Chester County History Center (CCHC), formerly the Chester County Historical Society, is a
nonprofit historical society, founded in 1893, dedicated to collecting, preserving, and exhibiting the history of
Chester County, Pennsylvania
Chester County (Pennsylvania Dutch: ''Tscheschter Kaundi''), colloquially known as Chesco, is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is located in the Delaware Valley region of the state. As of the 2020 census, the population was 53 ...
, and the surrounding area. The History Center is located at 225 North High Street in downtown
West Chester.
History
Dr.
Robert Lukens served as the President of the Chester County History Center from 2011 until 2015.
Lukens oversaw the renovations and beautification of the society's buildings and other facilities.
[ He acquired state grants for the society and published a historical column in the '']Daily Local News
The ''Daily Local News'' is an American daily newspaper based in Chester County, Pennsylvania, also offering limited coverage of neighboring Lancaster and Delaware counties. It covers local and national news, sports, culture, and entertainment ...
''.[
]
Building
The History Center is a 56,000-square-foot complex that houses a museum and a library. It includes two connected buildings.
The older building, known as Horticultural Hall, was designed by architect Thomas U. Walter in 1848. It was the site of the 1852 Pennsylvania Women's Rights Convention. CCHC moved to the building in 1942 and modernized it in 1979.
In 1992, the adjacent YMCA building was incorporated into the complex. The library collection contains over 500,000 manuscripts, 80,000 photographs, and 20,000 volumes. The National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...
named West Chester one of "America's Dozen Distinctive Destinations" in 2006.
See also
*List of historical societies
This is a partial List of historical and heritage societies from around the world. The sections provided are not mutually exclusive. Many historical societies websites are their museums' websites. List is organized by location and later by special ...
*West Chester University
West Chester University (also known as West Chester, WCU, or WCUPA, and officially as West Chester University of Pennsylvania) is a public research university in and around West Chester, Pennsylvania. The university is accredited by the Middle ...
*
References
External links
*
Official Web Site
1893 establishments in Pennsylvania
Historical societies in Pennsylvania
History museums in Pennsylvania
West Chester, Pennsylvania
Thomas U. Walter buildings
Historic district contributing properties in Pennsylvania
National Register of Historic Places in Chester County, Pennsylvania
Museums in Chester County, Pennsylvania
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