Call Number:

03

Repository:

Kennett Township Historical Commission

Extent:

1.5 linear feet

Language:

English

Date:

1848-1974 (inclusive)

Creator:

Kennett (Pa. : Township). Board of Supervisors

Abstract:

The first recorded mention of "Kennett Township" in Chester County, Pennsylvania is from 1705. An abolitionist stronghold, Kennett was popular with freedom-seekers escaping slavery prior to the Civil War due to the presence of progressive Quakers and a community of free blacks that was established as early as 1830. Later, the Kennett area became known for producing more than half of the mushrooms consumed in the United States. The Kennett (Pa. : Township). Board of Supervisors records, 1848-1974, consist of documents produced by the governing body and various administrative departments of Kennett Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania including minute books, correspondence, and tax and other financial records.

The area that is now Kennett Township in Chester County, Pennsylvania was inhabited by the Lenni-Lenape people when the land was acquired by William Penn in 1681. The first recorded mention of the name "Kennett Township" was in 1705. The Borough of Kennett Square, which is surrounded on all sides by Kennett Township, but has its own separate governing body, was incorporated in 1855.

Kennett Township has a strong Quaker heritage, since many early settlers were members of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers). The area was a popular stop along the "Underground Railroad" for freedom-seekers escaping slavery prior to the Civil War, due to the presence of abolitionist Quakers such as John and Hannah Cox, Dinah and Isaac Mendenhall, and Dr. Bartholomew Fussell, as well as a community of free blacks that was established as early as 1830. The Pennsylvania Yearly Meeting of Progressive Friends, an activist Quaker off-shoot dedicated to progressive issues including abolitionism, women's rights, and temperance, was formed in the township prior to 1850.

The Kennett area was primarily agricultural for most of its history, but over the course of the 20th century it came to specialize in one particular food: mushrooms. William Swayne, a florist from Kennett Square, imported mushroom spores from England about 1885 and built the first mushroom house in the area. The venture was successful, and with the expansion of Swayne's and similar operations, the Kennett area became world renowned for its mushrooms. As of 2014, over 65 percent of the mushrooms consumed in the United States are grown in Southern Chester County.

Many properties in Kennett Township are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, including: Old Kennett Meetinghouse, built in 1710 by members of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers); Harlan Log House, an English-style log cabin built about 1715; and the Hamorton Historic District, laid out in 1830s and developed by Pierre S. du Pont into a company town in the early 20th century. Also on the National Register of Historic Places is Longwood Gardens, one of the most popular attractions in Southern Chester County (Pennsylvania) with over 1,000 acres of landscaped gardens, greenhouses, and plant collections. About one-third of the property is located in Kennett Township.

Bibliography:

Kennett Township. "History of Kennett Township." Condensed from 1971 comprehensive plan. Accessed July 9, 2014. http://kennett.pa.us/visitors/history-of-kennett-township/.

This collection consists of documents produced by the Board of Supervisors and administrative departments of Kennett Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania, including minute books, correspondence, and tax and other financial records.

There are several minute books of the Kennett Township Board of Supervisors with some correspondence mixed in, (1906-1974, with gaps), as well as treasurer's account books (1922-1929, 1954) and other township financial volumes (1848-1855, 1880-1899, 1899-1942).

In addition, there are several types of tax related materials including tax rolls, 1957-1959; tax records organized alphabetically by property owner's name, 1948-1958; and tax returns from the Longwood Foundation (Pierre S. du Pont), 1952.

There is also a group of materials related to the Roadmaster of Kennett Township including a correspondence file, circa 1930s-1940s; Road Bonds (stocks), 1928, 1940; and a Department of Highways time book, 1951-1953.