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Brief Town History
The Town of
Magnolia claims both Swedish and Dutch heritage, but was
formally founded in 1885 by Murderkill hundred citizens,
including Thomas H. McIlvaine, John B. Conner, Thomas
Draper, James L. Heverin, William S. McLain, John W. Wall,
Alexander Jackson, Jacob Prettyman, and Captain James Grier.
These founders laid out the boundary of the town, designing
it as a circle to represent brotherhood. They used chords to
create the circular boundary with a radius measuring 0.5
miles in length from the town center. Magnolia was built
approximately one mile from the St. Jones River and,
according to folklore, originated because settlers depended
on the river, but wanted to escape the mosquitoes that
accompanied it.
The original
area where the town is located was known as Caroon Manor, a
3000-acre tract of land owned by the Duke of York. The
Magnolia tree was the Duke’s favorite tree, and hence the
name of the town. A number of magnolia trees are planted
throughout the town and still exist. The Sons of Liberty
played a part in the early legal system in Magnolia and also
influenced the selection of a circular town boundary.
Churches have made a significant impact on the community of
Magnolia. The Magnolia Methodist Church was built in 1856
and is located on Main Street, and the Magnolia Baptist
Church was built in 1872 and is on Walnut Street. Motherkill
Friends’ Burial Ground, a historic Quaker cemetery, is
located adjacent to the town’s north western border. This
area is known as the “Quaker Graveyard” dating back to the
late 1700s with fieldstones marking the gravesites.
The Town of
Magnolia was officially recognized by the Delaware General
Assembly as an incorporated area on April 3, 1885. There are
a number of locations in Magnolia that appear on the
National Register of Historic Places. They appear at some
private residences and at archeological sites of prehistoric
significance. These locations include the John B. Lindale
House, a privately owned residence that was built in the
early 1900s that has both agricultural and architectural
significance and was home to one of the last great peach
barons in Delaware. A sign located outside the house proudly
boasts: “This is Magnolia, the center of the universe around
which the earth revolves.”
Another
registered location is the Matthew Lowber House, which also
has architectural historical significance. Built in 1774 as
a domestic dwelling, this Quaker mansion has brought much
publicity to Magnolia with its amazing brickwork and huge
sycamore trees.
In 1928,
Magnolia formed one of the first volunteer fire companies in
the state, and in 1931 the town installed its first water
well. In 1957, the Legislature authorized a referendum to be
held in Magnolia to decide whether the boundaries of the
town should be extended in order to annex previously
unincorporated areas. Due to the limited services provided
by the town, however, residents of the areas in question
felt they would simply acquire a greater tax burden with few
advantages and the referendum was defeated.
Possibly in
response to this defeat, the town was reincorporated in 1960
with the scope of the town's governmental authority greatly
expanded. The council, with one member now designated as
Mayor, was authorized to provide fire protection and an
electrical supply (either directly or by contract); to
increase its borrowing limits to help finance these
services; and to establish zoning ordinances which were to
control growth within the town. The legislature in 1972
provided Magnolia's outlying property owners with the
ability to band together and request annexation but at
present, the town's boundaries remain unchanged.
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