A picture of Providence Rd. aka Route 252 from 1897 during rush hour. You are standing at Possum Hollow Rd. looking north toward Media. The house on the left is still standing and the bridge is over the West Chester R.R. local line.
Note: A little history lesson on early Delco and where the township names came from. Lots going on this month for Black History Month please check the events
Delaware County Township Names
Delaware
County became a separate political division on September 26, 1789, by an Act of
the State Legislature which provided for cutting off the eastern part of
Chester County, to create the new county consisting of 21 townships, with
Chester as the county seat. The earliest
settlements in Pennsylvania were made in the part which is now Delaware County,
but they were not organized as townships until William Penn took over the government
of his Province.
Before Penn received his grant of
land, Upland Court had jurisdiction over all of the land from Christina River
to the Falls of Trenton. This was called
Upland County, a name which was changed to Chester by William Penn in 1682, probably
because many of the settlers there had come from Cheshire in England. At first Chester was the name of one of the
three original counties laid out by Penn.
Later, the name was also given to a township, the first one organized
under Penn’s government, and finally to Chester Borough in 1701.
Many of Penn’s followers had bought
land before leaving England, intending to pick out their tracts after they
arrived in America. Some settled near
the river, but many went into the country back from the river and built homes
in the wilderness. Ne plantations were
laid out as fast as surveyors could mark boundaries. Emigrants who knew each other or had the same
religious beliefs, stayed together if they could. In time, a name was chosen for a community by
the whole group of families, or by someone looked up to as a leader.
A township was officially recognized
when the people living in the area elected a constable or a tax collector, or
presented a petition for official action or approval in such matters as laying
out a road or building a dam.
Some township and village names were chosen
because they reminded the settlers of their old homes. For instance, Darby was named for Derbyshire;
Edgmont, also written England, was named by Joseph Baker, an early settler, for
the town in Shropshire from which he came; Birmingham, originally spelled
Birmingham , was the English home of William Brinton, the first settler in the
township.
Thornbury was named by George Pearce
for his wife’s old in Gloucestershire; Aston or Ashton, was at first called
Northley, then Aston by Edward Carter, an early settler, for the town in
Oxfordshire from which he came. Radnor
and Harford, or Haverford, in the Welsh Tract were names brought from Wales by
the settlers. Haverford means “confluence
of two streams.” Newtown, though not in
the Welsh Tract, had many Welsh settlers and may have been named for a Welsh
town of the same name, or from the townstead in the center.
Ridley was the name given by John
Simcock in 1682 to his large tract of land north of Amosland, to honor his home
town in Cheshire. When the township was
organized, it was named Ridley, Springfield, at first called
Ridley-in-the-Woods, was named from a fine spring on the farm of George Maris,
an early settler. In Marple, the early
settlers were English and the township may have been named for the English
parish Mar Poole, but it is not verified.
Chichester, the name of an English
town, was the name given by William Penn, at the request of some of the
residents, to the settlement called Marcus Hook, when he granted a charter in
1701. The township was organized as
Chichester but the townspeople continued to call it Marcus Hook.
Middletown was so named because it was
supposed to be the central township in old Chester County. This was a mistake, but it is well-named for
Delaware County. Tinicum, too, is
well-named. The name is derived from
Tennakonog, an Indian word meaning island.
Bethel and Concord were known as
Concord Liberty until the two townships were organized. Concord was a name chosen to denote the
feeling of good will among the settlers there.
Bethel means House of God. It was
chosen to show the holy purpose of the settlers. The name Providence was given to express
gratitude for a safe journey.
These 21 townships, all settled and
organized before 1688 constituted the whole territory of the county when it was
first made a separate county. They will
exist as municipal districts but their area has been reduced by the formation
of Chester City and 27 boroughs.
DCHPN Monthly
E-Newsletter
February- Black History Month
Check out all these events happening this month related to Black History and other interesting topics. Read the announcements below for important information.
February Events
Please check the websites for updated information before attending and be safe!
* Indicates a free event. Some events require pre-registration and close when full. The list includes events in the surrounding areas as well. If you have an event you would like on this list on future e-newsletters, please submit by the end of the month to dchpn_planning@yahoo.com.
Announcements
Heritage Commission Preservation Awards Nominations Due Feb 26
The Heritage Commission traditionally sponsors the Annual Preservation Awards each May during National Preservation Month. Awards are bestowed to those who have contributed to retaining and maintaining our County’s heritage through a construction project, a special program or project, a planning effort, or a publication. Additional awards are granted to an individual and young person who has contributed significantly to our heritage. The Leedom B. Morrison Award recognizes a construction or special project in Chester City. Go here for more information.
Underground Railroad in Delco
Visit Delco PA will send out information about Delco UGRR sites in their February monthly newsletter. Go here to sign up for the monthly newsletter (which often has historic information) or email blehman@visitdelcopa.com
Check out the Upper Darby UGRR walking tour here
Find out more information about the Underground Railroad, especially in Upper Darby, at the Riverview Farm Foundation Facebook page
African American Cultural Heritage Fund
Learn about the Fund and read stories about Green Book sites, important African American Cultural Sites, Projects, Grants and more! The fund was set up in 2017 to support 150 historic places that have been overlooked in American history and represent centuries of African American activism, achievement, and resilience. Find out more here.
America 250 Delco- new name!
The America 250 Delco Committee is forming to help celebrate America's 250th Birthday in 2026 with events, programs and celebrations from 2021 onwards. If you are interested in being on the committee and attending the next meeting, email Kate at cliffordk@co.delaware.pa.us
If you are in an organization and you don't want to be on the committee but still want to be involved, also email Kate.
Precious Places on WHYY
Two Delaware County sites are featured in the Precious Places series on WHYY, both of them Heritage Commission Preservation Award winners- Green Lawn Cemetery and the Yes We Can Achievement and Cultural Center. Check them out on February 10 and 17 at 7:30 pm (and check out all the other places every Thursday at 7:30 pm). Find out more at WHYY
Preservation/ History Books
Looking for some reading material on history and preservation? Want something to add to your holiday wish lists or looking for the perfect gift for a preservationist friend? The DCHPN website has a list of books and other publications along with links on where to purchase. In addition, the Preservation Alliance has created a list of recommended reading related to their speaker series and local and national history. Check them out here. A portion of the proceeds goes to the PAGP.
Native Sites and Collections
The Association of Tribal Archives, Libraries and Museums is looking for Non-native Institutions holding Native Collections to add to their interactive map of Locations of North American Native Nations and Cultural Institutions. If you have Native American artifacts in your collection, please go to their website- https://www.atalm.org/node/504
Virtual Tour of Eden Cemetery and The Woodlands
Parallel Lives in the Fight for Suffrage: Frances Ellen Watkins Harper and Mary Grew
In honor of the 100th Anniversary of the 19th Amendment giving women the right to vote, this digital tour features two women, and two cemeteries. Frances Ellen Watkins Harper and Mary Grew were both leaders in the abolitionist movement and the fight for women’s right to vote in the 19th century. Their lives overlapped as they were working towards the same goals, and this tour reflects that in their activist activities, organizational affiliations, conferences they attended, their careers in education, and even the churches they belonged to. This tour explores Frances Harper's and Mary Grew's contributions to the abolitionist and suffragist movements and will introduce you to Historic Eden Cemetery and to the Woodlands. Go here for the tour
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Interested in history and learning more about Delaware County, Historic Preservation and your local area? Check out the DCHPN website!
If you are interested in being involved in the website and these e-newsletters, email dchpn_planning@yahoo.com
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