Located in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, the 60-foot Brandywine Falls is easily the most popular destination in the park and often the site of weddings. Brandywine Creek began around 10,000 years ago when the last glaciers retreated.

Early settlers arriving in the valley not only saw the beauty of nature in Brandywine Falls, but also viewed it as a source of power. In 1814, George Wallace built a sawmill at the top of the falls and established what would become the village of Brandywine. One of the earliest communities of the Cuyahoga Valley, Brandywine thrived over the next ten years, adding a grist mill, woolen mill, whiskey distillery and about twelve homes. In 1825, George transferred the property to his sons, who established the Wallace Brothers Company, The company thrived for another thirty years until the Ohio-Erie Canal, and later the railroads, bypassed Brandywine, causing its prosperity to dry up. In 1848, George’s son James Wallace built a barn and home just north of the falls. New life came to Brandywine in 1920 when Willis Hale built the Champion Electric Company near the old grist mill ruins. He produced restaurant appliances there until 1937 when the factory was destroyed by lightning. Today the James Wallace House is the only structure still standing, serving as a bed and breakfast. The construction of nearby I-271 further contributed to the loss of most of the village’s remains, although a few foundations can be found, including cinder blocks from the electric company and sandstone blocks of the grist mill.

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