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History · Cheyney University

1 of Cheyney University’s places is on the National Register

Below: maps from 1901 on.

1on the National Register
Add an old photoShare a memory
Photo: Smallbones at English Wikipedia · Public domain

What stands out about Cheyney University’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 Cheyney University are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.On the map since 19016 editions of the USGS map, 1901 to 1996. Watch Cheyney University change.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Cheyney University’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Cheyney University’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

Cheyney University on the map, 1901 to 1996

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

Cheyney University on the 1901 USGS mapCheyney University on the 1943 USGS mapCheyney University on the 1954 USGS mapCheyney University on the 1968 USGS mapCheyney University on the 1973 USGS mapCheyney University on the 1996 USGS map1901West Chester 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 Cheyney University.

The story so far

Cheyney University, in brief

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

Cheyney is an unincorporated community that sits astride Chester and Delaware counties in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It corresponds to the census-designated place known as Cheyney University, which had a population of 988 at the 2010 census, and 565 at the 2020 census. It is the home of Cheyney University of Pennsylvania. The university derives its name from George Cheyney's Farm, which became the current campus of Cheyney University in 1902. George Cheyney's Farm and the surrounding area was part of the original land grant given to William Penn in 1681. Originally, Cheyney was located at the intersection of what is now Creek and Cheyney Roads. The original "Cheyney's Shops" dated from…

Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population fell from 988 to 565 (-43%).

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

By decade

Cheyney University, decade by decade

Today4 recent
Squire Cheyney Springhouse2011Squire Cheyney SpringhouseSquire Cheyney Farm2011Squire Cheyney FarmSquire Cheyney Barn2011Squire Cheyney BarnCheyneyLog22009CheyneyLog2
On the National Register

1 historic place in Cheyney University

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

place listed
1
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
1
each building in a district counts

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

Stories next door

History across the town line

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

Thornbury Township4 historic placesAThornbury Township2 historic placesB+

Questions about Cheyney University’s history

Memory lane

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

Town Square →
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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) and U.S. Geological Survey historical maps. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.