Historic
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NPR Used Parkesburg to Put 9/11 Impact in Perspective for the Nation
On the 22nd anniversary of the terrorist attacks that shook our nation to its core, VISTA Today uncovered this gem from the archives of National Public Radio, which profiled Parkesburg two months after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attack. All Things Considered host Noah Adams visited the Western Chester County borough – population about 3,500,…
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Willow Grove Amusement Park Captivated Generations of Guests
For 80 years, the Willow Grove Amusement Park delighted residents and was a beloved destination for families and thrill-seekers, reports Trending Stories. The park site in the town of Willow Grove, now occupied by the Willow Grove Mall, opened in 1896 and stayed around until it closed permanently in 1975. There was no entry fee…
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Tattered Piece of Cloth Found at Goodwill That Turned Out to Be Historic Now Displayed at Philly Museum
Richard “Dana” Moore, a digger and amateur collector, first ran into a listing for a scrap of fabric claiming to be a piece of George Washington’s Revolutionary War tent while going through Goodwill’s listing of historic documents two years ago, writes Peter Crimmins for WHYY. “There was no proof,” said the Virginia man. “There was…
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Kennett Underground Railroad Tour Reveals Area’s Stories of Struggle and Liberation
In acknowledgment of Juneteenth, the Kennett Underground Railroad tour on June 16 focused on the Underground Railroad and the abolition movements, writes Gabbie Burton for the Chester County Press. Through five featured stops at historic landmarks, the Kennett Underground Railroad Center revealed stories of struggle and liberation. The immersive and historical experience was led by…
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Thomas S. Bell Was One of West Chester’s Favorite Sons Who Died During Battle of Antietam
Lt. Col. Thomas S. Bell, one of West Chester’s favorite sons who died during the Battle of Antietam, was one of the few who received a proper burial, writes Mark E. Dixon for Main Line Today. Bell was the son and namesake of a prominent local judge. He was raised in a house at Church…
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Former N.C. Wyeth Property in Chadds Ford Set to Become a Public Preserve in 2025
The former Chadds Ford home of N.C. Wyeth is about to be preserved, writes staff for Chadds Ford Live. Wyeth worked on the Treasure Island illustration on the property, which is known as the Joseph Davis Tract. The Davis Tract House was originally built in 1725. N.C. Wyeth and his family lived in the home…
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These Two Bucks County Buildings are Older Than Pennsylvania Itself
As the place where the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution were signed, Pennsylvania is home to many buildings that were built long before it became a state in 1787, including several in Bucks County, writes Kalena Thomhave for The Keystone. Court Inn in Newtown is among the oldest buildings in Bucks County. When…
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Local WWII Veteran Returns to Normandy Eight Decades After D-Day Invasion
World War II veteran Jake Ruser, one of the last heroes of Normandy, returned to France on the 80th anniversary of D-Day, write Esther Castillejo, Eric Noll, Robert Henault, and Joanne Rosa for ABC News. The trip was part of a five-year journey by ABC News‘ World News Tonight anchor David Muir and his team…
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15 Black Civil War Veterans were Honored at a Ceremony in Downtown West Chester
For the first time in over a century, the United States Colored Troops veterans, who were buried in unmarked graves in an abandoned cemetery, were honored, writes staff for The Times of Chester County. On May 25, a ceremony was held on the courthouse steps in downtown West Chester to honor 15 Black Civil War…
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Chester County Announces 30th Annual Town Tours & Village Walks Program
Chester County Commissioners Josh Maxwell, Marian Moskowitz, and Eric Roe release details of the 2024 Town Tours & Village Walks program, kicking-off at the Chester County History Center in West Chester on Thursday evening, June 6. Celebrating its 30th year, the Chester County Town Tours & Village Walks program is a highly anticipated series that…
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Amateur Historians Working on Preserving Abandoned Black Cemetery in Westtown Township
Westtown Township is among the growing number of places across the nation where amateur historians and others are working on preserving abandoned and neglected Black cemeteries, write Gail Guterl and Stephen Lyons for The Philadelphia Inquirer. The township has a half-acre cemetery on a suburban road that is currently unrecognizable as a burial ground. But…
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Lower Makefield Community Debates Demolition of Historic 1750s Farmhouse
Residents of Lower Makefield are expressing concerns about a proposal to potentially demolish a historic farmhouse from the 1750’s, writes Dino Ciliberti for The Patch. The property in question is a manor home located on 3.6 wooded acres across from the Community Center on Oxford Valley Road. This issue was a topic for discussion…
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These Historic Houses in Bucks County Are More Than Worth a Visit
Many gorgeous historic houses in Bucks County stand as landmarks to ages past amid new development and as such are worth exploring, writes Jeff Werner for the Patch. Tyler Mansion in Newtown Township was built in the 1930s for George and Stella Elkins Tyler. It is the grandest home ever constructed in Bucks County and…
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Mercer Museum to Open New Major Exhibition About The Doan Gang: Outlaws of the Revolution
The Doan Gang: Outlaws of the Revolution is a highly anticipated new exhibition that will open at Mercer Museum on May 4, according to a staff report from The Island 360. The exhibition will be on view in the museum’s Martin & Warwick Foundation Galleries until Dec. 31, 2026. A special Members-Only Preview Day will…
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Gravestone Conservator Honors History of Har Hasetim Cemetery in Gladwyne
Gravestone conservator Joe Ferrannini has been helping preserve the Har Hasetim, a historic Jewish cemetery in Gladwyne, for the past seven years, writes Josh Sanders for CBS News Philadelphia. The Har Hasetim was founded in the 1890s by several Jewish burial societies. It had its last burial in 1945. “I view Har Hasetim as a…
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A Pennsylvania Ghost Town: What Happened to Frick’s Lock?
Frick’s Lock used to be a quaint village located in East Coventry Township, but now it’s a ghost town, writes staff for Atlas Obscura. In the early 1800s, next to the Schuylkill Canal, Frick’s Lock was created to build a town around the canal’s commercial waterways. The tiny community survived primarily on business generated by…
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Secrets of Quakertown: Inside the Hidden Rosicrucian Pyramids
Believe it or not— there are pyramids in Bucks County, but not for public viewing. Known as the Rosicrucian pyramids, these structures sit in a meditation garden in Quakertown on private property, according to a report from Atlas Obscura. The Fraternita Rosae Crucis, a secret society found by a doctor and occultist in 1858,…
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Immerse Yourself in the Past to Understand the Future at These Chester County Historic Sites
Filled with experiences of the past, these Chester County historic sites give insight into how our ancestors lived and how we celebrate their culture through visiting them, writes Gina Lizzo for Main Line Today. While there are dozens of museums, houses, and gardens to visit in the area to see some history, be sure to…
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