North American Land Trust acquires historic Joseph Davis Tract in Delaware County, PA

CHADDS FORD, PA, UNITED STATES, April 14, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- North American Land Trust (NALT) today announced that it has finalized its acquisition of the 16-acre historic Joseph Davis Tract, a property of exceptional historic and cultural significance located in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania.

Situated within the Brandywine Battlefield National Historic Landmark, the property once was the home and art studio of renowned American painter and illustrator N.C. Wyeth.

NALT President Steven Carter said this landmark acquisition marks a major milestone for NALT, as the Joseph Davis Tract will eventually serve as the organization’s new national headquarters. Located just 1.5 miles from NALT’s first public battlefield preserve – Brinton Run Preserve, which opened in 2021 – this site will further expand the organization’s public conservation and historic preservation initiatives.

“We are proud to honor both the natural and cultural legacy of this land and community,” said Carter. “This project represents the very heart of our mission – preserving the landscapes that shape our nation’s history and future.”

David Duncan, President of the American Battlefield Trust, said “Protection of the Joseph Davis Tract is a huge achievement for the Brandywine Battlefield and for the battlefield preservation movement more broadly. This successful campaign is a testament to the need of collaboration and public-private partnerships if we are to secure deeply historic and highly threatened properties so that future generations can also visit and learn from them.”

Carter thanked the many partners who helped NALT raise the $3.6 million to acquire the historic property, which now will be permanently conserved and opened to the public to hike its fields, learn its history, and enjoy its beauty.

The organizations that helped fund the acquisition are:

• The National Park Service’s American Battlefield Protection Program
• The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR)
• The Longwood Foundation
• Chadds Ford Township
• The Pennsylvania Department of Commerce and Economic Development
• The Welfare Foundation
• The American Battlefield Trust
• Atira Conservation, Inc.
• WeConservePA

Chadds Ford Township will hold the permanent conservation easement on the Joseph Davis Tract, preserving the historic property for future generations. The township also holds the conservation easement on NALT’s Brinton Run Preserve.

“On behalf of the Board of Supervisors, the Open Space Committee, township staff, and the Chadds Ford community, we are proud to celebrate the preservation of the historic Joseph Davis Tract property,” said Vice Chair Kathleen Goodier. “As a former member of both the Open Space Committee and Planning Commission, and now as a township supervisor, it is incredibly rewarding to see this acquisition reflect the township’s long-standing preservation goals.”

Goodier said, “We deeply appreciate the dedication and expertise our staff brought to this effort, working together with North American Land Trust to secure nearly $2.1 million in grant funding from DCED and the American Battlefield Protection Program. The township was privileged enough to contribute $250,000 in Open Space Funds, securing another conservation easement in the township’s name, and helping to bring this joint vision to life – reinforcing the strong, lasting partnership we built with NALT. We are also grateful to state Representative Craig Williams, state Senator John Kane, and Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon for their support of our funding applications and this important project.

Goodier added: “We’re thrilled to welcome North American Land Trust as they relocate their headquarters to the Joseph Davis House, further strengthening our shared mission to protect the landscapes, history, and cultural heritage that define our community.”

The property, which is along Baltimore Pike (U.S. Route 1), sits at the center of the Continental Army’s main defensive line during the Revolutionary War Battle of Brandywine. On Sept. 11, 1777, the American forces engaged the British forces but ultimately had to retreat. American General Anthony Wayne’s Pennsylvania Division took up position on the Joseph Davis Tract and a four-gun battery overlooking Chadds Ford was set up to the left of the property.

The historic Joseph Davis House, originally built in 1725, sits on the 16-acre property. According to the Brandywine Museum of Art, N.C. Wyeth and his family lived in the house from 1907 to 1911. Wyeth converted a former carriage house into his studio, adding a skylight to his workspace. There, he created some of his major artworks including his depictions of Native Americans and his illustrations for Robert Louis Stevenson’s adventure novel “Treasure Island.”

Carter said NALT plans to offer historical and cultural programs at the new public preserve, develop hiking trails throughout the rolling fields, and create pollinator habitat along the trails.

In March, NALT announced that it had been awarded a $276,000 grant from DCNR to support NALT’s Pollinator Meadow Initiative in Southeastern Pennsylvania. NALT has converted more than 50 acres of lawns and fields into pollinator habitat throughout the region, including approximately 24 acres at Brinton Run Preserve.

You can take a video tour of the Joseph Davis Tract.

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About North American Land Trust
North American Land Trust is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that conserves and stewards more than 138,000 acres at 574 conservation areas in 24 states. Based in Chadds Ford, PA, North American Land Trust is proudly Accredited under Pennsylvania Association of Nonprofit Organizations and, as such, is recognized as having met all the requirements of The Standards for Excellence^®: An Ethics and Accountability Code for the Nonprofit Sector. For more information, go to our website.

Sean Connolly
North American Land Trust
sconnolly@nalt.org