China delegation to get Chester County tour

Sino-American Regional Business and Culture Exchange is 3-day event From mushrooms to orchids, QVC to New Bolton, 25 business people from Beijing and the Chongqing region of China will receive a whirlwind tour of Chester County for three days beginning Monday, Oct. 28. The delegation is part of a Sino-American Regional Business and Culture Exchange hosted by the Chester County Commissioners, the Chester...

A venue where pipe dreams can come true

 Longwood Gardens is hosting international organ competition Ten renowned organists from around the world will compete in the inaugural International Organ Competition at Longwood Gardens. Organ aficionados, take note: Longwood Gardens’ is hosting an international competition with a $40,000 first prize. Ten renowned organists will compete in the inaugural International Organ Competition, playing...

Longwood cottages destined for wrecking ball

Kennett supervisors voted 2-1 to grant demolition permit By Kathleen Brady Shea, Managing Editor, The Times The Kennett Township Supervisors voted 2-1 Tuesday night to grant Longwood Gardens a permit to raze these three 1920s cottages along U.S. 1. For more than half an hour Tuesday night, planners, preservationists, and members of the public urged the Kennett Township supervisors to delay a decision...

Trio of Longwood cottages spared – for now

Kennett Township supervisors agree to table demolition decision By Kathleen Brady Shea, Managing Editor, The Times The Kennett Township supervisors tabled a vote on a demolition permit from Longwood Gardens for three bungalows it owns on Rt. 1 near the entrance to the gardens. Three 1920s bungalows commissioned by Pierre S. du Pont to house some of his Longwood Gardens’ staff got at least a temporary...

Historic Kennett cottages up for grabs

Longwood Gardens want to raze them; township planners seeking another option By Kathleen Brady Shea, Managing Editor, The Times These three houses are free to a new owner, with one catch: the owner needs to be able to move them off of their current site on Longwood Gardens’ property on US-1, and do so quickly. Otherwise, the homes could face demolition. Yours for the taking: three 1920s bungalows...

For tourism marketing, south of France hits home

New  campaign will capitalize on county’s cosmopolitan flair By Kathleen Brady Shea, Managing Editor, The Times Blair Mahoney, executive director of the Chester County Conference and Visitors Bureau, explained the importance of boosting tourism in the region. It wasn’t exactly an identity crisis, but the folks entrusted with promoting the area as a tourist destination have agonized for some...

Longwood volunteers create piece de resistance

Series of quilts chronicle garden’s beauty – from flowers to felines By Kathleen Brady Shea, Managing Editor, The Times Ann Randolph (left) and Nancy Hiss stand in front of the group’s “Seasons of Pollination” quilt. The goal was grand: Capture the colors of Longwood Gardens in a quilt. First suggested in 1996, the project failed to leave the drawing board more than once. But that was before...

Upland students decorate Longwood tree

The Christmas tree designed by students from Upland Country Day School is on display at Longwood Gardens. EAST MARLBOROUGH — Students from the fourth, fifth and sixth grade at Upland Country Day School were selected to  decorate one of the beautiful Christmas trees at Longwood Gardens this season. Located among the half million twinkling lights and thousands of beautiful poinsettias, Upland’s...

Longwood Gardens water centerpiece to get facelift

 New York architecture firm to oversee restoration of  Main Fountain Garden A renowned architecture firm has been commissioned to renovate the Main Fountain Garden at Longwood. Longwood Gardens announced Thursday that it has commissioned the New York firm of Beyer Blinder Belle Architects and Planners to lead the rehabilitation of the Main Fountain Garden, part of a 40-year master-planning initiative...

Local Red Cross collects holiday mail for military

 Longwood Gardens’ visitors got chance to enjoy light display, light up troops’ lives  By Kathleen Brady Shea, Managing Editor, The Times Downingtown resident Jennifer Stokker, with her nearly 3-year-old daughter Madelyn, was the delighted winner of a 42-inch TV during a Red Cross raffle at Longwood Gardens. At first, the visitors at Longwood Gardens Thursday night were skeptical: Were...