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Edward "Ted" Brinton, former board president, dies at 98.
Edward (Ted) Slingluff Brinton, aged 98, died at Kendal Crosslands, Kennett Square, PA on
Saturday, September 23, 2023.
Ted was born in West Chester, PA January 13, 1925, the son of Edward and Mariam Brinton.
He attended Westtown Friends School in Westtown, PA where he was on the Honor Society
and captain of the tennis and swimming teams. He was inducted into the U.S. Army Corps in
October 1943. He was transferred to the 89 th Army Infantry Division where he saw action in the
Battle of the Bulge. Following his discharge Ted entered the University of Pennsylvania where
he graduated from the Wharton School with a B.S. degree in Management and Economics in
1948.
In the same year, Ted married Joan (Toni) Ruth Zimmerman who died in 2011 after 62 years of
loving marriage.
Upon graduation from University of Pennsylvania, Ted joined the DuPont Company working on
the development and manufacture of synthetic textile fibers. His career included the
management of manufacturing facilities in Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee and Delaware.
Upon retirement From DuPont in 1985, he spent four years working as a management
consultant with Reliance Industries in India.
Ted was very active in many Quaker organizations both local and national. He was co-founder
of the Birmingham Peace Center and the Peace Garden at Birmingham Friends Meeting. He was a member of the Executive Board of Trustees and chaired the Personnel and Finance
Committees at Pendle Hill, a Quaker Study, Retreat and Conference Center. He served on the
Personnel Committee of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting and the Friends Fiduciary Corporation. He
also was active with the American Friends Service Committee as a member of the Peace Committee and headed their Material Aids program.
In 1970 Ted helped establish the Delaware chapter of Business Executives for Nuclear Arms
Control (BENAC). The organization grew into the Project for Nuclear Awareness and many
similar initiatives. As a result of these efforts, Ted received the Business Leaders for Sensible
Priorities Caring Business Leaders Award in 2004.
Following his commitment to the environment, Ted served on the Birmingham Township
Planning Commission and the Open Space and Recreation and Parks Commission. He was a
founding member of the Brandywine Conservancy’s Environmental Center. Ted was appointed
to the Board of Directors of the Brinton Family Association responsible for the William Brinton
1704 House, a National Historic Landmark and became the Board President for twenty years.
Ted was an active skier and mountain climber. He worked one summer for the Appalachian
Mountain Club at Madison Spring Hut located on the shoulder of Mt. Madison, New Hampshire.
He continued to hike well into his 90’s including in the West of the US and in France, Wales, and
Switzerland. His most memorable climb was to the summit of Kala Patthar, Nepal overlooking
Mount Everest base camp. He was also a keen sailor and woodworker.
Ted was a loving and supportive father to his children Garry (Ricki Hurwitz), Gail Bryan (Caesar),
Chris (Lisa) and to his 7 grandchildren and 8 great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his long-
term loving partner Phoebe Driscoll. In addition to his wife and parents, he was predeceased
by his sister Martha Mermier.
Contributions in memory of Ted can be made to the AFSC (www.afsc.org), Birmingham Friends
Meeting (www.birminghamfriends.org), or to the charitable organization of your choice.
A memorial service in celebration of Ted’s life will be held at Birmingham Friends Meeting
(1245 Birmingham Rd., West Chester, PA 19382) on October 28, 2023 at 1:00 PM.
The Brinton 1704 House attends the Newlin Gristmill Archaeology Festival!
The Newlin Gristmill's annual Archaeology Festival in Glen Mills, PA, is a wonderful, family-oriented event designed to get kids and adults alike involved in a real archaeological excavation. Attendees helped excavate, sift soil, clean artifacts, and experienced the real, hands on history of the local Brandywine Valley. The Brinton 1704 House was able to demonstrate a facet of how modern technology can assist us in the study of the past, using 3D printed models to demonstrate architectural change over time. Check the 3D printed models out the next time you visit the 1704 House and see how the STEM revolution is partnering with humanities studies, and ask about our "Architecture Archaeology" discussion!
Christiana Heritage Days 2022
Christiana, PA: The Christiana Historical Society announces its annual Christiana Heritage Days on Saturday, September 10, 2022, from 10 AM to 3 PM, held on the grounds of the Wm. P. Brinton House, 17 Green Street, Christiana, PA. This is a fundraiser for the restoration of the Wm. P. Brinton House and a day when history will come to life in Christiana.
Christiana, PA in southern Lancaster County, was a major hub in the Underground Railroad and the site of a major stand against slavery. A little-known event, which affected the country’s view on enslavement, occurred on September 11,1851 when a slave owner came from Maryland to retrieve what he deemed to be his property. The black community took a stand, they refused his demands and with the help of their Quaker neighbors, a confrontation ensued which ended with the death of the slave owner. 38 were arrested (black and Quaker) and held for trial in Moyamensing Prison in Philadelphia on the charge of treason. A team of lawyers, led by Congressman Thaddeus Stevens of Lancaster, PA, came to their defense and won.
Come to Christiana to hear the details of this event and see exhibits and activities to celebrate this time in history. Hear stories passed down by the descendants of those involved, see an encampment of the 3rd U.S. Colored Infantry, The Invalid Corp, and the 1st PA Reserves. Talk to characters of the Civil War with the PA Past Players of the Underground Railroad and learn about the Quaker influence in Lancaster County in culture and architecture. Children and adults young at heart will have a walkable Scavenger Hunt, Victorian children’s games and crafts. Learn about the Wm. P. Brinton House, the Brinton family and their role as Underground Station masters. See an exhibit of historical postcards from the Lancaster Postcard Club, and more.
The event will be held next to the Zercher Hotel, Underground Railroad Museum in which those arrested were held while waiting to be transported to Philadelphia for trial. The museum will be open.
Come learn the details of this stand for freedom and come hungry! A breakfast and lunch Amish food truck, Soul Country Vegan, Randy Yoder’s Chicken and Brinson’s Barbeque food trucks will be there. Join us to celebrate our “Heritage Days”!
The Wm. P. Brinton House
17 Green Street
Christiana, PA 17509
Contact:
Darlene A. Colón, President (and descendant)
717-330-8909
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William Brinton 1704 House receives grant from The William G. Pomeroy Foundation
The William G. Pomeroy Foundation, a charitable organization "committed to supporting the celebration and preservation of community history," presented the William Brinton 1704 House with a grant to offset the cost of a sign noting that the house is on the National Register of Historic Places. Look for the new sign the next time you visit the house!
Board President Francis Jacobs was invited to attend this year's signing of the Treaty of Renewed Friendship with the Lenape Nation of Pennsylvania. He made remarks regarding the history of the Brinton family and the Lenape people, and participated in a smudging ceremony. Click below to learn more about the LNPA.