Chester County Day, the longest-running historic home tour in the country, has so much to offer in the way of history, architecture, and interior design.
This year’s event is set for Saturday, Oct. 5 from 10 AM-5 PM.
A project of the 126-year-old Women’s Auxiliary to Chester County Hospital, “The Day,” as it is affectionately called, has raised more than $5 million for the hospital. The 2018 tour alone earned $135,000.
Proceeds from this year’s tour will benefit the Women’s Auxiliary’s “Heart to Heart” pledge, which will provide funding for the expansion of the arrhythmia treatment program at Chester County Hospital.
This year, the Day – sponsored by Otto’s BMW, The Quaker City Foundation, the medical staff at Chester County Hospital, and others – includes a tour of homes and public structures/historic sites in the southeast quadrant, including Westtown, Glen Mills, Willistown, Malvern, and Berwyn.
Every Chester County Day begins with a (no kill) fox hunt. The 2019 event will be held at Radnor Hunt in Malvern – complete with hounds, horses, and horns – and will set off promptly at 9 AM. Guests can begin their tour of this year’s selected properties at 10 AM.
The 2019 Day celebrates the traditional, distinctive architecture of Chester County with a strong emphasis on history. There is a beautifully restored 1723 home in Glen Mills, built by the Hoopes family who first settled in this area in 1697. The family lived in the original, much-smaller structure with their 17 children. Since then, the house has been renovated inside while keeping its history and distinctive architectural features intact.
Also, in Glen Mills, the Day will feature the 4,600-square-foot Squire Cheyney house, which has Revolutionary War history ties. Completely restored in 2014, the house and barn maintain their traditional stone exteriors with all the modern amenities for today’s lifestyle inside.
From the same era as the Squire Cheyney home is a house in Westtown on a property once owned by the Shippen family, who were Loyalists during the American Revolution. Their niece married traitor Benedict Arnold. This house not only has a Revolutionary War connection, but also a strong connection to the Civil War, with a great local love story from that era. Another Georgian-style Westtown home you won’t want to miss is rumored to have been part of the Underground Railroad, with a tunnel from a nearby creek to the house.
Collections and history grace a Cape Cod-style home in Berwyn on 12 acres. Art, pottery, and antique maps add to the light, airy additions made over the years to this beautiful house not far from the fox hunt.
Day VIP ticketholders will have an exclusive tour of an 1830 Greek Revival mansion on seven acres, with many special features, including a pool house, machine shop, barn, tennis courts, and magnificent clock tower. This house was recently restored and is only open to VIP ticketholders.
Before you start your tour, pre-order a boxed lunch from Arianna’s Gourmet Café. Your order will be available for pick up at one of two lunch stops on the tour route or can be picked up at the fox hunt until 11 AM. Click here for details.
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