Amer (Amor) A. Grubb

He was born on October 14, 1749 and was a farmer by trade. His wife was a local farmer’s daughter, Ann Buckley. Together they were active in St. Martin’s Church and had seven children. Amer, like many farmers, sided with the Patriot cause and joined Joseph Marshall’s militia company during the American Revolution. They fought at the Battle of Cooch’s Bridge, which was a prelude to the Battle of Brandywine. At the Battle of Brandywine they successfully engaged Col. Robert Abercromby’s light infantry,bogged them down in what was then known as “Purgatory Swamp” and prevented them from advancing.

The two story fieldstone house that he built in 1783 still stands today. It is now a retreat owned by the Holy Rosary Church.

In 1805, Amer was one of five charter school trustees that built the first public school in the area. This original one-room schoolhouse was active until 1925 when it became Claymont, Delaware’s library. It is now preserved as a historic site.