Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to Chester

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in
A+History
History · Chester

Chester dates to 1682, and 36% of its homes were built before 1940

More historic than 96% of U.S. towns · #110 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. What drives it

8 places in town are on the National Register. Below: 22 old photos and papers, maps from 1885 on, and the census since 1820.

1682founded
8on the National Register
36%homes built before 1940
22old photos & papers
56famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Chester’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Chester began

When was Chester founded?

1682

Chester dates its founding to 1682 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1820.

First census: 657 in 18202020 census: 32,605344 years

How historic is Chester?

A+

More historic than 96% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1775.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Chester’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Chester is more historic than 96% of U.S. towns, #110 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its age ranks highest and its National Register listings lowest.

A+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Chester’s overall grade.
Founding era1682, from Wikidata: founded before 1776, an older era than 96% of U.S. townsA+Homes built before 194035.8% of homes (±2.7) · typical PA town 17.7% · U.S. 8.4%ANational Register8 listings, 2.4 per 10,000 residents · typical PA town 2.1 · U.S. 2.4B+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 96%
NewerOlder
Pennsylvania towns of 2,500+ (1,035)Ahead of 89%

Pennsylvania towns list about as much on the Register as the country (a typical Pennsylvania town has 2.1 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Chester’s 2.4 sits near the middle of its state (59% of Pennsylvania towns have fewer) while its 8 listings outnumber those of 74% of U.S. towns.

NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1682.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from A to A+. The pre-1940 share (±2.7 points) is firm at this size.

Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →

What stands out about Chester’s past

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

A town in old photos22 old photos, postcards and papers, 1875–1917.Older than the countryEstablished in 1682, 94 years before the Declaration of Independence.On the map since 18946 editions of the USGS map, 1894 to 1994. Watch Chester change.Famous sons and daughtersEthel Waters, Jameer Nelson and 54 more were born here.
★ What stands out · By decade

Chester, decade by decade

5 decades in the archive, from the 1870s to the 1910s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1870s–1880s10 items
Chester waterfront ca 1875c. 1875Chester waterfront ca 1875Combination atlas map of Delaware County, Pennsylvania1875Combination atlas map of Delaware County, PennsylvaniaMapCombination atlas map of Delaware County, Pennsylvania1875Combination atlas map of Delaware County, PennsylvaniaMapCombination atlas map of Delaware County, Pennsylvania1875Combination atlas map of Delaware County, PennsylvaniaMap1940 Census Enumeration District Maps - Pennsylvania - Delaware County - Chester - ED 23-8 - ED 23-4818801940 Census Enumeration District Maps - Pennsylvania …1940 Census Enumeration District Maps - Pennsylvania - Delaware County - Chester - ED 23-8 - ED 23-4818801940 Census Enumeration District Maps - Pennsylvania …1940 Census Enumeration District Maps - Pennsylvania - Delaware County - Chester - ED 23-8 - ED 23-4818801940 Census Enumeration District Maps - Pennsylvania …Powhattan Mills in1884Powhattan Mills inChester PA BEye View 18851885Chester PA BEye View 1885The city of Chester, Pennsylvania 18851885The city of Chester, Pennsylvania 1885
1890s–1900s5 items
US 1890s Pennsylvania Commissioner of Streets Chester to City Cover1890sUS 1890s Pennsylvania Commissioner of Streets Chester…Bird's eye view of Chester, looking West1900Bird's eye view of Chester, looking WestBird's eye view of Chester, looking North1900Bird's eye view of Chester, looking NorthBird's eye view of Chester, looking down the river1900Bird's eye view of Chester, looking down the riverBird's eye view of Chester, looking down Second Street1900Bird's eye view of Chester, looking down Second Street
1910s7 items
Grounds and Entrance of the Alfred O Deshong Memorial1914Grounds and Entrance of the Alfred O Deshong MemorialResidence and Grounds of John P Crozer1914Residence and Grounds of John P CrozerScott Paper Company1914Scott Paper CompanyTaylor Terrace Workingmens Homes1914Taylor Terrace Workingmens HomesPennsylvania1917PennsylvaniaPennsylvania1917PennsylvaniaPennsylvania1917Pennsylvania
1920s–1990snothing yet
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Add from your album
Timeline

Chester, 1682 to 1989

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 17th century
  2. 1682
    FoundingChester is established
  3. 18th century
  4. 1724Built1724 Chester Courthouse is built
  5. 1775Post officeThe Chester post office opens
  6. 19th century
  7. 1870Post officeThe Upland post office opens
  8. 1875In the archiveChester waterfront ca 1875
  9. 1880In the archive1940 Census Enumeration District Maps - Pennsylvania - Delaware County - Chester - ED 23-…
  10. 1890In the archiveUS 1890s Pennsylvania Commissioner of Streets Chester to City Cover
  11. 1894On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  12. 1896Born hereEthel Waters is born here
  13. 20th century
  14. 1900In the archiveBird's eye view of Chester, looking West
  15. 1910Born hereAlex North is born here
  16. 1914In the archiveGrounds and Entrance of the Alfred O Deshong Memorial
  17. 1944Post officeThe Upland post office closes
  18. 1950CensusPopulation peaks at 66,039
  19. 1982Born hereJameer Nelson is born here
  20. 1989Born hereTyreke Evans is born here
On the map

Chester on the map, 1894 to 1994

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

Chester on the 1894 USGS mapChester on the 1940 USGS mapChester on the 1953 USGS mapChester on the 1967 USGS mapChester on the 1986 USGS mapChester on the 1994 USGS map1894Chester 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.

The story

How Chester came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Chester.

Read it all →

The indigenous tribe that owned the land where Chester now stands were the Okehockings, removed by order of William Penn in 1702 to other lands in Chester County. The original indigenous name of Chester was Mecoponaca, which means "the stream along which large potatoes grow".

The first European settlers in the area were members of the New Sweden colony. The settlement that became Chester was first called "Finlandia" (the Latin name for Finland) and then "Upland" after the Swedish province of Uppland. The New Sweden settlers built Fort Mecoponacka in 1641 to defend the settlement.

In 1644, the present site of Chester was a tobacco plantation operated by the New Sweden colonists.

ChaptersEarly history18th century19th century20th century21st century

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

From the old history books

What they wrote about Chester, 1881–1893

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

It will thus be seen that this senatorial district was composed of Chester County alone from 1790 to 1808; of Chester and Delaware from 1808 to 1836; of Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery from 1836 to 1843 ; of Chester and Delaware from 1843 to 1864; of Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery from 1864 to…
History of Chester County, Pennsylvania, with genealogical and biographical sketches1881 · page 383Read the page →
Read the text

It will thus be seen that this senatorial district was composed of Chester County alone from 1790 to 1808; of Chester and Delaware from 1808 to 1836; of Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery from 1836 to 1843 ; of Chester and Delaware from 1843 to 1864; of Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery from 1864 to 1871 ; and again of Chester and Delaware from 1871 to 1874, since which Chester County alone forms a district.

Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Banks. — The "Bank of Chester" was one of the forty-one new banks that, were authorized by an act of legislature, in 1813, to be established in the State. Before the expiration of its last charter, in 1867, it was surrendered, and on October 25, 1864, it was organized under its present title, " The…
Biographical and portrait cyclopedia of Chester County, Pennsylvania, comprising a historical sketch of the county, by Samuel T. Wiley. Together with more than five hundred biographical sketches of the prominent men and leading citizens of the county1893 · page 98Read the page →
Read the text

Banks. — The "Bank of Chester" was one of the forty-one new banks that, were authorized by an act of legislature, in 1813, to be established in the State. Before the expiration of its last charter, in 1867, it was surrendered, and on October 25, 1864, it was organized under its present title, " The National Bank of Chester County." Since

Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
bridges' should be a charge upon the county. This is the first instance on the records of a county bridge : " Feb. 25, 1707, upon the petition of the inhabitants of the town and county of Chester, and consented to and agreed to be allowed by the Grand Inquest of this county, representing that the b…
History of Chester County, Pennsylvania, with genealogical and biographical sketches1881 · page 355Read the page →
Read the text

bridges' should be a charge upon the county. This is the first instance on the records of a county bridge : " Feb. 25, 1707, upon the petition of the inhabitants of the town and county of Chester, and consented to and agreed to be allowed by the Grand Inquest of this county, representing that the bridge at Chester over the creek, and one bridge built over Ridley creek, and also a bridge to be built at Crum creek, at the Rock in the Queen's road, and that all roads leading to and from the same, shnll be erected,

Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Printz, built a fort on Tinicum island, just below Philadelphia. Three years later a Swedish settlement was made at Upland (Chester), in Delaware county, and thus was founded the first settlement in Chester county and the State of Pennsylvania. The Dutch held their several forts, or trading posts, …
Biographical and portrait cyclopedia of Chester County, Pennsylvania, comprising a historical sketch of the county, by Samuel T. Wiley. Together with more than five hundred biographical sketches of the prominent men and leading citizens of the county1893 · page 34Read the page →
Read the text

Printz, built a fort on Tinicum island, just below Philadelphia. Three years later a Swedish settlement was made at Upland (Chester), in Delaware county, and thus was founded the first settlement in Chester county and the State of Pennsylvania. The Dutch held their several forts, or trading posts, on the east bank of the Delaware,

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.

Every building

Chester, building by building, 1885–1917

Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a year, then a sheet.

Chester fire insurance map, 1885, sheet 11885Sheet 1 of 18
Edition
BrickWoodStone

Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.

Then & now

Stand where they stood

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.

Chester waterfront ca 1875
Retake this viewChester waterfront ca 1875, c. 1875

Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Chester’s page.

Retake this view · +15
On the National Register

8 historic places in Chester

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

places listed
8
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
8
each building in a district counts
first listed
1971
Penn, William, Landing Site
Penn, William, Landing SiteOld Main and Chemistry BuildingDelaware County National BankSecond Street BridgeChester Waterside Station of the Philadelphia Electric Company1724 Chester Courthouse, built 1724Third Presbyterian Church
BuildingsSitesStructures

Architectural styles listings

Victorian1
Renaissance Revival1
Beaux Arts1
Classical Revival1
Penn, William, Landing SiteSite
Old Main and Chemistry BuildingBuilding
Delaware County National BankVictorian
Second Street BridgeStructure
Chester Waterside Station of the Philadelphia Electric CompanyBeaux Arts
All 8 listings
1724 Chester CourthouseBuilding · listed 1971Third Presbyterian ChurchBuilding · listed 2019Sacred Heart General HospitalBuilding · listed 2024

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

People over time

Chester, census by census

05,00010,00015,00020,00025,00030,00035,00040,00045,00050,00055,00060,00065,00070,0001850190019502000Peak: 66,039

Peaked at 66,039 in 1950; 32,605 people lived here in 2020.

20 censuses, 1820–2020.

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

Famous people

56 famous people were born in Chester

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
Ethel WatersAmerican blues, jazz and gospel vocalist and ac… · b. 1896
Jameer NelsonAmerican basketball player · b. 1982
A
Alex NorthAmerican composer · b. 1910
Tyreke EvansAmerican basketball player · b. 1989
Sylvanus MorleyAmerican archaeologist, epigrapher, Mayanist sc… · b. 1883
Rondae Hollis-JeffersonAmerican-Jordanian basketball player · b. 1995
Places that used to be

Lost post offices, old corners, places now gone and burying grounds

Chester’s post office has been open since 1775. Another post office, Upland, opened and closed inside today’s town.

Chester
1775–today
Upland
1870–1944
17701900today
Hamlets and corners on the map
South Chester
Gone or out of use
William Penns Landing Siteairport
4cemeteries and burying grounds inside Chester
Chester FriendsChester RuralSaint Michaels Roman CatholicSaint Pauls

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

Help out

Finish Chester’s story

Most archives stop around 1920. The photos from after that are in family albums, not libraries.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
2 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Retake an old viewChester waterfront ca 1875: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
Stories next door

History across the town line

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

Chester TownshipIts storyB−Upland5 historic placesA+Nether Providence Township3 historic placesA−WoodlynIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townRidley TownshipIts storyCTrainerIts storyC+EddystoneIts storyB−ParksideIts storyC+BrookhavenIts storyB−

Questions about Chester’s history

What year was Chester founded?

In 1682, according to Wikidata. Chester’s post office opened in 1775, and the census of 1820 counted 657 people here.

How does Chester rank for history?

Chester is more historic than 96% of U.S. towns, #110 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.

What is on the National Register in Chester?

8 listings: 6 buildings, 1 site, and 1 structure.

How old are the homes in Chester?

36% of Chester’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±2.7 points), against a typical 18% for a Pennsylvania town; the median home was built in 1949.

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).

From Wikimedia Commons (18), the Library of Congress (4), the National Register of Historic Places (8), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System, Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress) 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.