Subseries C. William P. and Emma C. Bancroft philanthropy: William Bancroft donated much of his time to the City of Wilmington as a gift to “his neighbors.” Because of his interest in the preservation of open space and orderly urban planning, he was called upon to chair a city committee to restructure the city’s charter in 1900. Other charitable gifts of time included: spearheading plans to purify and distribute water from the Brandywine to the city and serving on the city’s park commission. Financial contributions included: a building, maintenance, and utilities, for a branch library of the Wilmington Institute; gifts for four-year college students; loans to friends; support to colleges and universities; and the creation of the William P. Bancroft Trust. Records of these gifts are included in this series. Emma’s contributions of time and money to various charities are well documented.

The Pedestrian bridge records consists of correspondence, state real estate property disposition act, deeds, “The Bancroft Bridgeway” proposal, presentation notes, agendas, maps, sketches, blueprints, Bancroft Parkway history, invoices, notes, preliminary engineering agreements, proposed bridge designs, cost estimates, project meetings, Continental Bridge and Contech Construction Product Inc. booklets, photographs, bridge examples, easement agreement drafts, Homsey Architects proposals, Continental Bridge shop drawings, J. D. Eckman Inc. proposals, specification and construction plans, newspaper clippings, ceremony invitation, invitation list, and ceremony booklets.

The Woodlawn Branch Library includes correspondence, meeting minutes, deeds, invoices, sketches, agreements, affidavit of value, newspaper clippings, Woodlawn Branch Library renovation plans, budget estimates, handicapped elevator installation, New Castle County codes, maps, projected capital budgets, building program drafts, indentures, acts of incorporation, new Woodlawn Library fundraising information, ground lease agreements, flyers, Woodlawn Library project description and funds, library meeting attendance, Friends of Woodlawn Library missions, former DMV site plans, space program and facility description, presentation of schematic budget estimates, furniture budgets, DMV demolition photographs, building updates, press release, program flyers, invitation and flyer, and opening ceremony photographs.