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Brandywine Regeneration Project
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The Brandywine Regeneration Project: How the Brandywine’s historical past has shaped our region’s values
By Ashley Pierce
When Bob Holliday came to Pennsylvania to reside and work over forty years ago, he was unaware that this would be home to a project he would soon pioneer with passion and greatness: The Brandywine Regeneration Project. Bob has devoted himself to educating people about the historical communities, individuals, and entities that have sprung up along the Brandywine River, in hopes of ensuring that their spirit will be reinvigorated and continue into the future.
“The Brandywine is not just the creek, it is the spirit and values of our nation, brought about by the life along the Brandywine,” Holliday said.
The Brandywine River has an extensive history and today we can relive important pieces that have shaped America’s heritage along its banks. Holliday’s goal is to leave people with a purpose – one given to them by discovering the Brandywine and the entities it possesses. The Brandywine Regeneration Project highlights seven important historical sites along the Brandywine and focuses on the legacy each one has that can continue in all of us.
One entity he focuses on are the first residents, the Lenni-Lenape Indians who called the Brandywine Valley their home; instilling their belief of caring for people and the land around them for future generations. A second focal point is the development of the city of Wilmington at the mouth of the Brandywine, which brought a mindset of self-reflection and growth through one’s own work to the nation. In the 17th century, the Swedes came to the Brandywine, bringing with them their ideology of accepting all faiths and walks of life. On September 11, 1777, the historic Battle of the Brandywine took place, where the British soldiers defeated Washington’s Continental Army. While America lost the battle, the fighting spirit of the young country was a powerful sign of resilience.
Furthermore, Bob Holliday lists the impact of both Luken’s Steel and DuPont, as a part of the region’s heritage, as well as Howard Pyle’s illustrative art innovative; with all the three mentioned being centered on the Brandywine. “Each of these spots were a powerful source of generation. In other words, they were the shining light of our county in the world,” Holliday said. “What the Brandywine represented was a national impact. It started here and spread west.” All of these entities along the river had various historical accomplishments, from business success to influence over the community’s values and mindsets. Additionally, Holliday stated that it’s not just the myriad inventions that are important, it is “the energy and spirit that they each generated” that were crucial to the shaping of our nation and people. “Individually, any one of these values can be brought to life in what you are doing today.”
Since 2010, Holliday has engaged the Coatesville Youth Initiative & Stroud Water Research Center to take young people from Coatesville on a trek along the Brandywine, to learn about the Brandywine’s extensive heritage.
One of the most popular features of the trek has always been a visit with Lenni-Lenape chief, Quiet Thunder. Although he passed away last year, his grandsons have taken over his role in the trek, which has been renamed Camp Quiet Thunder in remembrance. “They were here for thousands of years before we came here. Their role was to care for nature and leave it better than they found it for future generations,” Holliday said. It’s this principle that Holliday would like to help extend to other communities. Holliday’s mission is to communicate the message of the Brandywine Regeneration Project; he is available to speak to different groups and organizations of all interests and age ranges. More importantly, Bob Holliday would like to see the movement go beyond an individual effort; to spark a national effort and vision. To do that, he has been making efforts to generate interest at the federal level and is seeking assistance to go further with his project. At its core, the Brandywine Regeneration Project is about teaching history and heritage and Bob Holliday strives to keep our future flourishing by looking back on our noteworthy past.
