Call Number:

01

Repository:

Uwchlan Township Historical Commission

Extent:

30.0 linear feet

Language:

English

Date:

1979-2014 (bulk) and 1928-2014 (inclusive)

Creator:

Uwchlan Township Historical Commission

Abstract:

Originally inhabited by Leni-Lenape (Delaware) and Iroquoian-speaking Susquehanuck peoples, Uwchlan Township in Chester County, Pennsylvania was settled by Welsh Quakers in the early 18th century. The township was founded in 1712. It remained a largely rural farming community until a post-World War II suburbanization boom. The Uwchlan Township Historical Commission subject files, 1928-2014 (bulk 1979-2014), consist largely of secondary-source materials with some primary-source documents. The collection is arranged into five series, each relating to the local history of the township: Subjects, People, Schools, Government records, and Binders.

Prior to the arrival of Europeans in the 17th and 18th centuries, the area now known as Uwchlan Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania was occupied by the Leni-Lenape (Delaware) and Iroquoian-speaking Susquehanuck peoples. The first Europeans in the area were Swedish explorers in 1637-1638, although the first permanent settlement was not established until the 1700s. Welsh Quakers were the main group to settle in Uwchlan, requesting their own meeting in 1712, which is the same year that Uwchlan Township was founded. An additional tract was added to the eastern portion of the township in 1726, likely at the behest of prominent resident and large landholder David Lloyd. In 1858 the upper part of Uwchlan Township split from Uwchlan to form Upper Uwchlan Township.

Uwchlan was a primarily rural farming community until World War II, when post-war suburbanization resulted in rapid development. The population increased has increased dramatically from about 500 in 1920 to over 6,000 in the 1970s and upwards of 18,000 at the beginning of the 21st century.

Uwchlan embraces the Lionville Historic District, a crossroads community registered as a national historic district with 39 contributing historic buildings.

Bibliography:

Brody, Susanna Wilson. Uwchlan Township: 300 Years Above the Valley. Uwchlan Township Historical Commission: 2011.

Gerlach, Jim (PA). "300th Anniversary of Uwchlan Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania." Congressional Record 158:100 (June 29, 2012), page E1195. Accessed February 12, 2014. http://capitolwords.org/date/2012/06/29/E1195_300th-anniversary-of-uwchlan-township-chester-coun/.

This collection consists largely of secondary-source materials with some primary-source documents, relating to people, institutions, buildings, and other topics of Uwchlan Township and nearby local history. It includes newspaper clippings, published and unpublished research articles, photocopies of primary-source documents, and pamphlets and ephemera, as well as a small amount of original primary-source documents, mostly from the second half of the 20th century. The collection is organized into five series: Subjects, People, Schools, Government records, and Binders.

The Subject series contains files on various local history topics, including churches, locations, businesses, developments, and the community in wartime. The folders in the subseries are organized alphabetically. The Commission collects materials relating to the following subject areas: Miscellaneous Chester County Compass Lionville Uwchlan Township Welsh Pool United States Uwchlan Early General History Miscellaneous Business Business Directories Agricultural Forges Garages Hotel, Inns and Taverns Manufacturing Stores Tannery Benson's Chapel Calvary Chapel Calvary Fellowship Chester Springs Community Lionville Community Church Marsh Creek Community Church Rock of the Ages St. Paul's Lutheran Church St. Paul's United Church of Christ United Methodist Uwchlan Meeting Victory Baptist Eagleview Liongate Marchwood Pickering Creek Rhondda United States Pennsylvania Chester County Uwchlan Township Historical Preservation Lionville Historic District Historic Preservation Award Frances Matthews Miscellaneous Roads Township Maps Zoning Edith P. Moore School Cadwalader House Newcomen Society Brandywine Creek Preserve Young Open Space Marsh Creek Indians Quakers Welsh East Brandywine & Waynesboro History of Roads Milford Road Pottstown Pike Township Line Road Turnpike Uwchlan Ave. Village Ave Struble Trail Uwchlan Trail Uwchlan Township 2012 Civil War French and Indian Militia Revolutionary War World War 1 World War 2 Garden Class Village League

The People series consists largely of obituaries, with some genealogy research notes, photocopies of family photographs, and correspondence with family members (especially regarding genealogy). It is organized in alphabetical order by family name; if there is only one document for a given family, the document is filed in a "Miscellaneous" folder.

The Schools series, in addition to newspaper clippings, photocopies, and research, contains a greater proportion of original primary-source materials than the rest of the collection. These include: White School (Lionville, Pa.) reunion minute book, 1919-1941; Uwchlan Township School Board minute book, 1927-1948; Uwchlan School District enumeration of children lists, 1943-1954; and various receipts, correspondence, photographs, and other documents.

The Government series includes a large segment of photocopied tax and census records as well as files on Uwchlan government departments and functions. The photocopied government tax and census records cover the years 1715 to 2000 (bulk 1715-1860). The files on Uwchlan government departments and functions mostly contain clippings and township publications, as well as some primary documents. Represented among the departments are the fire company, police, parks, public works, roads, maps, historical commission / historic preservation (historic resource survey applications and survey information), and township offices and roles.

The final series, Binders, consists of the same types of materials found elsewhere in the collection, except files were moved to binders when they grew to be too big for the file cabinet. The binders cover specific properties, families, churches, and other local subjects.

Family binders Acker family Butler family Cadwalader family Dowlin family Downing family Evans family Rogers / Gordon family Happersett family Phipps family Uwchlan Township genealogy

Property binders Uwchlan Township building Pickering Creek Farm Happy Days Farm White Knoll Farm Early residents of Uwchlan Township Whelen / Thompson Farm Cadwalader house Uwchlan meeting school, church, and library Edith P. Moore school restoration Philips family homestead Red Lion Beitler Mill Clover Lea Farm

Church binders St. Paul's United Church of Christ Fetters - White School St. Peters St. Pauls Lutheran Church Uwchlan Meeting Cemetery records Forks of Brandywine (Brandywine Manor) East Vincent Churches

Other binders Woman's Community Club Uwchlan Township (1969-2003, three binders) Lionville Sanitation Company Dowlin Forge Uwchlan Township art survey School house inventory