Champion Electric

In 1920, shortly after Willis Hale moved into the Wallace house, lightning struck the Brandywine gristmill before Hale was able to obtain an insurance policy on the structure. At the time, Hale had the equipment of the Hale Electrical Company stored inside the gristmill. The foundation sat unused until 1930 when Hale built the structure pictured right for his business, the Champion Electric Company, to manufacture electric restaurant appliances as electrification had become widespread. In 1937, lightning struck again and the building once again burned down, putting Champion temporarily out of business until Hale constructed a “temporary structure” in the rear of his property. This “temporary” building has since remained and was later used by owner Ben Richards as a welding shop for his aerospace and defense metal fabrication business.

Today, ruins of the Champion Electric building can be seen on the eastern side of Brandywine Falls. Very few photographs exist of Champion, and Sommer painted few paintings of this structure (I am aware of only the two included herein). Similarly I am currently aware of only the three surviving appliances, also included below.