Chester County (

Pennsylvania Dutch The Pennsylvania Dutch ( Pennsylvania Dutch: ), also known as Pennsylvania Germans, are a cultural group formed by German immigrants who settled in Pennsylvania during the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. They emigrated primarily from German-spe ...

: ''Tscheschter Kaundi''), colloquially known as Chesco, is a

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

in the

Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has been synonymous with "republic". The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

. It is located in the

Delaware Valley The Delaware Valley is a metropolitan region on the East Coast of the United States that comprises and surrounds Philadelphia, the sixth most populous city in the nation and 68th largest city in the world as of 2020. The toponym Delaware Val ...

region of the state. As of the 2020 census, the population was 534,413, increasing by 7.1% from 498,886 in

2010 File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...

. The

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US ...

and most populated municipality is West Chester. Chester County was one of the three original Pennsylvania counties created by

William Penn William Penn ( – ) was an English writer and religious thinker belonging to the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), and founder of the Province of Pennsylvania, a North American colony of England. He was an early advocate of democracy a ...

in 1682. It was named for

Chester Chester is a cathedral city and the county town of Cheshire, England. It is located on the River Dee, close to the English–Welsh border. With a population of 79,645 in 2011,"2011 Census results: People and Population Profile: Chester Loca ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...

. Chester County is part of the

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Since ...

- Camden- Wilmington, PA- NJ- DE- MD

Metropolitan Statistical Area In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally incorporated as a city or tow ...

. Eastern Chester County is home to many communities that comprise part of the Philadelphia Main Line western suburbs outside of Philadelphia, while part of its southernmost portion is considered suburban Wilmington, along with southwest Delaware County.

History

, Bucks, and Chester were the three Pennsylvania counties initially created by

on August 24, 1682. At that time, Chester County's borders were Philadelphia County to the north, the ill-defined western edge of the colony (approximately the

Susquehanna River The Susquehanna River (; Lenape: Siskëwahane) is a major river located in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, overlapping between the lower Northeast and the Upland South. At long, it is the longest river on the East Coast of the ...

) to the west, the

Delaware River The Delaware River is a major river in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. From the meeting of its branches in Hancock, New York, the river flows for along the borders of New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware, before ...

to the east, and

Delaware Delaware ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Maryland to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. The state takes its name from the adjacent ...

and

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean t ...

to the south. Chester County replaced the Pennsylvania portion of

New Netherland New Netherland ( nl, Nieuw Nederland; la, Novum Belgium or ) was a 17th-century colonial province of the Dutch Republic that was located on the east coast of what is now the United States. The claimed territories extended from the Delmarva ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

’s "Upland", which was officially eliminated when Pennsylvania was chartered on March 4, 1681, but did not cease to exist until June of that year. Much of the Welsh Tract was in eastern Chester County, and Welsh place names, given by early settlers, continue to predominate there. The fourth county in the state, Lancaster County, was formed from Chester County on May 10, 1729. On March 11, 1752, Berks County was formed from the northern section of Chester County, as well as parts of Lancaster and Philadelphia counties. The original Chester County seat was the City of

, a center of naval shipbuilding, at the eastern edge of the county. In an effort to accommodate the increased population of the western part of the county, the county seat was moved to a more central location in 1788; in order to mollify the eastern portion of the county, the village, known as Turk's Head, was renamed West Chester. In response to the new location of the county seat, the eastern portion of the county separated and formed the new Delaware County in 1789 with the City of

as its county seat. Much of the history of Chester County arises from its location between Philadelphia and the

. The first road to "the West" (meaning Lancaster County) passed through the central part of Chester County, following the Great Valley westward; with some re-alignments, it became the

Lincoln Highway The Lincoln Highway is the first transcontinental highway in the United States and one of the first highways designed expressly for automobiles. Conceived in 1912 by Indiana entrepreneur Carl G. Fisher, and formally dedicated October 31, 191 ...

and later U.S. Route 30. This road is still named Lancaster Avenue in most of the Chester County towns it runs through. The first railroad (which became the

Pennsylvania Railroad The Pennsylvania Railroad (reporting mark PRR), legal name The Pennsylvania Railroad Company also known as the "Pennsy", was an American Class I railroad that was established in 1846 and headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was named ...

) followed much the same route, and the Reading Railroad progressed up the Schuylkill River to

Reading Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of letters, symbols, etc., especially by sight or touch. For educators and researchers, reading is a multifaceted process involving such areas as word recognition, orthography (spell ...

. Industry tended to concentrate along the rail lines. Easy transportation allowed workers to commute to urban jobs, and the rise of the suburbs followed. To this day, the developed areas form "fingers" extending along major lines of transportation. During the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

, the

Battle of Brandywine The Battle of Brandywine, also known as the Battle of Brandywine Creek, was fought between the American Continental Army of General George Washington and the British Army of General William Howe, 5th Viscount Howe, Sir William Howe on September& ...

was fought at what is now the southeastern fringe of the county. The Valley Forge encampment was at the northeastern edge.

Geography

According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (1.1%) is water. The topography consists of rolling hills and valleys and it is part of the region known as the

Piedmont it, Piemontese , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographics1_title2 ...

. Watersheds that serve Chester County include the Octoraro, the Brandywine, and

creeks, and the Schuylkill River. Many of the soils are fertile, rich loam as much as twenty-four inches thick; together with the temperate climate, this was long a major agricultural area. Because of its proximity to Philadelphia, Chester County has seen large waves of development over the past half-century due to suburbanization. Although development in Chester County has increased, agriculture is still a major part of the county's economy, and the number of horse farms is increasing in the county. Mushroom growing is a specialty in the southern portion of the county. Elevations (in feet): High point—1020 Welsh Mt., Honeybrook Twp. Other high points—960 Thomas Hill, Warwick Twp; 960 Barren Hill, West Caln Twp. Low point—66 Schuylkill River, Chester-Montgomery county line. Cities and boroughs: Coatesville 314; Downingtown 255; Kennett Square 300; Oxford 535; Parkesburg 542; Phoenixville 127; Spring City 114; West Chester 459.

Adjacent counties

* Berks County (north) * Montgomery County (northeast) * Delaware County (east) * New Castle County, Delaware (southeast) *

Cecil County, Maryland Cecil County () is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland at the northeastern corner of the state, bordering both Pennsylvania and Delaware. As of the 2020 census, the population was 103,725. The county seat is Elkton. The county was ...

(south) * Lancaster County (west)

National protected area

Valley Forge National Historical Park Valley Forge National Historical Park is the site of the third winter encampment of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War, taking place from December 19, 1777, to June 19, 1778. The National Park Service preserves the site a ...

(part)

State protected areas

French Creek State Park French Creek State Park is a Pennsylvania state park in North Coventry and Warwick Townships in Chester County and Robeson and Union Townships in Berks County, Pennsylvania. It straddles northern Chester County and southern Berks County alo ...

Marsh Creek State Park Marsh Creek State Park is a Pennsylvania state park in Upper Uwchlan and Wallace Townships, Chester County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The park is the location of the man-made Marsh Creek Lake. With an average depth of 40 feet (73 ...

* White Clay Creek Preserve

Major roads and highways

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Economy and environment

Lanchester Landfill, located on the border of Chester and Lancaster Counties, captures

methane Methane ( , ) is a chemical compound with the chemical formula (one carbon atom bonded to four hydrogen atoms). It is a group-14 hydride, the simplest alkane, and the main constituent of natural gas. The relative abundance of methane ...

which is sold for

renewable natural gas Renewable natural gas (RNG), also known as sustainable natural gas (SNG) or biomethane, is a biogas which has been upgraded to a quality similar to fossil natural gas and having a methane concentration of 90% or greater. By increasing the concentr ...

credits, and piped to seven local businesses. This reduces the county's methane emissions, and provides an alternative to fracking for shale gas. In addition, several companies have their headquarters or a major presence in the county including

Bentley Systems Bentley Systems, Incorporated is an American-based software development company that develops, manufactures, licenses, sells and supports computer software and services for the design, construction, and operation of infrastructure. The compan ...

, EBS Healthcare,

Main Line Health Main Line Health (MLH) is a not-for-profit health system serving portions of Philadelphia and its western suburbs. It includes four acute care Acute care is a branch of secondary health care where a patient receives active but short-term treatme ...

Lavazza Luigi Lavazza S.p.A. (), shortened and stylized as LAVAZZA, is an Italian manufacturer of coffee products. Founded in Turin in 1895 by Luigi Lavazza, it was initially run from a small grocery store at Via San Tommaso 10. The business (Italian: ...

North America (formerly Mars Drinks),

Depuy DePuy Synthes () is a franchise of orthopaedic and neurosurgery companies. Acquired by Johnson & Johnson in 1998, its companies form part of the Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices group. DePuy develops and markets products under the Codman, DePuy ...

Synthes (part of

Johnson & Johnson Johnson & Johnson (J&J) is an American multinational corporation founded in 1886 that develops medical devices, pharmaceuticals, and consumer packaged goods. Its common stock is a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the company i ...

), Metabo, QVC, Hankin Group,

Axalta Coating Systems Axalta Coating Systems, Ltd., also known as simply Axalta, is an American company specializing in coatings in a wide variety of industrial applications, materials and sectors, such as for example automotive paints. The company is based in Philad ...

, CTDI, Pactiv,

Ricoh is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational imaging and electronics company (law), company. It was founded by the now-defunct commercial division of the Riken, Institute of Physical and Chemical Research (Riken) known as the ''Riken ...

Americas, Blinding Edge Pictures, AmerisourceBergen, J.G. Wentworth,

The Vanguard Group The Vanguard Group, Inc. is an American registered investment advisor based in Malvern, Pennsylvania, with about $7 trillion in global assets under management, as of January 13, 2021. It is the largest provider of mutual funds and the second-l ...

, and

Victory Brewing Company Victory Brewing Company (Victory) is a brewery founded in 1996 in Downingtown, Pennsylvania, United States. The main brands are HopDevil, Prima Pils, Headwaters Pale Ale, Golden Monkey, DirtWolf, and Storm King, which are distributed in 34 stat ...

among others.

Demographics

As of the 2010 census, the county was 82.1% White Non-Hispanic, 6.1% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American or Alaskan Native, 3.9% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian, 1.8% were two or more races, and 2.4% were some other race. 6.5% of the population were Hispanic or Latino. As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...

of 2000, there were 433,501 people, 157,905 households, and 113,375 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 163,773 housing units at an average density of 217 per square mile (84/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 89.21%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...

, 6.24%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ha ...

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.15% Native American, 1.95% Asian, 0.03%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 1.35% from other races, and 1.06% from two or more races. 3.72% of the population were

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race. 18.0% were of Irish, 17.3%

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

, 13.1% Italian, 10.1%

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ...

and 5.6% American ancestry. 91.4% spoke

and 3.7% Spanish as their first language. There were 157,905 households, out of which 35.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.50% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...

living together, 8.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.20% were non-families. 22.60% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.65 and the average family size was 3.15. In the county, the population was spread out, with 26.20% under the age of 18, 7.90% from 18 to 24, 30.40% from 25 to 44, 23.80% from 45 to 64, and 11.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 96.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.10 males. The median income for a household in the county was $65,295, and the median income for a family was $76,916 (these figures had risen to $80,818 and $97,894 respectively as of a 2007 estimate). Males had a median income of $51,223 versus $34,854 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the county was $31,627. About 3.10% of families and 5.20% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 5.10% of those under age 18 and 5.50% of those age 65 or over. The region was originally occupied by the Lenni

Lenape The Lenape (, , or Lenape , del, Lënapeyok) also called the Leni Lenape, Lenni Lenape and Delaware people, are an indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands, who live in the United States and Canada. Their historical territory inclu ...

people, who greeted European settlers in the seventeenth century with amity and kindness. British settlers were mostly English, Scotch-Irish and Welsh in ethnicity. From the late 19th to early 20th century, the industrial areas of the region, such as Coatesville, attracted immigrants and job seekers from Germany and Ireland, Eastern Europe, Italy, and the American rural South, with both black and white migrants coming north. Later Hispanic immigrants have included Puerto Ricans and, most recently, Mexicans. Long a primarily rural area, Chester County is now the fastest-growing county in the Delaware Valley; it is one of the fastest growing in the entire Northeastern section of the United States.

Religion

In keeping with its colonial history, Chester County is home to a number of historic

Quaker Quakers are people who belong to a historically Protestant Christian set of denominations known formally as the Religious Society of Friends. Members of these movements ("theFriends") are generally united by a belief in each human's abili ...

buildings, including

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the We ...

, Birmingham Orthodox,

Bradford Bradford is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Bradford district in West Yorkshire, England. The city is in the Pennines' eastern foothills on the banks of the Bradford Beck. Bradford had a population of 349,561 at the 2011 ...

, Caln, Old Kennett, Parkersville,

Westtown West Town or Westtown may refer to any of the following places. United Kingdom *West Town, Peterborough in Cambridgeshire *West Town, Hayling Island in Hampshire *West Town, Backwell in North Somerset United States *West Town, Chicago in Illinois ...

, and Uwchlan

meeting house A meeting house (meetinghouse, meeting-house) is a building where religious and sometimes public meetings take place. Terminology Nonconformist Protestant denominations distinguish between a * church, which is a body of people who believe in Ch ...

s. Other historic religious buildings include St. Malachi Church, southeastern Pennsylvania's oldest active

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

mission church, and the Episcopal St. Mary's, St. Paul's, and St. Peter's churches, and

Washington Memorial Chapel Washington Memorial Chapel — located on Pennsylvania Route 23 in Valley Forge National Historical Park — is both a national memorial dedicated to General George Washington and an active Episcopal parish in Valley Forge, Pennsylvani ...

. Also located in the county are the First Presbyterian Church of West Chester, Coventryville

United Methodist Church The United Methodist Church (UMC) is a worldwide mainline Protestant denomination based in the United States, and a major part of Methodism. In the 19th century, its main predecessor, the Methodist Episcopal Church, was a leader in evangelica ...

, which is part of the Coventryville Historic District, and

Beth Israel Congregation of Chester County Beth Israel Congregation is a Conservative Judaism, Conservative synagogue located at 385 Pottstown Pike (Pennsylvania Route 100, Route 100) in Upper Uwchlan Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania. It was founded in Coatesville, Pennsylvania in 1 ...

, a

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...

synagogue A synagogue, ', 'house of assembly', or ', "house of prayer"; Yiddish: ''shul'', Ladino: or ' (from synagogue); or ', "community". sometimes referred to as shul, and interchangeably used with the word temple, is a Jewish house of wor ...

in Coatesville, a site of Eastern European immigration in the 20th century.

2020 Census

Politics

Voter registration

According to the Secretary of State's office, Democrats comprise a plurality of registered voters in Chester County.

Election results

Chester County has historically been reliably Republican at the county level; traditionally, it was the most conservative county in the Philadelphia area. In recent elections, however, it has been trending Democratic, though not as overwhelmingly as the rest of the Philadelphia suburbs. In 2000,

Al Gore Albert Arnold Gore Jr. (born March 31, 1948) is an American politician, businessman, and environmentalist who served as the 45th vice president of the United States from 1993 to 2001 under President Bill Clinton. Gore was the Democratic ...

lost it by almost 10 percent, but in 2004 George W. Bush defeated

John Kerry John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is an American attorney, politician and diplomat who currently serves as the first United States special presidential envoy for climate. A member of the Forbes family and the Democratic Party, he ...

by a much smaller margin of only 4.5 percent. In 2008, Chester County sided with the rest of Pennsylvania and voted for

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Obama was the first Af ...

by a much larger margin of 9%, making him the first Democrat to carry it in a Presidential election since 1964. But, in 2009, with a smaller turnout, Republican candidates swept all county-row offices, winning with an average margin of 20%. In 2012, the county voted for Republican candidate

Mitt Romney Willard Mitt Romney (born March 12, 1947) is an American politician, businessman, and lawyer serving as the junior United States senator from Utah since January 2019, succeeding Orrin Hatch. He served as the 70th governor of Massachusetts ...

, by a very small margin of about 500 votes. In 2016, despite Pennsylvania voting for a Republican presidential candidate for the first time since 1988, Chester County voted more Democratic than in 2012, with

Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, diplomat, and former lawyer who served as the 67th United States Secretary of State for President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, as a United States sen ...

leading

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...

by over 25,000 votes or 9.4 percentage points; a 9.2 percentage point swing from 2012. The only two statewide winners in 2016 to carry Chester County were U.S. Senator

Pat Toomey Patrick Joseph Toomey Jr. (born November 17, 1961) is an American businessman and politician serving as the junior United States senator for Pennsylvania since 2011. A member of the Republican Party, he served three terms as the U.S. representa ...

(R) and Pennsylvania State Treasurer

Joe Torsella Joseph M. Torsella (born October 8, 1963) is an American politician and former diplomat, who served as the Pennsylvania Treasurer from 2017 to 2021. He served as the U.S. Representative to the United Nations for Management and Reform (with the r ...

(D). Republican candidates John Brown and John Rafferty carried Chester County, though both lost their races for Auditor General and Attorney General, respectively (Rafferty, a State Senator whose district includes northern Chester County, carried the county by a slim margin of 50 votes) Emphasizing its Democratic shift even further, Joe Biden defeated Donald Trump by a whopping 17.1 points in Chester County in the 2020 election; Trump's percentage of votes was the lowest for any Republican since 1912. Such a major shift was a major factor in Biden's success of flipping Pennsylvania back to the Democratic column. Democrats have made gains in Chester County state legislative seats in recent elections. Democrat Andy Dinniman picked up the 19th Senate District in May 2006 in the special election to replace the late Robert Thompson. Democrat Barbara McIlvaine Smith picked up the open 156th House district in November 2006, winning by 28 votes and tipping the State-House majority to the Democrats. This was the first time that a Democrat had served part of Chester County as State Representative since

Jim Gerlach James W. Gerlach (born February 25, 1955) is the former U.S. Representative for , serving from 2003 to 2015. He is a member of the Republican Party. Gerlach retired from Congress after completing his sixth term. Early life, education and caree ...

(who represented much of Chester County for 12 years in Congress) unseated Sam Morris in 1990. In 2008, two more open House seats in the county went Democratic—to Tom Houghton in the 13th and Paul Drucker in the 157th. In 2010, however, Chester County swung back to the GOP, with Republicans Dan Truitt (who defeated McIlvaine Smith), Warren Kampf (who defeated Drucker), and John Lawrence (who defeated Houghton) all elected to the State House. On November 8, 2017, Democrats made historic inroads in Chester County by winning their first county row office seats in history, picking up 4 row office seats. On November 5, 2019, Democrats swept countywide row office seat elections and took a majority on the Board of Commissioners, for a first time in county history.

Government

Commissioners

Chester County is administered by a three-person Board of Commissioners, who serve four-year terms. Elections occur in the odd-numbered years that precede U.S. Presidential elections, with the next election falling in 2023. The Commissioners have selective policy-making authority to provide certain local services and facilities on a county-wide basis. Accordingly, the commissioners are responsible for the management of the fiscal and administrative functions of the county. '':''

County row officers

''As of January 3, 2023:''

United States House of Representatives

''As of January 3, 2023:''

United States Senate

''As of January 3, 2023:''

State House of Representatives

''As of January 3, 2023:''

State Senate

''As of January 3, 2023:''

Education

Colleges and universities

* Cheyney University of Pennsylvania (partially in Delaware County) *

Delaware County Community College Delaware County Community College (DCCC) is a public community college with campuses and facilities throughout Delaware and Chester Counties in Pennsylvania. DCCC was founded in 1967 and is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher E ...

(locations in Exton, Downingtown, Phoenixville and West Grove) *

Immaculata University Immaculata University is a private Roman Catholic university in East Whiteland Township, Pennsylvania. It was founded by the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The university is composed of 1,427 traditional undergraduate and ...

* Lincoln University * Penn State Great Valley *

University of Valley Forge The University of Valley Forge (UVF) is a private university in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, 8.8 miles from Valley Forge National Historical Park. It is affiliated with the Assemblies of God and offers several Bachelors and Masters programs. H ...

* West Chester University of Pennsylvania

Public school districts

School districts include: * Avon Grove School District * Coatesville Area School District *

Downingtown Area School District The Downingtown Area School District is a school district based in Downingtown, in Chester County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The district operates ten elementary schools, three middle schools and three high schools. As of 2018, ...

* Great Valley School District * Kennett Consolidated School District * Octorara Area School District * Owen J. Roberts School District *

Oxford Area School District The Oxford Area School District is the K-12 public school district for the town of Oxford in Chester County, Pennsylvania. The school's new location was opened in September 2005. Schools * Jordan Bank Elementary School (Kindergarten) * Elk ...

Phoenixville Area School District The Phoenixville Area School District (PASD) is a public school district headquartered in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; (Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atla ...

Spring-Ford Area School District The Spring-Ford Area School District is a K-12 school district based in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States, which expands into Chester County. The District is made up of Limerick Township and Upper Providence Township, along with ...

* Tredyffrin-Easttown School District *

Twin Valley School District Twin Valley School District (TVSD) is a school district headquartered in Caernarvon Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania, with an Elverson postal address. Profile page- Compare to the addressThe zoning map published by the township Within Berks Co ...

* Unionville-Chadds Ford School District *

West Chester Area School District The West Chester Area School District serves the borough and surrounding townships of West Chester, Pennsylvania, United States. The other parts include the surrounding townships of East Bradford, East Goshen, Thornbury, West Goshen, West Whit ...

Charter schools

* Achievement House Charter School grades 9-12, Exton * Avon Grove Charter School grades K-12, West Grove * Chester County Family Academy Charter School grades K-2, West Chester * Collegium Charter School grades K-12, Exton * Pennsylvania Leadership Charter School K-12, West Chester * Renaissance Academy Charter School grades K-12, Phoenixville * Sankofa Academy Charter School grades 5–8, West Chester * 21st Century Cyber Charter School grades 6-12. Downingtown.

Independent schools

* Bishop Shanahan High School (

Archdiocese of Philadelphia The Roman Catholic Metropolitan Archdiocese of Philadelphia is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in southeastern Pennsylvania, in the United States. It covers the City and County of Philadelphia as well ...

) *Center for Arts and Technology (Administered by Chester County Intermediate Unit) * Church Farm School (now called CFS the School at Church Farm) *Delaware Valley Friends School *

Devon Preparatory School Devon Preparatory School is a Catholic all-male college preparatory school in Devon, Pennsylvania, in the United States, founded in 1956 by Piarists. It is divided into a middle school (grades 6–8) and an upper school (grades 9–12), both loca ...

*Fairville Friends School (Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania) *Goshen Friends School (West Chester, Pennsylvania) *Kimberton Waldorf School (Kimberton, Pennsylvania) *London Grove Friends Kindergarten (Kennett Square, Pennsylvania) * Malvern Preparatory School *The Concept School - 6th through 12th Grade * Upattinas School and Resource Center (Glenmoore, Pennsylvania) *Upland Country Day School (UCDS) - Pre-K through 9th Grade * Villa Maria Academy (Malvern, Pennsylvania) * Villa Maria Academy Lower School (Immaculata, Pennsylvania) * West-Mont Christian Academy * West Chester Friends School * West Fallowfield Christian School * Westtown School *Windsor Christian Academy - K through 6th Grade *Windsor Christian Preschool *Regina Luminis Academy

Libraries

The Chester County Library System in southeastern Pennsylvania was organized in 1965. It is a federated system composed of a District Center Library in Exton and sixteen member libraries. The system provides materials and information for life, work and pleasure.

Communities

Map of Chester County Pennsylvania With Municipal and Township Labels

Under Pennsylvania law, there are four types of incorporated municipalities: cities,

boroughs A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History In the Middle A ...

, townships, and, in at most two cases,

towns A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an or ...

. The

post office A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letters and parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post offices may offer additional se ...

uses community names and boundaries that usually do not correspond to the townships, and usually only have the same names as the municipalities for the cities and boroughs. The names used by the post office are generally used by residents to describe where they live. The following cities, boroughs and townships are located in Chester County:

City

* Coatesville

Boroughs

* Atglen * Avondale * Downingtown * Elverson * Honey Brook * Kennett Square * Malvern *

Modena Modena (, , ; egl, label= Modenese, Mòdna ; ett, Mutna; la, Mutina) is a city and '' comune'' (municipality) on the south side of the Po Valley, in the Province of Modena in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. A town, and seat o ...

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

* Parkesburg * Phoenixville * South Coatesville * Spring City * West Chester (county seat) * West Grove

Townships

* Caln * Charlestown * East Bradford * East Brandywine * East Caln * East Coventry * East Fallowfield * East Goshen * East Marlborough * East Nantmeal * East Nottingham * East Pikeland * East Vincent * East Whiteland * Easttown * Elk * Franklin *

Highland Highlands or uplands are areas of high elevation such as a mountainous region, elevated mountainous plateau or high hills. Generally speaking, upland (or uplands) refers to ranges of hills, typically from up to while highland (or highlands) is ...

* Honey Brook * Kennett * London Britain * London Grove * Londonderry * Lower Oxford * New Garden * New London * Newlin * North Coventry * Penn * Pennsbury * Pocopson * Sadsbury * Schuylkill * South Coventry * Thornbury * Tredyffrin * Upper Oxford * Upper Uwchlan * Uwchlan *

Valley A valley is an elongated low area often running between hills or mountains, which will typically contain a river or stream running from one end to the other. Most valleys are formed by erosion of the land surface by rivers or streams ove ...

Wallace Wallace may refer to: People * Clan Wallace in Scotland * Wallace (given name) * Wallace (surname) * Wallace (footballer, born 1986), full name Wallace Fernando Pereira, Brazilian football left-back * Wallace (footballer, born 1987), full name ...

Warwick Warwick ( ) is a market town, civil parish and the county town of Warwickshire in the Warwick District in England, adjacent to the River Avon, Warwickshire, River Avon. It is south of Coventry, and south-east of Birmingham. It is adjoined wit ...

* West Bradford * West Brandywine * West Caln * West Fallowfield * West Goshen * West Marlborough * West Nantmeal * West Nottingham * West Pikeland * West Sadsbury * West Vincent * West Whiteland *

* Willistown

Census-designated places

Census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places, suc ...

s are unincorporated communities designated by the

for the purposes of compiling demographic data. They are not actual jurisdictions under Pennsylvania law. * Berwyn * Caln *

Chadds Ford Chadds Ford is a census-designated place (CDP) in Delaware and Chester counties, Pennsylvania, United States, comprising the unincorporated communities of Chadds Ford and Chadds Ford Knoll. It was first listed as a CDP prior to the 2020 censu ...

(partly in Delaware County) * Chesterbrook * Cheyney University (partly in Delaware County) * Cochranville *

Devon Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devo ...

* Dilworthtown (partly in Delaware County) *

Eagle Eagle is the common name for many large birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of genera, some of which are closely related. Most of the 68 species of eagle are from Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, j ...

* Eagleview * Exton * Frazer * Glenmoore * Hamorton * Hayti *

Kenilworth Kenilworth ( ) is a market town and civil parish in the Warwick District in Warwickshire, England, south-west of Coventry, north of Warwick and north-west of London. It lies on Finham Brook, a tributary of the River Sowe, which joins the ...

* Kimberton * Lincoln University * Lionville * Marshallton *

Nottingham Nottingham ( , locally ) is a city and unitary authority area in Nottinghamshire, East Midlands, England. It is located north-west of London, south-east of Sheffield and north-east of Birmingham. Nottingham has links to the legend of Robi ...

* Paoli * Pomeroy * Pughtown * Sadsburyville * South Pottstown * Thorndale * Toughkenamon * Unionville * Westwood

Other unincorporated communities

* Birchrunville * Black Horse * Brandamore * Bucktown * Byers Station * Cedarville * Chatham *

Chester Springs Chester Springs is an unincorporated community in Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is centered on West Pikeland Township, and extends into Charlestown Township, Upper Uwchlan Township, Wallace Township, East Nantmeal Township, ...

* Chesterville *

Compass A compass is a device that shows the cardinal directions used for navigation and geographic orientation. It commonly consists of a magnetized needle or other element, such as a compass card or compass rose, which can pivot to align itself with ...

* Coventryville * Cromby * Darlington Corners * Daylesford * Devault * Doe Run * Dorlan * Embreeville * Ercildoun * Faggs Manor * Glenloch * Goshenville * Hallman * Harmony Hill * Harmonyville * Hayesville * Hephzibah * Hickory Hill * Hiestand * Homeville * Humphreyville * Icedale * Ironsides * Isabella * Jennersville *

Kaolin Kaolinite ( ) is a clay mineral, with the chemical composition Al2 Si2 O5( OH)4. It is an important industrial mineral. It is a layered silicate mineral, with one tetrahedral sheet of silica () linked through oxygen atoms to one octahedra ...

* Kelton * Kemblesville * Knauertown * Landenberg *

* Lewisville * London Grove * Longwood * Lower Hopewell * Ludwigs Corner * Lyndell * Mendenhall * Milford Mills * Mortonville *Morstein * Nantmeal Village * Northbrook * Parker Ford * Pocopson * Russellville *

Saint Peters Saint Peters is a community located in Chester County, Pennsylvania. The village is a historic 19th century industrial 'company village' at the Falls of French Creek in Warwick Township. The village is located in the Hopewell Big Woods. The ...

* Siousca * Springdell * Steelville * Strafford * Strickersville * Sugartown * Suplee * Valley Forge * Wagontown *

* West Goshen * Whitford * Willowdale * Yellow Springs

Historic community

* Barnestown

Population ranking

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2020 census of Chester County. † ''county seat''

Climate

Chester County has four distinct seasons and has a hot-summer

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freez ...

(''Dfa'') except for some far southern lowlands and areas along the Schuylkill River which have a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...

(''Cfa''). The

hardiness zone A hardiness zone is a geographic area defined as having a certain average annual minimum temperature, a factor relevant to the survival of many plants. In some systems other statistics are included in the calculations. The original and most wide ...

s are 6b and 7a.

Public health

Opioid crisis

In both 2018 and 2019, deaths from drug overdoses in Chester County declined. Of the 104 drug overdoses recorded by the coroner, an estimated 77 percent involved the presence of fentanyl. One of the reasons for the decline in overdose deaths was "the saturation across the county of

Narcan Naloxone, sold under the brand names Narcan (4 mg) and Kloxxado (8 mg) among others, is a medication used to reverse or reduce the effects of opioids. It is commonly used to counter decreased breathing in opioid overdose. Effects begin within ...

, the anti-opioid nasal spray that can revive someone suffering an overdose." In 2019, any resident of Chester County could obtain a free Narcan dose at community training events across the county.

Notable people

* Jesse B. Aikin (1808–1900), first to produce a song book with a seven-

shape note Shape notes are a musical notation designed to facilitate congregational and social singing. The notation, introduced in late 18th century England, became a popular teaching device in American singing schools. Shapes were added to the noteh ...

system *

Samuel Barber Samuel Osmond Barber II (March 9, 1910 – January 23, 1981) was an American composer, pianist, conductor, baritone, and music educator, and one of the most celebrated composers of the 20th century. The music critic Donal Henahan said, "Probab ...

(1910–1981), one of the most celebrated composers of the 20th century * Eusebius Barnard (1802–1865), Quaker minister and station master on the

Underground Railroad The Underground Railroad was a network of clandestine routes and safe houses established in the United States during the early- to mid-19th century. It was used by enslaved African Americans primarily to escape into free states and Canada. ...

* Mifflin E. Bell (1847–1904), architect who served from 1883 to 1886 as Supervising Architect of the US Treasury Department * Daniel Garrison Brinton (1837–1899), physician and ethnologist who taught at the

University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn or UPenn) is a Private university, private research university in Philadelphia. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is ranked among the highest- ...

Scott Brunner Scott Lee Brunner (born March 24, 1957) is a former professional American football quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) who played for the New York Giants from 1980 to 1983, the Denver Broncos in 1984, and the St. Louis Cardinals in 1 ...

(born 1957), NFL quarterback during the 1980s * Margaret F. Butler (1861–1931), professor of otorhinolaryngology at the Woman's Medical College of Pennsylvania * Samuel Butler (1825–1891), Pennsylvania State Representative and Pennsylvania Treasurer from 1880 to 1882 * Smedley Butler (1881–1940), twice recipient of the

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of val ...

, thwarted the

Business Plot The Business Plot (also called the Wall Street Putsch and The White House Putsch) was an alleged political conspiracy in 1933, in the United States to overthrow the government of President Franklin D. Roosevelt and install Smedley Butler as d ...

, advocate for veterans, author *

Jefferson David Chalfant Jefferson David Chalfant (November 6, 1856 – February 3, 1931) was an American painter who is remembered mostly for his ''trompe-l'œil'' still life paintings. Biography Chalfant was born in Chester County, Pennsylvania, but moved in youn ...

(1856–1931), painter best known for his ''

trompe-l'œil ''Trompe-l'œil'' ( , ; ) is an artistic term for the highly realistic optical illusion of three-dimensional space and objects on a two-dimensional surface. ''Trompe l'oeil'', which is most often associated with painting, tricks the viewer into ...

still life A still life (plural: still lifes) is a work of art depicting mostly inanimate subject matter, typically commonplace objects which are either natural (food, flowers, dead animals, plants, rocks, shells, etc.) or man-made (drinking glasses, bo ...

s * John Cochran (1730–1807), physician and 4th

Surgeon General of the United States Army The Surgeon General of the United States Army is the senior-most officer of the U.S. Army Medical Department (AMEDD). By policy, the Surgeon General (TSG) serves as Commanding General, U.S. Army Medical Command (MEDCOM) as well as head of the ...

* James D. Corrothers (1869–1917), African American poet, journalist, minister, and friend of Paul Laurence Dunbar * Isabel Darlington (1865–1950), lawyer and the first woman to gain admittance to the bar and practice law in Chester County * Bruce Davidson (born 1949), multiple Olympian in equestrian eventing; noted competition-horse breeder and trainer *

Sarah Dolley Sarah Dolley (March 11, 1829December 27, 1909), was an American physician who became one of the first women in the United States to receive a medical degree and the first woman to complete a medical internship, at Blockley Almshouse. She ran a pr ...

(1829–1909), physician and the first woman to complete a medical internship in the United States * Ryan Dunn (1977–2011), actor, television personality, and

daredevil Daredevil may refer to: * A stunt performer Arts and media Comics * Daredevil (Lev Gleason Publications), a fictional 1940s superhero popularized by writer-artist Charles Biro * Daredevil (Marvel Comics character), a Marvel comic book superhero ...

; died in a car crash in West Goshen *

William Hood Dunwoody William Hood Dunwoody (March 14, 1841 – February 8, 1914) was an American banker, miller, art patron and philanthropist. He was a partner in what is today General Mills and for thirty years a leader of Northwestern National Bank, today's Wells F ...

(1841–1914), businessman and partner in the firm that became

General Mills General Mills, Inc., is an American multinational manufacturer and marketer of branded processed consumer foods sold through retail stores. Founded on the banks of the Mississippi River at Saint Anthony Falls in Minneapolis, the company or ...

* Phillip Dutton (born 1963), Australian-born Olympic-level equestrian rider in eventing *

John Filson John Filson (c. 1747 – October 1788) was an American author, historian of Kentucky, pioneer, surveyor and one of the founders of Cincinnati, Ohio. Early life John Filson was born in Chester County, Pennsylvania, around 1747. He was the son o ...

(1747–1788), author, historian, pioneer, surveyor, and founder of

Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line w ...

* James Fitzpatrick (1748–1778), highwayman and loyalist during the

* Bartholomew Fussell (1794–1871), abolitionist active in the

; early advocate for women's careers in medicine * Kyle Gallner (born 1986), actor * Robert Grace (1709–1766), first manufacturer of the Franklin stove * Joseph Graham (1759–1836), Revolutionary War militia officer, North Carolina politician, and ironmonger * Isaac Israel Hayes (1832–1881),

Arctic The Arctic ( or ) is a polar regions of Earth, polar region located at the northernmost part of Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean, adjacent seas, and parts of Canada (Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut), Danish Realm (Greenla ...

explorer and physician *

Francis James Alfred Francis James (21 April 191824 August 1992) was an Australian publisher known for being imprisoned in China as a spy. Early life James was born in Queenstown, Tasmania, the son of an Anglican priest. His early life was unsettled as his ...

(1799–1886), lawyer, state senator, and member of the US House of Representatives * Charlton Thomas Lewis (1834–1904), lawyer and lexicographer who compiled several Latin-English dictionaries * George Lippard (1822–1854), novelist ('' The Quaker City; or, The Monks of Monk Hall''), journalist, and social reformer * Rebecca Webb Lukens (1794–1854), first female owner and manager of the company that became the Lukens Steel Mill * William Maclay (1737–1804), Pennsylvania state legislator and US Senator who served in the

1st United States Congress The 1st United States Congress, comprising the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives, met from March 4, 1789, to March 4, 1791, during the first two years of George Washington's presidency, first at Federal Hall i ...

* Franklin MacVeagh (1837–1934), banker and U.S. Secretary of the Treasury * Bam Margera (born 1979), professional

skateboard A skateboard is a type of sports equipment used for skateboarding. They are usually made of a specially designed 7-8 ply maple plywood deck and polyurethane wheels attached to the underside by a pair of skateboarding trucks. The skateboarder ...

er, television and radio personality, and

* Boyd Martin (born 1979), Australian-born equestrian competing in eventing; has participated in two Summer Olympics *

Jon Matlack Jonathan Trumpbour Matlack (born January 19, 1950) is an American former professional baseball player and coach. He played in Major League Baseball as a left-handed pitcher from through for the New York Mets and the Texas Rangers. The three-t ...

(born 1950), baseball pitcher for the New York Mets and Texas Rangers (1971–83), All Star and N.L. champion * Henry McBride (1867–1962), art critic who wrote for '' Art News'', '' The Dial'', and ''

The New York Sun ''The New York Sun'' is an American online newspaper published in Manhattan; from 2002 to 2008 it was a daily newspaper distributed in New York City. It debuted on April 16, 2002, adopting the name, motto, and masthead of the earlier New Yor ...

'' * Joseph McClellan (1746–1834),

Continental Army The Continental Army was the army of the United Colonies (the Thirteen Colonies) in the Revolutionary-era United States. It was formed by the Second Continental Congress after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War, and was establis ...

captain, brevet colonel of militia, and Pennsylvania State Senator * Charles Follen McKim (1847–1909), one of the most prominent American Beaux-Arts

architect An architect is a person who plans, designs and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

s of the late nineteenth century * Joseph McMinn (1758–1824), politician who served as Speaker of the Tennessee Senate and 4th

Governor of Tennessee The governor of Tennessee is the head of government of the U.S. state of Tennessee. The governor is the only official in Tennessee state government who is directly elected by the voters of the entire state. The current governor is Bill Lee, a ...

* Thomas Harrison Montgomery Jr. (1873–1912), zoologist and expert in cell biology, invertebrates, and birds *

George Foot Moore George Foot Moore (October 15, 1851 – May 16, 1931) was an eminent historian of religion, author, Presbyterian minister, 33rd Degree Mason of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, and accomplished teacher. Life Moore was born in West Chester ...

(1851–1931), historian of religion, minister, and professor at Andover Theological Seminary and

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of highe ...

Hezekiah Niles Hezekiah Niles (October 10, 1777 – April 2, 1839), was an American editor and publisher of the Baltimore-based national weekly news magazine, ''Niles' Weekly Register'' (aka ''Niles' Register'') and the ''Weekly Register''. Niles was born in ...

(1777–1839), editor and publisher of the ''

Weekly Register The ''Weekly Register'' (also called the ''Niles Weekly Register'' and ''Niles' Register'') was a national magazine published in Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fo ...

'', one of the highest circulating papers in the United States * John Grubb Parke, Union general during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and t ...

and victor of the Battle of Fort Stedman (1865) *

Herb Pennock Herbert Jefferis Pennock (February 10, 1894 – January 30, 1948) was an American professional baseball pitcher and front-office executive. He played in Major League Baseball from 1912 through 1933, and is best known for his time spent with t ...

(1894–1948), Hall of Fame baseball pitcher; also known as the "Squire of Kennett Square" * Elijah F. Pennypacker (1804–1888), abolitionist and Underground Railroad station master * George Morris Philips (1851–1920), principal of West Chester University from 1881 to 1920 * Evan Pugh (1828–1864), agricultural chemist and first president of

Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a public state-related land-grant research university with campuses and facilities throughout Pennsylvania. Founded in 1855 as the Farmers' High School of Pennsylvania, Penn State becam ...

Thomas Buchanan Read Thomas Buchanan Read (March 12, 1822 – May 11, 1872), was an American poet and portrait painter. Biography Read was born in Corner Ketch, a hamlet close to Downingtown, in Chester County, Pennsylvania on March 12, 1822. Beside painting, ...

(1822–1872),

poet A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator ( thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems (oral or w ...

and

portrait painter Portrait Painting is a genre in painting, where the intent is to represent a specific human subject. The term 'portrait painting' can also describe the actual painted portrait. Portraitists may create their work by commission, for public and pr ...

* George W. Roberts (1833–1862), Union Army colonel killed in action at the Battle of Stones River * Barclay Rubincam (1920–1978), regionalist painter affiliated with the Brandywine School * Bayard Rustin (1912–1987),

civil rights Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from infringement by governments, social organizations, and private individuals. They ensure one's entitlement to participate in the civil and political life ...

leader posthumously awarded the

Presidential Medal of Freedom The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest civilian award of the United States, along with the Congressional Gold Medal. It is an award bestowed by the president of the United States to recognize people who have made "an especially merit ...

* Matt Ryan (born 1985), quarterback for the

Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The Falcon ...

; born in Exton *

Maria Sanford Maria Louise Sanford (December 19, 1836 – April 21, 1920) was an American educator. She was a professor of history at Swarthmore College from 1871 to 1880 and a professor of rhetoric and elocution at the University of Minnesota from 1880 to 19 ...

(1836–1920), Chester County school superintendent; professor at Swarthmore College and the

University of Minnesota The University of Minnesota, formally the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, (UMN Twin Cities, the U of M, or Minnesota) is a public land-grant research university in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States. ...

* John Wallace Scott (1832–1903),

recipient during the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government polici ...

* Isaac Sharpless (1848–1920), president of

Haverford College Haverford College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Haverford, Pennsylvania. It was founded as a men's college in 1833 by members of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), began accepting non-Quakers in 1849, and became coeducationa ...

M. Night Shyamalan Manoj Nelliyattu M. Night Shyamalan ( ; born August 6, 1970) is an Indian-American filmmaker and actor. He is best known for making original films with contemporary supernatural plots and twist endings. He was born in Mahé, India, and raise ...

(born 1970),

film director A film director controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfilment of that vision. The director has a key role in choosing the cast members, pr ...

William Thomas Smedley William Thomas Smedley (March 26, 1858March 26, 1920), was an American artist born in Chester County, Pennsylvania, of a Quaker. He worked at a newspaper, then studied engraving and art in Philadelphia, in the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine A ...

(1858–1920), artist; member of the

National Academy of Design The National Academy of Design is an honorary association of American artists, founded in New York City in 1825 by Samuel Morse, Asher Durand, Thomas Cole, Martin E. Thompson, Charles Cushing Wright, Ithiel Town, and others "to promote the ...

* James Smith (1719–1806), signer to the

United States Declaration of Independence The United States Declaration of Independence, formally The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen States of America, is the pronouncement and founding document adopted by the Second Continental Congress meeting at Pennsylvania State House ( ...

* Kerr Smith (born 1972), actor * William Preston Snyder (1851–1920), president pro tempore of the Pennsylvania Senate and Pennsylvania Auditor General *

Bayard Taylor Bayard Taylor (January 11, 1825December 19, 1878) was an American poet, literary critic, translator, travel author, and diplomat. As a poet, he was very popular, with a crowd of more than 4,000 attending a poetry reading once, which was a record ...

(1825–1878), poet, novelist, and travel writer * Miles Teller (born 1987), actor * Martha Gibbons Thomas (1869–1942), first woman elected to the

Pennsylvania House of Representatives The Pennsylvania House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Pennsylvania General Assembly, the legislature of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. There are 203 members, elected for two-year terms from single member districts. It ...

from Chester County *

Richard Thomas Richard Thomas or Dick Thomas may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * Dick Thomas (singer) (1915–2003), American singing cowboy and actor * Richard Thomas (actor) (born 1951), American actor * Richard Thomas (author) (born 1967), American ...

(1744–1832), Pennsylvania state senator, U.S. Representative, and colonel during the

Richard Troxell Richard Troxell is an American operatic tenor who has sung leading roles in the opera houses of North America, Europe, and Asia since his professional debut in 1993. His signature roles include Lt. Pinkerton, which he sang in Frédéric Mitterran ...

, international opera star, aka "America's Tenor" *

Bernardhus Van Leer Bernardhus Van Leer (1687–January 26, 1790) was a German-American early settler of the Province of Pennsylvania. He worked as a physician and was father of American Revolutionary War Captain Samuel Van Leer. He built the Barnardus Van Leer Ho ...

(1687–1790), German-American physician and centenarian * Samuel Van Leer (1747–1825), captain during the American Revolution; owned Reading Furnace and other nearby historical places *

Anthony Wayne Anthony Wayne (January 1, 1745 – December 15, 1796) was an American soldier, officer, statesman, and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. He adopted a military career at the outset of the American Revolutionary War, where his mil ...

(1745–1796), Revolutionary War general known as "Mad Anthony" Wayne *

George Alexis Weymouth George Alexis Weymouth (June 2, 1936 – April 24, 2016), better known as Frolic Weymouth, was an American artist, whip or stager, and conservationist. He served on the United States Commission of Fine Arts in the 1970s and was a member of the ...

(1936–2016), artist (painter); "whip" stager; founder of the Brandywine Conservancy and the Brandywine River Museum *

Thomas Wharton Jr. Thomas Wharton Jr. (1735May 22, 1778) was a Pennsylvania merchant and politician of the Revolutionary era. He served as the first president of Pennsylvania (an office akin to governor) following the Declaration of Independence from Great Britai ...

(1735–1778), served as the first

President of Pennsylvania The governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is the head of state and head of government of the U.S. state, Pennsylvania, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, as well as commander-in-chief of the Commonwealth's Pennsylvania National Guard, military ...

(an office akin to

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

) following the

Declaration of Independence A declaration of independence or declaration of statehood or proclamation of independence is an assertion by a polity in a defined territory that it is independent and constitutes a state. Such places are usually declared from part or all of th ...

* William H. Whyte (1917–1999), urbanist and sociologist who coined the term "

groupthink Groupthink is a psychological phenomenon that occurs within a group of people in which the desire for harmony or conformity in the group results in an irrational or dysfunctional decision-making outcome. Cohesiveness, or the desire for cohesiveness ...

" and wrote '' The Organization Man'' bestselling book on management * James P. Wickersham (1825–1891), principal of Millersville State Normal School, state school superintendent, and

chargé d'affaires A ''chargé d'affaires'' (), plural ''chargés d'affaires'', often shortened to ''chargé'' (French) and sometimes in colloquial English to ''charge-D'', is a diplomat who serves as an embassy's chief of mission in the absence of the ambassado ...

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark , establish ...

Hugh Williamson Hugh Williamson (December 5, 1735 – May 22, 1819) was an American Founding Father, physician, and politician. He is best known as a signatory to the U.S. Constitution, and for representing North Carolina at the Constitutional Convention. W ...

(1735–1819), Founding Father, signatory of the U.S. Constitution, and US representative from North Carolina * William (Amos) Wilson (1762–1821), folklore figure known as "The Pennsylvania Hermit" *

Andrew Wyeth Andrew Newell Wyeth ( ; July 12, 1917 – January 16, 2009) was an American visual artist, primarily a realist painter, working predominantly in a regionalist style. He was one of the best-known U.S. artists of the middle 20th century. In his ...

(1917–2009), artist * Jamie Wyeth (born 1946), artist * N.C. Wyeth (1882–1945), artist and illustrator

References

External links

Chester County Home PageChester County Government Meeting Minutes and local news at TownWatcherChester County Press Newspapers & MagazinesCollection of Chester County Quaker property records and other manuscripts
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Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College
{{Authority control 1682 establishments in Pennsylvania Populated places established in 1682

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