Chester County Archives and Records Services

Chester County Archives and Records Services Created in 1982, the Chester County Archives was established to preserve and make available the historic records of Chester County.

📍Our exhibit, “Forged in Freedom: Chester County at 250” is now on display at the Brandywine Valley Tourism Welcome Cent...
06/04/2026

📍Our exhibit, “Forged in Freedom: Chester County at 250” is now on display at the Brandywine Valley Tourism Welcome Center, Chester County Library Exton , and Honey Brook Community Library!

Stay up to date on the Archives’ America250 programs by visiting our events page: https://www.chesco.org/5383/Events

In May 1830, Parke Dennis, who was enslaved by a farmer in Delaware, fled to Chester County. Though he reached Pennsylva...
06/01/2026

In May 1830, Parke Dennis, who was enslaved by a farmer in Delaware, fled to Chester County. Though he reached Pennsylvania’s “free” soil, his freedom was short-lived. He was captured, brought before a Chester County judge, and forced back into bo***ge. His story was not unique.

While slavery was largely abolished in Pennsylvania by the early 1800s, freedom was far from guaranteed for those who crossed the Delaware-Pennsylvania border. Still, thousands fled to Pennsylvania in pursuit of liberty.

Join us on June 18th at 12pm for our virtual program “Across State Lines: Slavery and Freedom on the Delaware-Pennsylvania Border.” Archivists from the Chester County Archives and the Delaware Public Archives will examine records from our collections that highlight the powerful stories of Delaware’s freedom seekers, and the legal systems that sought to keep them in bo***ge.

Learn more and register on the Chester County History Center’s TicketTailor page at https://www.tickettailor.com/events/chestercountyhistorycenter/2176249

What was childhood like in nineteenth-century Chester County?Through poorhouse records, orphans’ court proceedings, tax ...
05/29/2026

What was childhood like in nineteenth-century Chester County?

Through poorhouse records, orphans’ court proceedings, tax records, and commissioners’ minutes, the lives of two girls emerge from the archives. Bound together by place but divided by social standing, their stories reveal the precarious and often tragic realities faced by many children in the 1800s.

Explore how public records preserve the experiences of Chester County’s most vulnerable residents in our project, "A Tale of Two Orphans" at https://arcg.is/nefj11.

The Chester County Archives holds Will & Administration files dating from 1714 to 1923, but before 1848 the voices of ma...
05/24/2026

The Chester County Archives holds Will & Administration files dating from 1714 to 1923, but before 1848 the voices of married women are largely absent. Under laws in place prior to the "Married Women's Property Act" of 1848, married women generally could not write legally recognized wills, leaving a gap in the historical record.

Explore how Chester County women were affected in the Archives’ project, "A Will of One’s Own" at https://arcg.is/1XHaz81.

We are honored to have our records featured in “Becoming America in West Chester,” the newest exhibit on display at West...
05/22/2026

We are honored to have our records featured in “Becoming America in West Chester,” the newest exhibit on display at West Chester University’s Museum of Anthropology & Archaeology. Curated by WCU Museum Studies students, the exhibition tells the story of West Chester’s development. Among the Archives’ records included is Phinneaus Eachus’ Tavern Petition for Turks Head Tavern, which was filed with the County in 1762. You may also spot the 1799 Petition that officially established the Borough of West Chester. Or take a look at an entry from our Depredation Book, which offers an account of property that was plundered by the British during the Philadelphia Campaign.

“Becoming America in West Chester” will be on display until December 31, 2027 in the Old Library Atrium Gallery.

Discover the story of Rebecca Webb Pennock Lukens through the records that shaped her life."Her Iron Will: The Life of R...
05/18/2026

Discover the story of Rebecca Webb Pennock Lukens through the records that shaped her life.

"Her Iron Will: The Life of Rebecca Webb Pennock Lukens," a new ArcGIS StoryMap, explores the life of one of Chester County’s most prominent nineteenth-century figures through probate records preserved at the Archives. Wills, inventories, court proceedings, and estate accounts reveal more than the end of a life. They uncover family relationships, inheritance disputes, personal obligations, and moments of loss and resilience. Through these records, Rebecca Lukens emerges not only as an ironmaster and industrialist, but also as a daughter, widow, mother, and heir navigating promises, hardship, and family conflict.

From contested inheritances to carefully crafted final wishes, "Her Iron Will" traces how Rebecca transformed uncertainty into lasting resolve.

Explore the project at https://arcg.is/1Oym400.

Join us for an in-person program on Thursday, May 28 at 6 p.m., presented in partnership with the Chester County Library...
05/15/2026

Join us for an in-person program on Thursday, May 28 at 6 p.m., presented in partnership with the Chester County Library. Discover the basics of genealogy research using resources available at both the Chester County Archives and the Chester County Library. Learn more about the program and register at https://ccls.libcal.com/event/16408573.

Did you know that ironworking in early Chester County was largely a women’s business? You may recognize Anna and Rebecca...
05/11/2026

Did you know that ironworking in early Chester County was largely a women’s business? You may recognize Anna and Rebecca Nutt, who operated the Coventry and Warwick furnaces, or Rebecca Lukens, who inherited the Lukens Steel Mill. But Janet Graham McConnaughy is a lesser-known figure. Her husband, Robert McConnaughy, built the Springton Forge in 1765. When Robert died in 1776, the forge, and his vast land holdings in West Nantmeal, was inherited by their son, James. In 1779, tragedy once again struck the McConnaughy Family. James passed away. In his will he “appointed my dear Mother as sole heir to the remainder of my estate to use in her lifetime.” Janet was suddenly the Owner and Proprietor of a well-to-do forge. She also owned the grist and sawmill, which her husband had also built. It appears that these businesses were a boon for the family. When Janet passed away in 1780, her estate was worth nearly £120, which is equal to about $30,000 today.

We were honored to join our colleagues from the Delaware Public Archives at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Archives Conferenc...
05/08/2026

We were honored to join our colleagues from the Delaware Public Archives at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Archives Conference last week! Our very own Assistant Archivist, Maureen Iplenski, teamed up with Dana Niemeyer and Maria Meyer to discuss our ongoing efforts to build community through America250 .

📍Our exhibit, “Forged in Freedom: Chester County at 250” is now on display at Springton Manor Farm and the Oxford Librar...
05/03/2026

📍Our exhibit, “Forged in Freedom: Chester County at 250” is now on display at Springton Manor Farm and the Oxford Library!

Stay up to date on the Archives’ America250 programs by visiting our events page: https://www.chesco.org/5383/Events

Address

601 Westtown Road, Suite 080
West Chester, PA
19380

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 4pm
Tuesday 9am - 4pm
Wednesday 9am - 4pm
Thursday 9am - 4pm
Friday 9am - 4pm

Telephone

+16103446760

Website

https://www.instagram.com/chestercountyarchives/

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