Historic Downtown Chester

Historic Downtown Chester. . , The Old Civic Square , Chester's old court house (pictured above) was built ca. 1724, making it the oldest building currently standing in downtown Chester, and one of the oldest remaining public buildings in the nation. The structure served as the Chester County Courthouse until 1786, when the county seat was moved to West Chester. When Delaware County split from Chester County three years later, the building was put to use as the Delaware County Courthouse, until the seat was moved to Media in 1850. The building then served as City Hall until it was replaced in the 1920s by the building pictured below. The 1724 courthouse is now maintained by the Chester Community Improvement Project. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971., Postcard Views of Market Street , Imagine today's Avenue of the States as it existed in its heyday -a bustling shopping district where trolleys passed by, going south through the location of today's City Hall. Travel back a bit farther, and you may see Gcorge Washington ride through town on his horse to stay at his favorite local inn. Every building has a story to tell, and those in downtown Chester are full of stories. These postcards show downtown Chester as it appeared from about 1905 to 1930., Market Square , Market Street (today the southern end of Avenue of the States) was named for the old market house which stood near the present day City Hall. Though the market house (seen in the drawing, left) was gone by the 1860s, the Market Square remained for decades to come. It is pictured in the postcard, right., 1724 Courthouse lithograph is from A History of Delaware County, Pennsylvania by Charles Palmer. Old Market House drawing is from the Anna Broomall scrapbooks at the Delaware County Historical Society. Postcards courtesy of the Keith Lockhart Collection., [Caption:] , Left: Postcard 5 shows the Washington House, one of downtown Chester's most important landmarks for over 200 years. The 1747 building is documented as being the hotel where George Washington stayed after the Battle of Brandywine, and where he wrote his account of the battle for Congress. Originally named the "Pennsylvania Arms,” it was renamed for its prestigious guest.