Virtual Book Discussion – How to Be An Anti-Racist

Join Chester County History Center's thought-provoking history book discussions and connect with others in the community. Antiracism is a transformative concept that reorients and reenergizes the conversation about racism—and, even more fundamentally, points us toward liberating new ways of thinking about ourselves and each other. Racism intersects with class and culture and geography and even […]

The Story of Philadelphia’s Chinatown

Dr. Cecilia Chien explores the history of Asian Americans in Philadelphia from the 1800s to the present. There are myriad Asian American communities. They differ in country of origin, ethnicity, language, class, religion, gender, and more. From the colonial era to the present, generations of Asian immigrants and their American-born descendants have transformed the face […]

‘Don’t Forget the Ladies’: A Genealogist’s Guide to Women and the Law

In early America, women were all too often the people who just weren’t there: not in the records, not in the censuses, not on juries, not in the voting booth. The common law relegated women to “protected” – second-class – status, and understanding how they were treated under the law provides clues to finding their […]

Fierce Women of West Chester – Walking Tour

Women make up half of the population, yet their stories have often been neglected, excluded, or marginalized in public memory. West Chester, long the center of battles for equality and civil rights, has been home to several trailblazing women who left an indelible mark on the history of law, abolition, suffrage, education, politics and science. […]

Fierce Women of West Chester – Walking Tour

Women make up half of the population, yet their stories have often been neglected, excluded, or marginalized in public memory. West Chester, long the center of battles for equality and civil rights, has been home to several trailblazing women who left an indelible mark on the history of law, abolition, suffrage, education, politics and science. […]

Fierce Women of West Chester – Walking Tour

Women make up half of the population, yet their stories have often been neglected, excluded, or marginalized in public memory. West Chester, long the center of battles for equality and civil rights, has been home to several trailblazing women who left an indelible mark on the history of law, abolition, suffrage, education, politics and science. […]

Fierce Women of West Chester – Walking Tour

Women make up half of the population, yet their stories have often been neglected, excluded, or marginalized in public memory. West Chester, long the center of battles for equality and civil rights, has been home to several trailblazing women who left an indelible mark on the history of law, abolition, suffrage, education, politics and science. […]

Chats from the Stacks: The 1777 Chester County Property Atlas

Explore and discuss the Chester County Archive's award-winning Chester County Property Atlas with those who created it! In 2020, the Chester County Archives staff unveiled their award-winning 1777 Chester County Property Atlas. This project highlights property owners, roads, and notable sites of interests (mills, taverns, places of worship, etc.) in existence in September 1777 during […]

National History Day!

CCHC will be closed April 1 and 2 while hosting the regional National History Day contest!

National History Day!

CCHC will be closed April 1 and 2 while hosting the regional National History Day contest!

A Lenape Among the Quakers: The Life of Hannah Freeman

Wednesday, April 13, 2022 7:00pm-8:00pm via Zoom On July 28, 1797, an elderly Lenape woman stood before the newly appointed almsman of Pennsylvania’s Chester County and delivered a brief account of her life. In a sad irony, Hannah Freeman was establishing her residency—a claim that paved the way for her removal to the poorhouse. Ultimately, […]

For the Union: Launching Lincoln’s Quest for the Presidency in Chester County

The book "For the Union" tells the story of how Quaker abolition, a hanging, a slave riot, and a newspaper in West Chester helped launch Abraham Lincoln's presidential campaign in 1860. The first biography of the presidential candidate was published at what is now known as the Lincoln Building in downtown West Chester. It ultimately […]