Chester County, Pennsylvania

Ashbridge, David, Log House Atkinson, Clement, Memorial Hospital Autun Bailey, John, Farm Baily Farm Bank of Chester County Barclay House Barnard, William J., Residence Barns-Brinton House Bartram's Covered Bridge Bell, John, Farm Birchrunville General Store Birchrunville Historic District Birmingham Friends Meetinghouse and School Black Rock Bridge Boyer, Riter, House Bradford Friends Meetinghouse Brandywine Building and Loan Assoc. Rowhouses Bridge in East Fallowfield Township Bridge in West Fallowfield Township Bridge Mill Farm Brinton's Mill Brinton, Edward, House Brinton, George, House Brinton-King Farmstead Brower's Bridge Buckwalter Building Bull, Thomas, House Butler House Byers Station Historic District Caln Meeting House Carter-Worth House and Farm Carver Court Cedarcroft Chandler Mill Bridge Charlestown Village Historic District Chester County Courthouse Chester Springs Historic District Cheyney, Squire, Farm Church Farm School Historic District Clinger-Moses Mill Complex Coates, Moses, Jr., Farm Coatesville Historic District Coatesville Veterans Administration Hospital Historic District Colebrook Manor Collins Mansion Como Farm County Bridge No. 101 County Bridge No. 124 County Bridge No. 148 County Bridge No. 171 Coventry Hall Coventryville Historic District Cox, Hewson, House Cramond Cressbrook Farm Davis, Daniel, House and Barn Deery Family Homestead DeHaven, Harry, House Derbydown Homestead Dilworthtown Historic District Doe Run Village Historic District Dougherty, Edward, House Dougherty, Philip, House Dougherty, Philip, Tavern Downing, Hunt, House Downing, Hunt, House (Boundary Decrease) Downingtown Log House Drovers Inn East Bradford Boarding School for Boys East Lancaster Avenue Historic District East, Nicholas, House Edgewood Elverson Historic District Embreeville Historic District Ercildoun Historic District Esherick, Wharton, Studio Everhart, William, Buildings Everhart, William, House Exton Hotel Fagley House Fairville Historic District Farmers and Mechanics Trust Company Building Federal Barn Ferguson, William, Farm Ferron, John, House First Presbyterian Church of West Chester Fox Chase Inn French Creek Farm Fricks Locks Historic District Garrett Farmstead Gay Street School General Washington Inn Gibson's Covered Bridge Gladden, Joseph, House Glen Hope Covered Bridge Glen Rose Historic District Glenmoore Historic District Goodwin Acres Goshenville Historic District Great Valley Mill Green Valley Historic District Greenwood Farm Greenwood School Gregg, Joseph, House Grove Historic District Hall's Bridge Hamorton Historic District Hance House and Barn Hanna, John, Farm Hannum, Col. John, House Hare's Hill Road Bridge Harlan House Harlan Log House Hartman, George, House Harvard, David, House Harvey, Peter, House and Barn Harvey, William, House Hatfield-Hibernia Historic District Hayes Homestead Hayes Mill House Hayes, Jacob, House Hibernia House High Bridge Hockley Mill Farm Hoffman, George, House Hoopes, Cyrus, House and Barn Hopewell Farm Hopewell Historic District House at Springdell House at Upper Laurel Iron Works Hunt, Roger, Mill Huston, Abram, House and Carriage House Indian Deep Farm Isabella Furnace Ivy Cottage Jacobs, Benjamin, House Kennedy Bridge Kennedy, Francis W., House Kennett Square Historic District Ker-Feal Kimberton Historic District (Boundary Increase) Kimberton Village Historic District Kinbawn Kirkland Station Knauer, John, House and Mill Lafayette's Quarters Lahr Farm Lapp Log House Larkin Covered Bridge Lenape Bridge Lewis, Evan, House Lightfoot Mill Lionville Historic District Lochiel Farm Longwood Gardens District Lukens Historic District Lukens Main Office Building Lunn's Tavern Marlborough Village Historic District Marshall's Bridge Marshall, Humphry, House Marshall, Humphry, House Marshallton Historic District Marshallton Inn Martin-Little House Meredith, Daniel, House Meredith, Simon, House Meredith, Stephen, House Michener, Nathan, House Middle Pickering Rural Historic District Moore Hall Mortonville Hotel Mount Zion A.M.E. Church Mountain Meadow Farm Nantmeal Village Historic District National Bank of Coatesville Building New Century Clubhouse Newlin Miller's House Northbrook Historic District Oakdale Oaklands Okehocking Historic District Old Kennett Meetinghouse Orthodox Meetinghouse Ostheimer, Martha and Maurice, Estate Oxford Historic District Oxford Hotel Paoli Battlefield Site and Parade Grounds Paradise Valley Historic District Parker's Ford Parkersville Friends Meetinghouse Parkesburg National Bank Parkesburg School Passmore, Mansel, House Pawling, Isaac, House Pennock, Martha, House Pennsbury Inn Pennypacker, Benjamin, House Pennypacker, Matthias, Farm Peters, William, House Phillips, Joseph and Esther, Plantation Phoenixville Historic District Phoenixville Historic District (Boundary Decrease) Pickwick Pierce, Lukens, House Pleasant Hill Plantation Pottstown Landing Historic District Powell Farm Powell, John, House Price, Joseph, House Primitive Hall Prizer's Mill Complex Pusey, Joshua, House Rapps Bridge Reading Furnace Historic District Rice-Pennebecker Farm River Bend Farm Rogers, Philip, House Rooke, Robert, House Ross, Moses, House Roughwood Rudolph and Arthur Covered Bridge Rush, Benjamin, House Sandy Hill Tavern Schuylkill Navigation Canal, Oakes Reach Section Scott, David, House Scott, Thomas, House Sharples Homestead Sharples Separator Works Sharpless Homestead Ship Inn Sleepy Hollow Hall Solitude Farm South Brook Farm Speakman No. 1 Speakman No. 2, Mary Ann Pyle Bridge Spring Mill Complex Springdale Farm Springton Manor Farm Spruce Grove School St. Mary's Episcopal Church St. Milachi Church St. Paul African Methodist Episcopal Church St. Paul's Church St. Peter's Church in the Great Valley St. Peters Village Historic District Steen, Robert, House Stephens, Linton, Covered Bridge Stirling, Maj. Gen. Lord, Quarters Stonorov, Oskar G., House Strafford Railroad Station Strickland-Roberts Homestead Strode's Mill Strode's Mill Historic District Sugartown Historic District Taylor House Taylor-Cope Historic District Temple-Webster-Stoner House Terracina Thomas Marble Quarry Houses Thomas Mill and Miller's House Thomas Mill and Miller's House Thomas, Charles, House Thompson Farm Townsend House Trimbleville Historic District Twin Bridges Rural Historic District Unionville Village Historic District Uwchlan Meetinghouse Valley Forge National Historical Park Vaughan, Rev. Joshua, House Vincent Forge Mansion Von Steuben, Gen. Frederick, Headquarters Walker, Joseph, House Walton, Asa, House Warner Theater Warrenpoint Warwick Furnace/Farms Warwick Mills Waterloo Mills Historic District Waynesborough Wee Grimmet Welkinweir Wentz, John, House West Chester Boarding School for Boys West Chester Downtown Historic District West Chester Historic District (Boundary Increase) West Chester State College Quadrangle Historic District West Vincent Highlands Historic District West Whiteland Inn Wetherby-Hampton-Snyder-Wilson-Erdman Log House Wheelen House White Horse Farm White Horse Historic District White Horse Tavern White Horse Tavern White, Hannah, Log House Whitford Garne Whitford Hall Whitford Station House Wickersham, Gideon, Farmstead Wiley-Cloud House Wilkinson House Williams Deluxe Cabins Williams, Ellis, House Williams, John, Farm Wilson, Robert, House Winings, Jacob, House and Clover Mill Wisner, Jacob, House Woodland Station Woodledge Worker's House at Lower Laurel Iron Works Worth-Jefferis Rural Historic District Young, Joseph, House Young, Robert, House Zook House Zook House Zook House (Boundary Increase) Zook, Jacob, House

10 South 3rd Street 4 South 3rd Street 8 South 3rd Street 97th Regiment of Pennsylvania Volunteers Memorial American Legion Post 482 War Memorial Amos House An Engineer's Garden Ann Preston, M.D. Anthony Wayne Anthony Wayne's Headquarters, 1777-78 Atglen Borough Hall Bank of Chester County Barnard Street Public School - Denney Tag Company Barns-Brinton House Battle of Brandywine Battlefield Site Map Bayard Rustin Birthplace of Isaac Sharpless Brandywine Battlefield A Commonwealth Treasure Brandywine Iron Works - Early 1800s Brandywine Mansion Cabin of Indian Hannah Camp Elder Civil War Paroled P.O.W. Camp Camp Life Captain Benjamin Bartholomew Charles Lukens Huston House Charles Lukens Huston House Site Chester County Chester County Courthouse Chester County World War II Veterans Memorial Chester Springs Chester Springs Colonel Thomas Bull Columbus Penn Evans David Townsend House Devon Horse Show Disabled Veterans of Chester County Pennsylvania Memorial Down by the Water’s Edge Downingtown Log House Dr. Charlotte Moore Sitterly Duffy’s Cut Mass Grave Edward Hunter Homestead Eusebius Barnard Everhart Grove First Defense Line Frederick Douglass G. Raymond Rettew Garden of Honor Gen. Anthony Wayne General Lafayette General Wayne’s Encampment Generals and Cattle Raids Gen's Lafayette and Pulaski George Washington’s Coffee Bean Tree Gilbert Cope Good News Productions Goshen Baptist Church Goshenville Blacksmith and Wheelwright Shops Graceanna Lewis Graystone - Abram Francis Huston House Great Minquas Path Here Rests Indian Hannah Historic American Structure Historic Sugartown Historic Waynesborough Historic West Chester, Pennsylvania Building Honor Court to Brigadier General Lachlan McIntosh Hopewell Bell Tower Hopewell Historic District Horace Pippin Horse-Shoe Trail Hosanna Meeting House Ida Ella Ruth Jones In Memory of Those Who Fell In Memory of Unknown Soldiers Indian Hannah Birthplace Indian Rock Isaac & Dinah Mendenhall Isaac Dutton Barnard Italian Water Garden Jefferis Ford John G. Parke John H. Ware 3rd, Commerce Center Joseph T. Rothrock Kennett Square Knox’s Quarters Lenni-Lenape Indian Burial Ground Lightfoot Mill Lincoln University Lukens Executive Office Building Lynching of Zachariah Walker Malvern Area World War I Memorial Malvern Memorial Parade Malvern World War II Memorial Marquis De LaFayette Marshall Square Park Massacre Farm / 19th Century House Milltown/Hickman Plank House Nathan Simms Officer’s Quarters Okehocking Land Grant Old Glory Old Main Arch Memorial On This Native Stone Osborne's Hill Oxford Veterans Memorial Paoli Paoli Massacre Monument Paoli Veterans Monument Parker Kidnapping & Rescue Peirce's Park Peirce's Woods Pennhurst State School & Hospital Pennsylvania Columns Pennsylvania Division Peter Bezellon Philadelphia & Lancaster Turnpike Road Phoenix Iron & Steel Company Phoenix Iron Company Phoenixville Vietnam War Memorial Phoenixville War Memorial Pierre S. du Pont, Fountain Visionary Poor’s Brigade Quarters of Major General William Alexander Rear of the Camp Samuel Barber Scouter's Grove Simon Barnard Row Site of First School House in West Chester Site of Paoli Massacre Site of the First Schoolhouse Site of the Paoli Massacre Site of the Stone Chimney Picket South Coventry Township WW II Memorial Springton Manor Star of the West, Tent No. Six State Fencibles of Philadelphia Campsite Sunset Park Symbols of Steel Sculpture Garden Terracina The Baptist Church in the Great Valley The Battle of the Clouds The Carl R. Fretz Memorial to Community Service The Dime Savings Bank The First National Bank of West Chester The Friends School at Birmingham Meeting House The Great Trail The Griffen Cannon and Memorial The Home and Arboretum of Humphry Marshall The Land on Which the Battle of Paoli was Fought The Lukens Mill - Early 1900s The Lukens Mill - Late 1800s The Manor of Steyning The Modern Mill The Paoli Battlefield The Paoli Memorial Association The Peirce - du Pont House This Wall Thomas B. Read Thomas Buchanan Read Thomas McKean Thomas S. Butler House To Honor the Maker of First American Flag To Marylanders Who Served Here Trimbleville Historic District Trimble's Ford Turk’s Head Tavern Upper Forge Site Valley Forge General Hospital Valley Forge Hut Village of Valley Forge Village of Valley Forge Virginia We Hold in Honor and Sacred Memory Welkinweir West Chester West Chester Academy Wharton Esherick Whittier C. Atkinson William Darlington William Darlington M.D. Woman's Rights Convention of 1852 "We bury’d our Dead next day in the field of Battle, All kill’d by the sword and Bayonet." "…The most dreadful scene I have ever beheld." “A Dreadful scene of havock” “Remember Paoli!” “Remember Paoli!”
Chester County, Pennsylvania, has a rich and fascinating history that traces back to the early days of European settlement in America. The county was originally inhabited by the Lenni Lenape Native American tribe. In the early 17th century, Dutch, Swedish, and English explorers made their way to the area. The first permanent European settlement was established by Dutch traders in 1623 at New Sweden, located near present-day Chester.

In 1681, William Penn was granted a charter to establish a colony that would later become Pennsylvania. Penn actively encouraged settlement in the area, and Chester County quickly grew as English Quakers and other European immigrants flocked to the region. Agriculture played a prominent role in the county's early development, with farmers cultivating wheat, barley, and corn.

The American Revolutionary War had a significant impact on Chester County, as the area witnessed several crucial battles. The battle of Brandywine, fought in 1777, saw General George Washington's troops clash with British forces. Although the Americans lost the battle, it marked a turning point in the war and led to their eventual victory.

In the 19th century, Chester County experienced significant industrial growth. The rise of the railroad brought increased commerce, as factories and mills sprouted up throughout the county. The county's population grew, and towns such as West Chester, Phoenixville, and Coatesville thrived. Today, Chester County is known for its historical landmarks, charming small towns, and beautiful countryside. It continues to attract visitors and residents alike with its unique blend of history, natural beauty, and modern amenities.
Brief timeline of the history of Chester County, Pennsylvania:

  • 1682 - Chester County is established by William Penn as one of the original counties of Pennsylvania.
  • 1683 - The first county courthouse is built in Chester County in the town of Chester.
  • 1713 - The Great Valley Presbyterian Church, one of the oldest Presbyterian churches in the United States, is founded in Chester County.
  • 1777 - During the American Revolutionary War, the Battle of Brandywine takes place in Chester County, resulting in a British victory.
  • 1786 - The village of West Chester is officially incorporated as a borough in Chester County.
  • 1791 - The construction of the first bridge over the Schuylkill River, known as the Parker Ford Bridge, is completed in Chester County.
  • 1863 - During the American Civil War, Confederate General J.E.B. Stuart's cavalry passes through Chester County during the Gettysburg Campaign.
  • 1950 - The population of Chester County surpasses 100,000, marking a significant increase from its early settlement days.
  • 1963 - Valley Forge National Historical Park is established in Chester County, preserving the site of the Continental Army's winter encampment during the Revolutionary War.
  • 2000 - Chester County becomes one of the fastest-growing counties in Pennsylvania, with a population exceeding 400,000.
  • 2018 - Chester County continues to thrive and develop as a diverse and vibrant community in southeastern Pennsylvania.

This timeline provides a concise overview of the key events in the history of Chester County, Pennsylvania.