You’re looking for a charming white building with a steep, dark slate roof and big windows, right on the corner with a leafy tree in front-look for the sign that says “Blackshire”.
Now imagine yourself standing here, almost a hundred years ago, on what was once the lively site of Schuetzen Park, with horses pounding the racetrack and cheers echoing through the fairgrounds. But then, in 1917, the ground beneath your feet changed forever when the DuPont Company swept in-not with racing horses, but with blueprints. They needed houses for their growing team, and what better way to impress new staff than with a whole neighborhood designed by the clever Edward L. Palmer Jr.? He used winding streets and soft lawns that made city living feel like a walk through a peaceful village-where your neighbor’s roses might actually compete with yours. There’s a playful mix here: Tudor cottages, grand Georgian mansions, some dreamy Gothic touches, all dressed up with unifying slate roofs like a fashion statement everyone wanted to copy. And just imagine: over 320 buildings, each holding secrets of laughter, drama, and probably some burnt toast. Kids would have raced down these curvy lanes on bikes, teachers from the Red Clay School District keeping an eye out, and the postman surely got his steps in. In 1986, the area joined the National Register of Historic Places, a little like Hollywood’s Walk of Fame-without the paparazzi, but with loads more style. So take a breath, let your mind drift to the clang of horse hooves, the hum of neighborhood chatter, and the pride of a place built on both dreams and strong foundations!
