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History · Chester Hill

Chester Hill dates to 1849, and 31% of its homes were built before 1940

Below: maps from 1922 on and the census since 1890.

1849founded
0on the National Register
31%homes built before 1940
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Photo: Mr. Matté (if there is an issue with this image, contact me using this image's Commons talk page, my Commons user talk page, or my English Wikipedia user talk page; I'll know about it a lot faster) · CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answers

How Chester Hill began

When was Chester Hill founded?

1849

Chester Hill dates its founding to 1849 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1890.

First census: 563 in 18902020 census: 821177 years
Founding year: Wikidata.

What stands out about Chester Hill’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Chester Hill are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.On the map since 19227 editions of the USGS map, 1922 to 1994. Watch Chester Hill change.Deep rootsEstablished in 1849: 177 years of Chester Hill.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Chester Hill’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Chester Hill’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
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On the map

Chester Hill on the map, 1922 to 1994

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Chester Hill. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Chester Hill on the 1922 USGS mapChester Hill on the 1939 USGS mapChester Hill on the 1945 USGS mapChester Hill on the 1959 USGS mapChester Hill on the 1971 USGS mapChester Hill on the 1981 USGS mapChester Hill on the 1994 USGS map1922Philipsburg sheet · 1:62,500

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Chester Hill.

The story so far

Chester Hill, in brief

Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Chester Hill yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.

Chester Hill is a borough in Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 821 at the 2020 census.

Chester Hill was established in 1849. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population fell from 883 to 821 (-7%).

Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.

From the old history books

What they wrote about Chester Hill in 1911

Passages that mention Chester Hill, cut from the printed page as they were published.

Pennsylvania Railroad at Steiner's Station and by the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad, which latter company has a branch line from Munson to Chester Hill, but calls its station Philipsburg. The borough has two churches, water and electric lights, good schools, a number of business places…
Twentieth century history of Clearfield County, Pennsylvania1911 · page 319Read the page →
Read the text

Pennsylvania Railroad at Steiner's Station and by the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad, which latter company has a branch line from Munson to Chester Hill, but calls its station Philipsburg. The borough has two churches, water and electric lights, good schools, a number of business places and the present population is about

Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.

Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.

By decade

Chester Hill, decade by decade

Today4 recent
PA 53 sb in Chester Hill (2), June 20242024PA 53 sb in Chester Hill (2), June 2024PA 53 sb in Chester Hill (1), June 20242024PA 53 sb in Chester Hill (1), June 2024PA 53 sb entering Chester Hill, June 20242024PA 53 sb entering Chester Hill, June 2024Chester Hill, PA borough hall and keystone marker, June 20242024Chester Hill, PA borough hall and keystone marker, Ju…
People over time

Chester Hill, census by census

02004006008001,0001900192019401960198020002020Peak: 1,054

Between 563 and 1,054 people in every census since 1890.

14 censuses, 1890–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Chester Hill’s Wikipedia page.

Famous people

Famous people close to Chester Hill

Nobody well known was born in Chester Hill itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.

See all →
B
Bud GeorgeAmerican politician · b. 1927
Don Hilary GingeryAmerican politician · b. 1884
A
Austin HarrierAmerican politician · b. 1912
B
Bill BishopAmerican baseball player · b. 1900
B
Bill MeehanAmerican baseball player · b. 1889
I
Irving KahalAmerican lyricist · b. 1903
Places that used to be

Old corners

Old hamlets and crossroads still carry their names on the map.

Hamlets and corners on the map
Cuba Mines

Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

Philipsburg2 historic placesARush Township5 historic placesA+Decatur TownshipIts storyC+South PhilipsburgIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town

Questions about Chester Hill’s history

What year was Chester Hill founded?

In 1849, according to Wikidata. the census of 1890 counted 563 people here.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021). How TownRatings grades history →

From Wikimedia Commons (4), U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the USGS Geographic Names Information System and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.