Claymont (Images of America) - Tapa blanda

Claymont, Delaware, located strategically along the Delaware River, the Kings Highway, and the railroad, is a singular small town that, in many ways, has mirrored America's growth from the 1600s to the 1960s. Though an important thoroughfare between Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. since colonial times, the essence of the Claymont community has always been determined by the vision of the steadfast

people who, for centuries, have made it their home.

Within these pages, readers will discover the Claymont of yesteryear, visiting the inns and taverns that sprang up to serve the needs of early

travelers, the homes of such famous residents as artists Adolph Wertmueller and F.O.C. Darley, and the summer retreats of Wilmington and Philadelphia's elite families. Readers will delight in views of the early farmhouses along the Post Road, the Delaware

River's "gold coast" of the 1890s, the seaplane training facility of World War I, the old-fashioned meat counter at the A&P, and the Green Lantern Theatre. Schools and churches, neighborhoods and

thoroughfares, businesses and memorable events, all captured and preserved by early photographers, make this entertaining trip down memory lane a must for Claymont residents, both past and present.

Co-author Martha Schiek serves as president of the Claymont Historical Society and is the daughter of Allen and Elizabeth Schiek. It is because of Elizabeth Schiek s lifelong devotion to preserving Claymont s history, her years of research, and her vast collection of newspaper clippings and photographs that this unique volume was made possible. Co-author Ray Hester is one of the founders of the Claymont Historical Society and serves as executive director of the Darley Art and Historical Society. Along with his wife, Judith, he bought and renovated the 200-year-old historic Darley House in Claymont, establishing it as a bed and breakfast in 1993.