The centuries old trail that passes by his house, which became a nearby highway, laid claim
to the passing of our patriot, Caesar Rodney, who rode his horse 80 miles almost non-stop from
Dover (our capital) to the city of Philadelphia.  He was to be the first representative to break the
deadlock vote in favor of the Declaration of Independence on July 1, 1776.  He and his trusty steed
trotted over the local blue rock, and passed by farmer’s walls and homes constructed of our famous
gneiss.

     To this feat, the abutting property, which houses a shopping mall, gives tribute by being named
"Independence Mall".  It's veneer architecture is reminiscent of the original building in Philadelphia.

     It is a tough stone, once quarried and used to construct many of Delaware’s historic buildings,
like Old Swedes Church in Wilmington.  Near the church, a half-century old blasted outcrop lines the
shoulders of Interstate 95, which also passes near Maine's doorstep, as well.  No more stone quarries
exist to supply this dimensional stone

     The credit for obtaining such a stone (as you know it is hard to come by these days) should go
to William Schenck and Tom McKenna, Geologists of the Delaware Geological Survey, Vernon
Lawton and Nick Hetrick, Project Engineers of DelDOT, and Bruce Kay of DMJM Harris, Inc.,
Contractors, and of course, most humbly, the Delaware Mineralogical Society.   Thanks!

[Adapted from the letter I researched and wrote to send with with our State's contribution.]

     Local archeologists plot the earliest evidence of man inhabiting northern Delaware as being
marked at about 12,000 years ago, during the Paleoindian Period.  Though we have some
interpretation of rock use spanning up through mid-seventeenth century colonial times, only
arrow and spear points, and mortar and pestle stones are the primary usages.  No mining was
cited.

  (Source: DelDOT Projects: Archaeology - Prehistoric Archaeology)

     There may be evidence that the earliest natives to this area employed the Brandywine Blue
Gneiss, but this author has not yet come upon it.  I can suggest that some Delaware Paleoindians
may have witnessed the beauty of those boulders strewn across the Brandywine Creek as a result
of erosional processes in ancient times.

    Unbeknownst to passengers of the Kalmar Nyckel, early Swedes who disembarked at the site
of Fort Christina on the Christina River, stepped across a large ledge of blue rock.   One could
suggest that this was the "Plymouth Rock" of Delaware.  Their foothold into the New World was
literally here.  One wonders if the thought crossed their minds to seek out this stone for future
use, either symbolically or practically.

     In fact, if you look at our club’s website banner above, you might make out a small masted
ship on the water.  That is the Kalmar Nyckel--symbol to us in Delaware of exploration.  Our
club motto captures this sentiment as we translate it from Latin to English.  The three words
"Omnem Movere Lapidem" work out to "No Stone Unturned".

     Since the 1630s, European explorers and colonists witnessed some of the earliest stone
structures in use.  As they tilled the soil, and loosened the blue rock fieldstones, they began
to accumulate excess stone.  This hard-to-work rock found its way into property boundary walls
and some building foundations.  Some of these walls still stand today, crisscrossing the county.

     After discovering that our blue rock lends itself well to masonry work, institutional buildings
and homes were modeled after its quaint character.  The Old Swedes Church and patriot
Gunning Bedford, Jr's house in Wilmington are both constructed of this hefty stone.

     The DuPont family's endeavors at gentrifying the landscape proved successful with the use
of this resilient rock.  Their business buildings made use of this locally quarried resource.  Homes
and mills alike stood proudly, some have said haughtily, against the background of Delaware's
rich history.  Today, we take pride in the vast accomplishments of our early residents.  Now, many
current residents rely upon the DuPont Company's centuries old foundation to help drive the
economy of Delaware, and serves to underlie Delaware's society and culture.

     Most of these magnificent structures still stand today, giving testament to the tenacity of
this stone's hold on our character.  Many of the historic places may be visited by us with only
a museum's invitation awaiting our reply.  (See below, for a list of museum links)

     In the past, it was quarried commercially in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.  As
the most prolific, local building stone, this "Blue Granite", as it is sometimes called, served in
the construction of various landmarks, public spaces, and utilitarian structures.

     Quarries in Brandywine Hundred, New Castle County, Delaware operated with blasting going
on within the city limits.  One such hazardous event in 1902 at the Brandywine Granite Company
quarry injured an Italian stoneworker.  The quarry was then closed.

(Source: Stone Quarries and Beyond by Peggy B. Perazzo and George P. Perazzo)

     Modern mining in the twenty-first century was conducted as the result of a need to remove
excess material from a large road expansion project.  The Blue Ball Project encompasses not
only highway construction, but reuse of abutting land, while optimally preserving our state's rich
history and architectural past.

     Though most of the project bedrock was blasted away to be reburied on site, much is seeing
its way toward some visible usefulness.  Three examples are: overpass stone veneers, local
institutional drystack walls, and rip-rip for project drainage areas.  For further beautification, some
hefty landscape boulders will grace the Delaware Greenways and onramp overlooks, which add
modern history to the Wilmington Blue Rocks' usefulness.

     This author shares the view that with a vastly populated Delaware, no future blue rock mining
will be permitted, especially that done by blasting.  So, if you have a good sample of Wilmington
Blue Rock--hold on to it!  Show it to others to educate them about our past.   And, Enjoy!

State of Delaware Division of Historical & Cultural Affairs

Historical Society of Delaware

Brandywine Creek State Park

The Wilmington Blue Rocks--Delaware Geological Survey (DGS)

The Hagley Museum and Library, Wilmington, Delaware

Old Swedes Church, Wilmington, Delaware

DelDOT Projects: Archaeological Exploration and Historical Preservation in Delaware

Delaforum's Blue Ball Photo Album

The Mollyockett Motel, Woodstock, Maine (Blue Rock in Fireplace masonry)

Delaware Greenways

Delaware Department of Natural Resources & Environmental Control (DNREC)

Here is where DMS Members can add their nice Gneiss photos to share with us.

     We hope you have enjoyed our pleasant visit to Brandywine Blue Gneiss.  Please join
us next month, for another article, and we shall journey together!
     Until then, stay safe, and happy collecting.

I would like to gratefully acknowledge the generous contributions of our fellow Gneiss
enthusiasts, collectors, authors, curators, professionals, and club members who made this
work possible.  Thanks.