold out in 1865 to the brothers Bentley H., William D., and Horace V. Smith, members of an ironmaking family associated with Joanna Furnace and the mines around Warwick. William D. and Horace V. Smith were particularly associated with
4608-428: Was also associated with Isabella until 1886. In that year, Isabella underwent its last rebuilding. By 1892, the furnace was using a blend of local ores, ore from Lancaster County , Elba, and Lake Superior , and reported an annual capacity of 6,000 short tons (5,400 t). In 1891, Col. Potts began building a nearby chateau-like mansion, "Langoma" (1891–95, Theophilus P. Chandler Jr. , architect), which he intended as
4680-574: Was built on the site of Fort Christina , the first Swedish settlement in North America. It lies at the confluence of the Christina River and Brandywine Creek , near where the Christina flows into the Delaware River . It is the county seat of New Castle County and one of the major cities in the Delaware Valley metropolitan area (synonymous with the Philadelphia metropolitan area). Wilmington
4752-573: Was consistently ranked among the most dangerous cities in the United States, along with several other cities in the Philadelphia Metropolitan Area , such as Camden , Trenton , and Atlantic City , New Jersey, and Chester, Pennsylvania . In the 2000s, while most cities had seen a decrease in crime and murder, Wilmington had broken its record for homicides in a single year multiple times. In 2017, Wilmington saw an even steeper increase in crime. By August 2017, Wilmington had already eclipsed
4824-516: Was due to the reduced moisture in cool winter air. The discovery by James Beaumont Neilson in about 1825 of the beneficial effects of the hot blast led to the rapid obsolescence of cold blast ironworks in Great Britain , where hot blast was in general use by 1835. Cold blast ironworks survived longer in the United States , but the use of hot blast as a method of smelting iron with anthracite
4896-478: Was introduced in 1836, and the increasing US production of coke gradually drove out the cold blast furnaces. However, one of the last known operating cold blast charcoal furnaces, Pleasant (formerly Eagle) Furnace, in Curtin, Pennsylvania did not close until 1921. Wilmington, Delaware Wilmington ( Lenape : Paxahakink / Pakehakink ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Delaware . The city
4968-400: Was named by Proprietor Thomas Penn after his friend Spencer Compton , Earl of Wilmington , who was prime minister during the reign of George II of Great Britain . As of the 2020 census , the city's population was 70,898. Wilmington is part of the Delaware Valley metropolitan statistical area (which also includes Philadelphia , Reading , Camden , and other urban areas), which had
5040-436: Was reported to be using a combination of the local ores and imported Spanish ore to produce "car-wheel" pig iron , sold under the "Wyebrooke" brand. At this time, the annual capacity of the furnace had increased to 3,000 short tons (2,700 t) of iron due to the modernization. Soon after buying the furnace, Col. Potts appointed his elder son, William M. Potts, manager of the furnace; William's younger brother, Francis L. Potts,
5112-524: Was thought that this program would improve the police's database of fingerprints and eye-witnesses for use in future crime investigations. Some citizens protested that such a practice was a violation of civil rights . Also in 2002, the entire downtown business district was placed under video monitoring. Wilmington was the first city in the United States to monitor the entire business district using video monitoring. The city claims this has helped prevent and reduce crime. The Wilmington Fire Department (WFD)
5184-403: Was well-run under David's direction, and in 1850, produced 1,000 short tons (910 t) of iron per year. The furnace was converted to a forge in 1853. However, changing conditions in the iron market in the mid-1850s badly damaged David's financial position. Isabella Furnace was assigned to Robert Smith Potts and Addison May, who sold it in the following year to John Irey and James Butler. Irey
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