Photo: Three pals with a truck in search of a buck after an inspiring lunch at El Tapatio Mexican Restaurant on Philly Pike. These Arden residents work at odd jobs around the Village of Arden. Larry Walker, on the right, is the Secretary for the Village. Click the photo (by Danny Schweers) to see it larger.

NEW: Gild Hall stage camera! The page will refresh automatically every 10 seconds if you leave it open in the browser. Lots of fun when an Ardensingers show is prepping or the Folk Gild is dancing. Larry Strange has also put a white squirrel video on YouTube.

Arden, Delaware, has been a Single-Tax, Arts and Crafts, Garden-City Utopia since 1900.

The Village of Arden was founded in 1900 by sculptor Frank Stephens and architect Will Price, with financial help from Joseph Fels, the soap manufacturer. One of 17 land trusts founded between 1894 and 1950, Arden is based on the Single-Tax economic philosophy of Henry George. As a result, a person's house is not taxed, only the land it sits on. The land is owned in common and managed by three trustees. Inspired by the Garden-City Movement, half the land is woods and open space. Foot paths criss-cross the village. Arden is known for its artists and also for its theater. Stages abound, including two at the Arden Club and one at the outdoor Field Theatre. In nearby Ardentown, you will find the New Candlelight Dinner Theatre. The entire community is registered as a Historic Place by the federal government, as are Ardentown and Ardencroft.

Arden in its early decades was the summer home of artists, musicians, theater people and leftists. In those times it had a summer camp atmosphere. It still feels like a summer camp in many ways, all year long. Once a year, the Saturday of Labor Day weekend, we host the Arden Fair. Every month, the Arden Community Recreation Association hosts a family event. Every week, October through May, there is a Saturday supper in Gild Hall prepared by a different Dinner Gild crew. Four days a week, people enjoy the Arden Library. Every day in summer, folks cool off at the Arden Pool. And at different days throughout the year, people enjoy the productions of the Concert Gild, Ardensingers, Folk Gild, Shakespeare Gild, and Arden Club Theater. And there's time to garden and to learn about the economic philosophy of Henry George, upon which the village was founded.

Explore the links to the left and right above to learn about the current role of govenment in the Village of Arden.

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Young Women Sliding in Cars

This time (10/25/2008) the young woman driving too fast in the rain was only 17. Her new car was only a week old. Harvey Road curved and she went straight, into a car coming the other way, breaking that driver's leg. Those first on the scene report he did not have his seat belt fastened. His air bags may have saved his life. Medical aid arrived 15 minutes after the 911 call went out and even then the man had to wait while the rescuers carefully tore off the back door and the center post of his car, put him in a neck brace and, after cutting his seat loose, removed him. Kudos go to the police and EMS personnel who displayed exemplary courtesy and professionalism.

An 18-year-old girl demolished her Saturn automobile on Friday, Sept. 12 about 10:30 p.m. after driving too fast to stay on the wet road. Minutes later, another accident occurred when a young man rear-ended a pickup truck driven by a fire department volunteer which had stopped suddenly to render aid. Thankfully, there were no injuries. Many people ignore the 25 MPH speed limit signs on Harvey Road, even on rainy nights, providing us with impromptu town meetings. Photos by Danny Schweers.

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The Village of Arden, Delaware, 2119 The Highway, Arden, DE 19810-4058 | Village: 302 475-3516 | Trustees: 302 475-7980