West Chester

Bruce E. Mowday, Melissa A. Mowday

• Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
• Year: 2016
• Print ISBN: 9781467123822
• eBook ISBN: 9781439657850
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: North American History
• Index: History

West Chester is a thriving modern American town that honors its historic past and has become a sought-after location to live. First known as Turks Head, the town was a frequent stop for travelers before the American Revolution. Later, Abraham Lincoln's first campaign biography was printed in the town. West Chester is the seat of government for Chester County, one of the most affluent and best governed counties in the nation. West Chester and the county have been named repeatedly by a myriad of national publications as one of the top places to live, work, and raise a family in the United States. The community offers many exciting events during the year, including a professional bicycle race, parades, and art and restaurant festivals. West Chester's famous residents include composer Samuel Barber and artist Horace Pippin.

One

COMMUNITY

The heart of any community is its residents. In West Chester, community groups put on many events to support cultural and business organizations. This fashion show was a promotional event for downtown merchants in 2006. The Fashion Masquerade, with models in masked costumes, celebrated high fashion in West Chester. (Courtesy of the West Chester Business Improvement District.)

Downtown West Chester has become a destination for residents living in the borough, those residing in nearby towns, and visitors from afar. West Chester holds a number of public events, including Swinging Summer Thursdays, on its streets. Crowds usually jam the streets, which are closed to traffic. (Courtesy of the West Chester Business Improvement District.)

West Chester dates to before the American Revolution, when the village was named Turk’s Head. The name came from a tavern. The town’s main streets includes High and Market Streets. They are shown in this photograph taken from the F&M Building, the first skyscraper in the suburban Philadelphia area. (Courtesy of the West Chester Business Improvement District.)

The West Chester Area Senior Center has been serving residents of the area for more than 40 years. The senior center offers many services, including health and wellness, computer training, and education. The organization strives to enrich the lives of seniors through friendship, activities, education, and nourishment. The center has become a meeting place for thousands of seniors and younger members of the community. Some meals are offered at a low cost to the public. The senior center relies on volunteers to keep the operation functioning. During a recent year, 565 volunteers donated more than 28,000 volunteer hours. (Both, courtesy of Ray Doyle.)

One of the goals of the West Chester Area Senior Center is to provide a healthy environment for its members. Since 2008, the senior center has been conducting a Great Race for its members and for community residents. Participants can either do a 5K or mile run or walk. While the event raises funds to help keep the senior center operational during the year, the run also meets the organization’s goals of enriching lives through friendship and activities. Young and older members of the community take part in the Great Race every year, with many families and groups participating each year. (Both, courtesy of Ray Doyle.)

West Chester has a manufacturing tradition that dates to the 19th century. Row houses were constructed in 1856 by Simon Barnard, a local businessman, builder, realtor, and political activist. Barnard was also active in the antislavery cause, as was the Quaker community in West Chester. Barnard constructed homes in the 100 block of East Washington Street for community workers. The homes featured fenestration, side passages, exposed brick walling, and cornices. Over the years, the homes of Simon Barnard Row have been well kept and extra touches, including backyard gardens, have been added. The plaque is from the West Chester Board of Historical Review. (Both, photograph by Bruce E. Mowday.)

West Chester takes every opportunity to connect with its past, especially during holiday celebrations during the Christmas season. For those wishing to go back in time to experience the pleasure of transportation in the 1800s, horse-drawn carriages are offered for a ride through Victorian West Chester. Old-Fashioned Christmas activities are part of West Chester during the first weekend in December, including special events and a Christmas parade, where thousands jam West Chester streets to see Santa and area personalities. USA Today called West Chester’s Old-Fashioned Christmas celebration one of the top 10 places to experience the arrival of Santa. (Both, courtesy of the West Chester Business Improvement District.)

Parks play an important part in the community life of West Chester. Celebrations and festivals are held in the larger parks, while smaller ones are used by children of all ages. Everhart Park is shown in the above photograph. The park was donated to West Chester in 1905 by Dr. Isaiah Everhart and provides a dog run, children’s playground, walking paths, and picnic areas. The photograph below shows Marshall Square Park. The park, inspired by Washington Square Park, Philadelphia, was first developed as an arboretum for botanical research. In 1848, it became a public park named after Humphrey Marshall, a local farmer who was one of America’s first botanists. (Above, courtesy of Ray Doyle; below, photograph by Bruce E. Mowday.)

West Chester–area parks are utilized by many youth, adult, and senior groups. For decades, the West Chester Adult Baseball League has played games at Hoopes Park throughout the spring and summer months. Participants have included many college and top amateur players over the years. The league was founded in 1956 by Charlie Fryer. Games from the Brandywine Valley Senior Softball Association are shown on this page. The league is registered with the Amateur Softball Association. The players are at least 60 years old, and the games give them an opportunity play quality, competitive, recreational slow-pitch softball. Game are held April through July. (Both, courtesy of Ray...

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication
• Table of Contents
• Acknowledgments
• Introduction
• 1. Community
• 2. Businesses
• 3. Events
• 4. Places
• 5. West Chester University
• 6. Scenes