Historic
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Woman Responsible for Mother’s Day Died in West Chester Despising What Holiday Had Become
Anna Jarvis, whom many credit with creating Mother’s Day, died in Marshall Square Sanitarium in West Chester despising what the holiday had become, writes Patricia Madej for the Philadelphia Inquirer. Jarvis’s goal was to create a national celebration that recognizes all the hard work done by mothers. “The purpose of Mother’s Day,” said Jarvis in…
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Mother’s Day Has Local Roots. Get to Know the Woman Who Invented It, and Why She Hated It
Historian Taylor Schmalz is reminding all of us this Mother’s Day of the woman who started the holiday over a century ago and later despised what it became. But she’s painting its founder in a brighter light, writes Elizabeth Wellington for The Philadelphia Inquirer. Schmalz is a director at Historic St. George’s Museum and Archives,…
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How Horses Shape Chester County History from Past to Present
From wartime travels to present day races, Chester County horses make up a vital part of the region’s history, writes Kim Andrews for County Lines Magazine. Beginning over two centuries ago during the Revolutionary War, horses played an invaluable role in transporting troops across the country. Locally, in the historic Battle of Brandywine, horses transported…
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The Revolution Happened Here: 10 Philadelphia Area Battles That Shaped the Fight for Independence
Before the world called it the American Revolution, it began right here along the Delaware River, across the rolling farms of Chester County, and in the cobblestoned streets of Philadelphia. From Brandywine River to Germantown, the British Army and General Washington’s American forces fought for control of a region that would determine the fate of…
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Washington’s Army Left Them Behind. Nearly 250 Years Later, Archaeologists Found Them.
When the Continental Army packed up Valley Forge and headed on toward victory in the Revolutionary War, a stash of bayonets was left behind. Almost 250 years later, a group of archaeologists was also about to pack up and head out, but this time they didn’t leave the bayonets behind. The rare historical find almost…
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Why Benjamin Franklin Chose Philadelphia: How a Boston Childhood Led Him to America’s Greatest Colonial City
Benjamin Franklin’s story usually begins with the famous scenes: the lightning rod, the Pennsylvania Gazette, the founding of the American Philosophical Society, or the long table at the Second Continental Congress where he sparred with John Adams and later helped shape the Declaration of Independence. But the story really starts much earlier, in a cramped…
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The Story of an Unsung Revolutionary War Hero at Valley Forge
The history of nearby Valley Forge is incomplete without recognizing under-recognized hero Friedrich von Steuben, writes Richard Bell for Smithsonian Magazine. The Prussian military captain is one of Chester County’s many historical ties to the Revolutionary War. With his established military background, Steuben was recruited to train the Continental Army after recommendations from Benjamin Franklin…
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Historic Chester Springs Landmark Restored for New Milling Demonstrations
A set of wheat stones used for grinding flour has been restored at The Mill at Anselma, bringing new demonstrations to the 18th-century landmark, writes Michaela Althouse for PhillyVoice. In 1747, The Mill at Anselma was constructed in Chester Springs as a water-powered grain mill. Initially, nearby farmers used the mill to grind their own…
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2026 VISTA NextGen Superstars: Tim Compton
For Tim Compton, creativity and curiosity are at the core of both his career and the communities he serves. As Executive Director of Historic Yellow Springs, Compton leads efforts to grow programming, expand community engagement, and explore the intersection of history, environment, and the arts. His role spans everything from developing new initiatives and managing…
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‘Buried at a Critical Time in Our Country’s History,’ Four Revolutionary War-Era Cannons Unearthed in Glenmoore
Four massive Revolutionary War-era cannons that were cast at historic Warwick Furnace have been unearthed by the French & Pickering Creeks Conservation Trust from the Thomas P. Bentley Nature Preserve, according to a report from the Daily Local News. “During the 1777 British advance on Philadelphia, cannons cast at Warwick were buried in the fields…
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A Look Back at How a Devon Native Became the Third Person to Walk on the Moon
While no astronauts on Artemis II tout Philly-area roots, a look back at aerospace history reveals that Chester County native Pete Conrad played an important role in early space exploration, writes Michaela Althouse for PhillyVoice. A crew member of Apollo 12, Conrad became the third person to set foot on the moon in November 1969.…
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Immaculata’s ‘Mighty Macs’ Shaped Women’s Basketball with Championship Titles
The Mighty Macs of Immaculata University played an unforgettable role in the history of women’s basketball, reports Nikki DeMentri for CBS News Philadelphia. The Macs, Immaculata’s women’s basketball team, won the first-ever women’s national basketball championship in 1972 with their AIAW championship win. After breaking ground with this historic victory, the team repeated the feat…
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History of Groundbreaking Soft Drink Has Chester County Written All Over It
Bill Double, who cut his teeth as a journalist at the Coatesville Record in the late 1960s, has written a book on the history of Hires Root Beer, the groundbreaking beverage with ties to the Main Line, writes J.F. Pirro for Main Line Today. According to Double, author of Charles E. Hires and the Drink…
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How George Washington’s Brandywine Headquarters Became a National Treasure
The Ring House, later known as Washington’s Headquarters, played a pivotal role in the Battle of Brandywine on Sept. 11, 1777, writes Tori Grubb for Pennsylvania Heritage. As George Washington prepared to defend, he and his troops established a strategic command center at the home of Quaker Benjamin Ring. Ring and his neighbors endured severe…
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History of Irish Immigrants Marked in Malvern by Twin Brothers
Twin brothers William and Frank Watson have always been involved in history and the past, but their most recent expedition was personal due to their Irish heritage, writes Matteo Iadonisi for 6ABC. Through documentation from their grandfather, who was a Pennsylvania railroad executive, they learned of 57 Irish immigrants who traveled to America in June…
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Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Fox & Roach Named Premier Sponsor of Valley Forge America250 and Park’s 50th Anniversary Celebrations
A historic year is coming to one of the Delaware Valley’s most important Revolutionary War landmarks. In 2026, Valley Forge National Historical Park will host a year of events marking two milestones. The nation’s 250th birthday and the 50th anniversary of Valley Forge becoming a national park. Helping bring those celebrations to life is a…
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Even Abraham Lincoln Has a Connection to Wawa. Find Out How
There honestly is an Abraham Lincoln Wawa connection and to find it, you have to learn out more about the Wood family, the folks that started Wawa, writes Dan Seitz for Mashed. From the iron foundry that was started by David Wood in 1803, to the Wawa dairy farm opened in 1902, to the convenience…
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Philadelphia Couple Dig Up 300-Year-Old Outhouses, Unearthing Treasures and History
Matt and Melissa Dunphy, a husband-and-wife team, are part of a small group of amateur archeologists digging up 300-year-old Philadelphia outhouses to uncover historic artifacts, writes Jeanne Erickson for the New York Post. Their excavations have uncovered glass bottles, pottery shards, and a variety of household items discarded by residents into privies. Some of these…
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