Chapter 9
Section 9 of A Guidebook of Art, Architecture, and Historic Interests in Pennsylvania, edited by Margarete Archambault. This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. Read by Tatiana Chichilla. Chester County Third county formed by William Penn, named for Chester, England. This is rich agricultural district. Its broad, well-kept farms, great grey barns, and comfortable homesteads of stone or brick, many still occupied by descendants of the original Quaker settlers. Together with the gently rolling surface of the country and its many beautiful streams, all combined to give the county a character of its own, of quiet pastoral charm. Both the family names and place names indicate in a general way the character of the original settlement of the county.
Birmingham, Bradford, Marlborough, and Kennet indicating the settlements of the English Quakers in the central and southern portion of the county. Ted Friend and Berwyn, those of the Welsh in the east, while the Germans came later into parts of the north and the Scotch-Irish Presbyterians into the southwest. Eagle Schoolhouse, 1772, on site of Lutheran Log Church, 1767, one of the cradles of the nation in education. Powley, 535 feet above sea, Ted Friend Township, the General Powley Inn built by General Joshua Evans, who was elected to state legislature in 1820, recruiting what went on briskly here for the War of 1812. Road southwest to West Chester, nine miles. One mile south of Powley, Colonial Homestead, Waynesboro, birthplace of General Anthony Wayne, built 1724 in original condition.
Now residence of Captain William Wayne. Contains many relics of the General. Lafayette was guest here one night, marked with bronze tablet. Near Powley is Great Valley Baptist Church, second oldest in state, built by Reverend Hugh Davis from Wales, 1722. Present church, 1805, interesting burial ground. Dufferin Marr Post Office, the green tree, George King, builder and host, died 1792, native blue limestone, stopping place for Mennonites and Amish. Malvern, terminus of the West Chester Railroad in 1833, cars were then drawn by horses. The Warren Inn, stopping place for Lancaster County Germans, sold to John Penn, 1776. British Army quartered here before Powley Massacre. In 1786, sold to Casper Fanstock, member of German mystic community at Ifrata.
Three fugitive French princes were here in 1789. Louis Philippe, Duc de Montpensier, and Count de Beaujolais. One mile southwest of Malvern, site of Powley Massacre, 1777. Two monuments, marble, 1817, granite, 1877. Same inscriptions, erected by Republican artillerists of Chester County and citizens. Here, General Wayne's company, 1500 men, were surprised by a greatly superior British force under General Gray and charged with bayonet before they could arm for defense. Wayne saved his artillery. Downingtown, birthplace of Jacob Eichholz, artist. General George Washington Inn, known as Downings, now a dwelling. Interesting colonial mansion of the Thomas family, well preserved, now a public library.
The ship Tavern, one mile west, old sign perforated with bullet holes by Continental soldiers, now a residence. Old Greystone Bridge across the east, Brandywine, built 1741. Two miles north near Guthrieville, birthplace of Thomas Buchanan Reed in 1822, poet and artist, marked bronze tablet. On the Limestone Road, following Indian Trail, leading from Parksburg to Oxford and south, are Faggs Manor, six miles northeast of Oxford. Classical school, established 1739, marked bronze tablet. St. John's Presbyterian Church, early burial ground. Whitefield stood under the old oak trees. An interesting early highway known as the Street Road, laid out in part by William Penn, has almost the directness and width of a Roman road.
Entering the county near Westtown and crossing Brandywine Creek at Pocopsin to London Grove, original name Marlborough Street. Stately old Quaker meeting house at London Grove, wonderful oak trees. Westchester, county seat, formed 1786, population 11,717. In one block, high street between Gay and Market Streets, are good specimens of the three great orders of Grecian architecture, designed by Thomas U. Walter, architect of capital at Washington. National Bank of Chester County, built 1836, Doric, white marble. First National Bank, Ionic, white marble.
The Courthouse, Corinthian, built 1847, picked due stone. On Court House Lawn is Soldiers Monument to Civil War Patriots, bronze figure, granite base, erected 1915. Sculptor Harry Louis Rall. Public Library, North Church Street, Memorial to Bayard Taylor, contains interesting collection of his manuscripts. The story of Kennet, his books, sketches, and other relics. Also marble bust of General Anthony Wayne. Sculptor W. Marshall Swain. The new library of the State Normal School contains portrait of Washington by Peale, painted at Valley Forge.
Historic autograph letters, Indian stone relics, large herbarium, and small permanent collection of original paintings. Among them works by Hugh Breckenridge and Mary Butler. Annual exhibitions of modern paintings and sculpture are held. Della Robbia reproductions and auditorium. Chester County Historical Society rooms are here, containing many interesting local historical collections. Addresses on subjects of local historic interest are frequently given and published in their bulletins. Church is noteworthy for architecture, Holy Trinity, Protestant Episcopal, South High Street, Native Serpentine Stone, Gothic, and Westminster Presbyterian, South Church Street.
The tower suggests famous one of Magdalen College, Oxford. At north end of High Street, stone drinking fountains are mounted by bronze figure of Boy, sculptor Martha J. Cornwell, placed by New Century Club. Marshall Square, a public park, contains rare collection of trees. West Chester, noted for men of repute and scientific world, was the residence of the late Dr. Joseph Trimble Rothbrook. In 1893, he drew up a bill creating a forestry commission to investigate and report upon the forestry conditions of Pennsylvania.
This bill was passed, and in 1895 he was appointed commissioner of forestry. Favorite drives with succession of beautiful vistas are along the East Brandywine from Downingtown, South, and West Brandywine from Mortonville, South. At Mortonville, three miles southeast of Coatesville, is fine old grey stone bridge with four arches, graduated in width, and rounded buttresses, built 1826. Following the stream and crossing several picturesque wooden covered bridges, through Embreeville, a half mile east of which is Point Lookout, where sentries were posted to guard supplies for American encampment at Valley Forge, marked by Chester County Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution,
opposite is Stargazer's stone set by Mason and Dixon, 1764, in running a baseline for boundary between Pennsylvania and Maryland. Here they made various astronomical observations, calculated the force of gravity, and measured a degree of latitude on the earth's surface southward. This stone was walled and marked with bronze tablet. Several places in the vicinity, connected with the Lenni-Lennipi Indians, are also marked. In County Home, Grounds, Grave of Indian Hannah, last of her race in this country, site of her cabin half a mile south of Northbrook,
Indian Cemetery half a mile west of Northbrook, and Indian Rock just west of Northbrook. From the latter point, the Indian chief, Cheko Chinigan, claimed that land had been reconveyed to the tribe up to source of stream, a mile on either side. These negotiations, in the picturesque language used by the chief, are among the records of the provincial assembly. Okohocking, Indian town, has been marked by tablet. Just east of Northbrook, birthplace of Humphrey Marshall, botanist, two miles north at Marshallton,
adjoining his old home, is interesting Arboretum, still containing many trees planted by him, marked by bronze tablet. Continue drive to Lenni-Bee, amusement park, where east branch of the Brandywine, from Downingtown, unites with Western, down Mainstream, skirting just above Pocopsin, a beautiful spot, Dungeon Bottom, and passing several antique covered wooden bridges, to Chad's Ford. Here are the ranks of British, Hessians, and Continentals charged to and fro at Battle of Brandywine, September 11, 1777. Two miles northeast, Old Birmingham Meeting House, used as hospital by troops, and center of some of the fiercest fighting.
Many points connected with the battle were marked with tablets by Chester County Historical Society, in connection with the State Historical Commission in 1915. On State Highway, six miles west of Chad's Ford, Kennet Square, birthplace of Bayard Taylor, poet and traveler, and his later home, Cedarcroft, built by him, one mile south, both marked with bronze tablets. He was buried at Longwood Meeting House, about two miles east. Artistic monument, a cylindrical stone, at this meeting house of progressive friends,
many prominent leaders of anti-slavery spoke before the Civil War. This region was center of anti-slavery sentiment. Many of old Quaker homesteads were stations of the so-called Underground Railroad, by which fugitive slaves were protected and carried northward. Half a mile north of Longwood Meeting House is Pierce's Park, now owned by Pierre Dupont, Esquire.
Contains wonderful trees, planted over a century ago by Samuel and Joshua Pierce, who rode on horseback to the dismal swamp for cypresses and brought them home in saddlebags. Mr. Dupont has recently added an unusually beautiful flower garden conservatory. Visitors admitted free on weekdays. Kennet Square, Bayard-Taylor Memorial Library, contains first editions of his books, his paintings, and his drawings.
Also busts of Bayard-Taylor and John Welsh. Sculptor W. Marshall Swain. In Advent Protestant Episcopal Church, memorial window to Bayard-Taylor. Ten miles southwest, New London Academy, founded 1743, marked by bronze tablet. Here were educated three signers of the Declaration of Independence, Thomas McKean, George Meade, and James Smith, and other men of prominence.
Other places of interest in north of county are Valley Forge, chiefly in Montgomery County. Phoenixville, population 10,484, farthest inland point reached by British, September 21st, 22nd, and 23rd, 1777, marked by low granite monument opposite Fountain Inn. St. Peter's Protestant Episcopal Church, stone, stained glass windows by Meyer Brothers, Munich, Germany. Parish House interior designed by the late George Watrous.
Pure English, dark oak with tiled floors. Early iron industry, Phoenix Iron Company, marked bronze tablet. Ten miles northwest of Phoenixville is Coventryville. Old Coventry Forge, 1717, earliest in county, second in Pennsylvania. Mordecai Lincoln, ancestor of Abraham Lincoln, worked here and was part owner in 1725.
Warwick, Warwick Furnace, pots and rudder proprietors, 1737. Here was cast the first Franklin stove, and others with quaint designs and biblical verses. Cannon and cannon balls were made here for the Revolutionary Army, marked. Seven miles west of Phoenixville at Chester Springs is Summer Art School of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. Forty acres with buildings for studios and lodging houses for the students.
One of these buildings was used as a revolutionary hospital, marked. Former name Yellow Springs, a watering resort in colonial days. Marking on all places has been by the Chester County Historical Society, unless otherwise stated. End of section 9. Thank you for watching.
