Archivists Launch Digital Timeline of Chesco History

CHESTER COUNTY, PA — Chester County Archives and Records Services created a digital timeline with government records dating back to 1692. The newly launched project makes accessible the county's 340-year history. A virtual timeline features 40 historic events that make Chester County what it is today.

"We're happy to present this engaging visual history that provides a wide range of events that have shaped not only Chester County but also Delaware County and the broader Philadelphia region," said Laurie Rofini, Director of Chester County Archives and Records Services.

The digital timeline of Chester County history is informative, engaging and utterly absorbing, Rofini said. "The timeline sheds light on Chester County's transition from a remote frontier in William Penn's 'holy experiment' to a county consistently ranked among the top places to live in the U.S."

Some major events will forever be associated with Chester County history, including the 1777 Battle of Brandywine and the 1989 Open Space referendum. Other lesser-known events, from the county's first iron forge established in 1717 by Samuel Nutt to the creation of the Chester County Library in 1935, have also had major impacts on the county's history.

Among notable Chesco historic events is Pennsylvania's first women's rights convention, held June 2-3, 1852 at Horticultural Hall in West Chester. Inspired by the 1848 national convention in Seneca Falls, NY, women and men gathered in West Chester to promote legal, economic, social and educational gender equality.

Also, in 1895, famed abolitionist and civil rights activist Frederick Douglass delivered his last public lecture at West Chester Normal School, now West Chester University. Douglass visited Chester County frequently, including an event on July 14, 1863 when he spoke to a crowd in front of Horticultural Hall, encouraging men to enlist in the United States Colored Troops.

In more recent history, in 1965, the Pickering Creek Industrial Park in Uwchlan Township opened and became the first industrial park in Chester County, symbolizing the County's rapid, post-war suburbanization. The digital timeline features more than 40 historic events that have shaped Chester County into the place we recognize today.

Rofini said that condensing more than 300 years of history into a handful of highlights has been challenging. Chester County Archives & Records Services staff, in partnership with the Chester County Commissioners’ Office, worked together to publish the new digital timeline at Chesco.org.

The Chester County Archives & Record Services is home to the historic records produced by the Chester County Government dating back to 1682. It is a resource both for the general public and for professional researchers.

The Chester County Archives schedules access to its reading room by appointment only. Researchers may call 610-344-6760 during business hours or send an e-mail to ccarchives@chesco.org to schedule an appointment with an archivist. Information on obtaining copies of records is available on the Archives website.

Additional information on new visitation procedures when entering the county’s Government Services Center can be found here.