'Tis the season--for creating wonderful crafts to give as gifts or hang in a special place at home! CCHC staff will guide visitors through the history and meaning of historic crafts (like tin punching) and children can make their own unique treasure to keep for themselves, or gift to a loved one. Tickets include all-day […]
Throughout time, clothing has revealed a great deal about who we are. In the early 1800s, clothing in Chester County represented individual identity, personal choice, and place within the community. People here had access to global trends through Philadelphia and other regional ports. They accepted or rejected fashion styles based on what they could afford, […]
Born in Philadelphia, Thomas U. Walter was internationally renowned in the mid 1800s, rising to the position of architect of the U.S. Capitol from 1851 to 1865, during which time the current dome was added. While his work spanned the globe, he designed a number of buildings in West Chester during his career, including the […]
Dr. Cheryl Renée Gooch, author of Hinsonville’s Heroes: Black Civil War Soldiers of Chester County, Pennsylvania (The History Press), traces the stories of 18 residents of Hinsonville, a free black community in southeast Pennsylvania, who fought for the Union Army during the American Civil War. The former 19th century village of Hinsonville near Lincoln University […]
Take an in-depth look at the oldest record preserved at the Chester County Archives and learn about its significance over 340 years. On February 14, 1683, local residents assembled at the House of Defense for their regular court session. When the court clerk, Thomas Revell, opened the court docket, however, he did something a little […]
Author Eugene L. Meyer tells the story of Osborne Perry Anderson, a native of Chester County, who joined with abolitionist John Brown in an ill-fated raid on Harpers Ferry in October 1859 to seize its federal arsenal, incite a slave rebellion, and end slavery. Anderson was one of five African Americans soldiers in Brown's raiding […]
Professor Daniel K. Richter will explore the interactions and agreements between William Penn and the Native people of Pennsylvania.
To highlight Conservation Week 2023, Mark Bockrath, paintings conservator, will discuss examples from the CCHC museum collection that he's worked on, and the challenges and rewards involved with art conservation. Ellen Endslow, CCHC's Curator, will join him to share the thought process behind how CCHC chooses which paintings to conserve first, and the detailed work […]
Join us for this virtual presentation exploring the surprisingly contentious history of Mother's Day and how it ties into Chester County history.
Dr. Charles Hardy III explores the way Chester County changed--for better and worse--during the traumatic years of the Great Depression.
An in-person program celebrating the life, work, and legacy of Bayard Rustin and how his work and the Civil Rights Movement impacted African American History.The evening will feature the performance of Illuminating Bayard, by People's Light Theater; will have video commentaries by awarded actor Colman Domingo, who plays Bayard in the upcoming Netflix film Rustin, […]
Visitors will learn about the actors, musicians, artists, writers, and entertainers that called West Chester home.
225 N. High Street, West Chester, PA 19380 | 610-692-4800
Sign up for our Newsletter
