![]() |
|
|

![]() |
|
|
I was fortunate enough to get a New Year’s Day 2012 tour of a property which was saved from destruction in 1976 in the historic crossroads town of Christiana, Delaware.
During the Revolutionary war, there were 2 hotels in Christiana, the Christiana Inn and the Shannon Hotel, located across the main intersection from one another and both dating back to at least 1770. The Shannon was famous for the quality of its food and the Inns played host to Washington, Lafayette, Benjamin Latrobe, and Mason and Dixon, according to local lore. (map from the 1868 Pomeroy and Beers Atlas of Delaware).
That the strategic location was the last bridge downstream on the Christiana river from Wilmington explained its importance.
In 1976, the Shannon was purchased by math teacher and all around contractor and history buff, Joe Harper, who has been working on restoration on and off since then. He has a warehouse full of all kinds of building parts, and ended up tearing down the far right addition and rebuilding it.
Above left you can see how the Shannon appears today, and on the right you see a picture from the 1970's National Register Historic District nomination. The nomination form tells us that the oldest section of the Shannon is in the center, with a Flemish bond brickwork front, water table (the raised brickwork running under the windows to keep rain from running into the foundation) and a pent eave above the first floor windows (the roof-like projection) typical of the area's early architecture.
Below are pictures of the interior and Mr. Harper. Particularly interesting is the interior of the firebox of the fireplace where vandals have removed the original fielded paneling. From a second floor window we can see that the Shannon still is at a crossroads, in this case not because of the Christiana River (which is now a narrow creek) but because it is near the State's largest mall, Christiana Mall.
Information compiled by Carolyn Roland, Your Older Homes Resource in Delaware and Southern Chester County, Pennsylvania
![]() |
|
|

Homes for Heroes is happy to introduce affiliates Keith Wortham and Kariann Wortham!
![]() |
|
|
Delaware: Christiana: Cheescake
Cheesecake Factory Grand Opening Scheduled at Christiana Mall
Philadelphia has the Cheese Steak, but now you have the Cheesecake. Enjoy!
The Cheesecake Factory is preparing to open its first restaurant in Delaware at Christiana Mall with a 8,603 square foot dining room and 1,415 square foot patio. In total, the restaurant will seat up to 333 guests. A "sneak peek" of the pre-opening training meals that are being served at the restaurant on Monday, March 15, and Tuesday, March 16 will be hosted for invited guests only. Training meals will be served to more than 1,400 specially invited guests to allow the restaurant's 225 new staff members the opportunity to prepare for The Cheesecake Factory's official grand opening on Thursday, March 18, at 5:00 p.m.
Beginning on Friday, March 19, The Cheesecake Factory at Christiana Mall will be open regular business hours, as follows: Monday - Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Friday and Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 a.m.; and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. The restaurant can be reached at 302-454-9444.
Since the redevelopment of the center began in November 2007, Christiana Mall has added approximately 200,000 square feet of new retailers and restaurants making it the largest shopping center in the state of Delaware. In May 2009, Christiana Mall opened an expansive new Food Court, which includes seating for 700 guests and an enhanced selection of dining options. The latest milestone for Christiana Mall's extensive redevelopment is the completion of East Plaza and the conclusion of the interior and exterior renovations. The East Plaza is a new streetscape featuring exceptional fashion and lifestyle shops and several first-to-market retailers including Barnes & Noble, XXI Forever and The Cheesecake Factory. Interior renovations include new flooring, enhanced lighting, soft seating, and two new mall entrances. Exterior renovations include contemporary landscaping, parking lots, and a new exterior façade.
ActiveRain Corp. is not responsible for the accuracy of the site's content (which is written by members of the ActiveRain Real Estate Network) and does not endorse the views of the real estate agents, mortgage brokers, and others listed here.
Powered by the ActiveRain Real Estate Network
© 2012 ActiveRain Corp. All Rights Reserved