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Chestnut Hill Historical Society local history collection

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Held at: Chestnut Hill Historical Society [Contact Us]8708 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia, PA, 19118

This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the Chestnut Hill Historical Society. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.

Overview and metadata sections

"Chestnut Hill, in northwest Philadelphia, is one of America's most beautiful urban villages thanks to the fusion of a magnificent physical setting, notable architecture, historic preservation, and careful planning. During the Colonial period, Chestnut Hill was a...village of farmers and millers. After the railroad reached the area in 1854, Chestnut Hill's natural splendor and healthful atmosphere made it a popular spot for Philadelphia's wealthy. Soon, it was ringed by magnificent estates designed by Frank Furness, T.P. Chandler, and Horace Trumbauer. Living side-by-side with the wealthy were hardworking communities of Italian, Irish, and German immigrants."

Bibliography:

Keels, Thomas H. and Elizabeth Farmer Jarvis. Images of America: Chestnut Hill. Charleston, S.C.: Arcadia, 2002.

The vast majority of this collection consists of newspaper clippings and other printed materials, such as pamphlets, publications, and ephemera. There are some original records of local organizations, such as minute books and ledgers, as well as some family papers. Materials are grouped into files by subject and arranged alphabetically. Subjects include local schools, businesses, associations, and families in the area of Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia.

Materials collected by the Chestnut Hill Historical Society from various sources.

Publisher
Chestnut Hill Historical Society
Finding Aid Author
Finding aid prepared by Celia Caust-Ellenbogen and Michael Gubicza through the Historical Society of Pennsylvania's Hidden Collections Initiative for Pennsylvania Small Archival Repositories
Sponsor
This preliminary finding aid was created as part of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania's Hidden Collections Initiative for Pennsylvania Small Archival Repositories. The HCI-PSAR project was made possible by a grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
Access Restrictions

Contact Chestnut Hill Historical Society for information about accessing this collection.

Collection Inventory

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