The Westtown Township Historical Commission (HC) was created in March, 2013, and consists of seven residents appointed by the Board of Supervisors. (Township Code section 170-2400) The purpose of the Historical Commission is to foster a community appreciation of the rich and varied history of the Township. This includes educating residents about lands, buildings, and sites of historic, architectural, archaeological, or cultural significance and the people who worked, farmed, and lived in Westtown Township.
The Historical Commission meets at 7:00 PM on the second Tuesday of each month. All meetings are open to the public.
EVENTS
2024 Saturday Morning Lecture Series
Westtown Township building – Stokes Hall
All lectures start at 10:00 AM
April 27 – West Chester historian Malcolm Johnstone will present “Lincoln and His West Chester Connection.” The first biography of Abraham Lincoln was printed in West Chester and it was instrumental in his winning the Republican nomination for president in 1860. Come hear how and why this Lincoln connection with West Chester was accomplished.
June 22 – Westtown Historical Commission will present a “Brief History of Westtown Township: From Farmland to Suburbia.” From its founding in 1685, within William Penn’s colony, to the present, Westtown Township has been home to colorful characters, historic happenings, and wonderful old structures. Come learn about the interesting stories in Westtown’s history.
Sept. 7 – Author and historian Bruce Mowday will talk about “Gen. Lafayette at the Battle of Brandywine.” The young Lafayette got his first taste of battle, and a wound, at the Battle of Brandywine, Sept. 11, 1777 in nearby Thornbury Township. Learn how the battle informed Lafayette’s character and usefulness to General George Washington and contributed to his heroic status in the fight for American Independence.
Nov. 9 – Westtown Historical Commission will present “Darlington Corners: Westtown’s Historic Crossroads Village.” Discover the businesses and people who lived and worked in Darlington’s Corners at the intersection of Street Road and Wilmington Pike. Now largely demolished for modern purposes and Rte. 202 widening, this village was once the heart of Westtown Township.
Good Stewardship Award 2024
This year’s recipient are the owner’s of 1119 Chateau Drive, James and Frances Lees. The original part of their stone farmhouse was built in 1718. The Lees received recognition for the preservation of their house, and were awarded a plaque at Westtown Day on October 6.
Updated Westtown History Book is available now – HERE
Westtown Township is not large in area compared to other municipalities in Chester County, but it has a history that is rich beyond its size. From the Lenni Lenape to William Penn, the Revolutionary War and the Battle of Brandywine, to fox hunting, transportation arteries, industry, farming, mining, and interesting people – Westtown’s story spans 335 colorful years. As a group of passionate history buffs, the Westtown Township Historical commissioners realized we needed to put our research down on paper. Using a wonderful 59-page history published in 1973 by township resident Arthur James as its foundation, the commission added and added and added more facts as we learned them. While the 275-page history we present here will continue to be updated, we wanted to share it with you hoping you will enjoy reading it as much as we have enjoyed researching it. Hardcopies are available at the Westtown Township building at our printing cost of $30 each.
The Historical Commission invites those who lived or worked in Westtown prior to 1960 to share stories, photographs, anecdotes, and remembrances of life in our community more than fifty years ago. These will be shared and stored in the Township archives to further educate present and future residents on the Township’s rich and diverse past. If you have any information you would like to share regarding any aspect of Westtown’s history or have any comments on this history please contact us at historical@westtown.org.
Historic Resources Map
The Westtown Township Historical Commission maintains the Township Historic Resources Map that identifies locations and classifications of historic resources in the Township. The list of resources was vetted by an independent professional architectural historian, and unanimously approved by the Board of Supervisors.
The purpose of the map is to:
- Officially recognize various properties as a Historic Resource.
- Further the mission and purpose of the Historical Commission by increasing public awareness of the historic resources present throughout Westtown.
- Require a thirty (30) day Historical Commission review period from the submission of a building permit application for exterior alterations and/or demolition. This gives the Historical Commission an opportunity to request permission to document and/or photograph the property prior to the start of construction and/or demolition. If the owner of a historic resource declines such access, it will not affect the issuance of the building permit.
Historic Resources Map Update (Revised 02-01-2021)
Brandywine Battlefield Heritage Interpretation Plan
Westtown Township is participating in the Brandywine Battlefield Heritage Interpretation Plan, a multi-municipal plan to help interpret the Battle of Brandywine across seven communities and two counties. The project will focus on advancing the implementation of three new heritage centers and a network of smaller scale sites within the eastern portion of the Battlefield. Together, this network of historic places will help tell the story of the Battle of Brandywine and highlight the unique heritage of local communities. The project team includes planners and experts from the Brandywine Conservancy and Miller Designworks. Funding provided in part by the Chester County Planning Commission Vision Partnership Program. Participating communities include: Birmingham Township, East Bradford Township, Westtown Township, Thornbury Township, Chadds Ford Township, Pennsbury Township, and Kennett Township.
The final draft of the plan has been published! Click here to view the plan and learn more about this exciting effort:
https://www.brandywine.org/conservancy/brandywine-battlefield-heritage-interpretation-plan
Historic Subdivisions and Neighborhoods
The Township has worked with Brandywine Conservancy to develop a map of historic neighborhoods for community’s interest. The map depicts subdivisions’ given names and boundaries as appeared on the approved and recorded land development plans.
