Westtown moves to acquire Darlington Inn as historical talk traces Darlington's Corners

Steve Rapig, a member of the Westtown historical commission, presented a slide talk chronicling the history of Darlington's Corners and said Westtown Township is proceeding with purchase of the Darlington Inn property.

Rapig said Darlington's Corners — the intersection centered on the Darlington Inn at Route 202 and Street Road — has carried multiple names and municipal attributions over time. He told attendees the site "began as a log cabin... it was built as a Tavern" and later became the Darlington Tavern, the Westtown Inn and, by the early 20th century, a private residence (Rapig: "in 1908 the owners decided to turn it into a private residence").

Why it matters: the parcel is historic and lies along a busy corridor where PennDOT plans turning-lane work on Route 202. Rapig said the township has carved the land out of a prior grant and "the purchase is being made by the township," adding that a PennDOT study has indicated the building would be safe during the planned roadway work. Rapig invited residents to propose future uses for the property, mentioning possibilities such as a restaurant or a local history center.

The presentation placed Darlington's Corners in broader local economic history: Rapig described how Wilmington's 19th-century expansion and the DuPont works encouraged road improvements and stops between Westchester and Wilmington, how local factories and quarries (notably those associated with Joseph Britton) once supported weaving, clockmaking and agricultural machinery, and how the 1873 financial panic curtailed planned rail and trolley developments that might otherwise have altered the corner's growth.

Rapig described several features and episodes that shaped the corner: the Darlington family enterprises, a weaving factory established about 1820 with an annual payroll Rapig cited as $3,120, local wheelwrights and blacksmiths who supported transport and agriculture, and the long-running market tradition represented by the Bartram store. He noted the quarry produced local green serpentine stone used in several nearby buildings.

On preservation and next steps: Rapig said the township purchase places the building under local control and will allow for community input on reuse and preservation priorities. He cautioned that the PennDOT study was prepared by PennDOT and that the report's conclusions about the site’s safety relate specifically to the agency’s planned turning-lane work on Route 202; he did not cite a purchase price or timeline. "The township is going to be very interested in hearing from you and other residents about what you think would be a great idea to do with that building," Rapig said.

The historical commission presentation offered volunteers and residents an opportunity to submit ideas; Rapig and the commission said they will continue outreach as the township finalizes acquisition details and coordinates with PennDOT.