National Register of Historic Places

West Chester Downtown Historic District

West Chester, Chester County, Pennsylvania
Listed
July 1, 1985
Type
District
Period
Listed
Ref No.
85001447

About this property

The West Chester Downtown Historic District is a national historic district that is located in West Chester, Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. This district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. The boundary was increased on February 27, 2005. This district encompasses 3,137 contributing buildings in West Chester. It includes residential, commercial, institutional, and industrial buildings that were built between 1789 and the 1930s. Notable buildings include the U.S. Post Office (1907), the Green Tree Building (1933), St. Agnes Church (1851), the Biddle Street School (1917), the Major Groff Memorial Armory, the Horticulture Building (1848) that was designed by Thomas U. Walter, the Denney-Reyburn factory, the Caleb Taylor Store (c. 1818), Federal Ehne's Bakery (c. 1816), Kofke's Store (c. 1816), and the Woolworth building (1928). Also listed and located in the district are the Bank of Chester County, the Buckwalter Building, the Chester County Courthouse, the Farmers and Mechanics Building, and the Warner Theater. Media related to West Chester Downtown Historic District at Wikimedia Commons Chester County Horticultural Hall, 225 North High Street, West Chester, Chester County, PA: 8 photos and 13 data pages at Historic American Buildings Survey Chester County Hotel, 36 West Market Street, West Chester, Chester County, PA: 4 photos, 5 data pages, and 1 photo caption page at Historic American Buildings Survey Chester County Prison, 235 West Market Street, West Chester, Chester County, PA: 19 photos and 19 data pages at Historic American Buildings Survey Baptist Church of West Chester, 221 South High Street, West Chester, Chester County, PA: 2 photos, 11 data pages, and 1 photo caption page at Historic American Buildings Survey

Location

West Chester, Chester County, Pennsylvania
39.96104, -75.60766

Categories

COMMERCEPOLITICS/GOVERNMENTARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Everything a full report reveals about West Chester Downtown Historic District

This page lists West Chester Downtown Historic District. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
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Nearby Historic Sites

Warner Theater
Industrial
0.1 mi
Chester County Courthouse
Civil War
0.2 mi
Bank of Chester County
Civil War
0.2 mi
Everhart, William, Buildings
Industrial
0.2 mi
Farmers and Mechanics Trust Company Building
Industrial
0.2 mi

Nearby Battles

Battle of Paoli Massacre (1777)
1777Revolutionary War
3.6 mi
Battle of Iron Works Hill (Brandywine follow-up)
1777Revolutionary War
6.3 mi
Battle of Paoli (Paoli Massacre)
1777Revolutionary War
6.7 mi
Battle of Chadd's Ford
1777Revolutionary War
6.7 mi
Battle of Brandywine — Chadds Ford Action
1777Revolutionary War
7 mi

Questions about this property

When was West Chester Downtown Historic District listed on the National Register?

West Chester Downtown Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 1, 1985.

What type of historic resource is West Chester Downtown Historic District?

West Chester Downtown Historic District is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for West Chester Downtown Historic District?

The period of significance for West Chester Downtown Historic District is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near West Chester Downtown Historic District?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near West Chester Downtown Historic District will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

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