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NEWLY UPDATED!
HISTORICAL COMMISSION
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Historical Commission page.
History of East Brandywine
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In October of 1990, the East Brandywine Historical Commission decided to commemorate the township's sesquicentenary with the publication of a book on the township's history, "A History of East Brandywine Township". The township Supervisors approved the request and provided the funding. The Commission subsequently selected Mrs. Barbara Paul to author this important work. During the next two years, Mrs. Paul researched the township history with the cooperation of the Library and Archives of the Chester County Historical Society, members of the East Brandywine Historical Society and numerous other township residents. Her extensive research is reflected in this definitive history and is presented in a most interesting manner. The Commission takes this opportunity to express its appreciation to Township Supervisors David L. Summers, Chairman, Alan H. McCausland, Hudson L. Voltz, and former Supervisor John R. Cropper, for their enthusiasm and cooperation in bringing this endeavor to a successful conclusion. |
"History of East Brandywine
Township" Foreward
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"History of East Brandywine Township" Foreword
Chester County native author George Lippard once lamented that the deeds of Pennsylvania and Chester County were absent from the American history books of his day, which glorified Massachusetts. He prayed "the time may come when our battlefields will find a chronicler,... when this eternal cant about Pilgrim fathers, Plymouth rock, will be succeeded by a healthy admiration of our own apostle, William Penn."
Little by little Chester Countians are filling in the blank space of their history by discovering their collective past and putting it into print. One of the most useful vehicles in this advance of knowledge has been the histories published of many of the townships and boroughs in the county.
This History of East Brandywine Township deserves a place on the shelf reserved for the best of these (including the histories of Downingtown, West Whiteland, Pennsbury and Malvern). It is a book for the historian, for the general reader with an interest in local lore, and for the residents of the township, whether old-timers or newcomers, who may have wondered what stories cluster about the old buildings and roads in their neighborhood.
The subject itself is interesting. In many ways, East Brandywine is the archetypal Chester County township. It sits near the geographical center of the county. Its mix of settlers is characteristic, as is its growth along rivers, roads, and railroads. It boasts one famous son, and its modern tension between dairy farms and development is a universal experience in the county.
But the book also deserves credit for the way Barbara Paul has gone about her task, with the mix of patience and persistence that I remember from her work at the Daily Local News. Her balance of historical research, through documents and deeds, with the memories and recollections of the oldest residents adds flavor and color to the story. This book should serve as a model for future writers of township histories. Barbara also deserves credit for this book's fine organization, the want of which bedevils so many local histories.
Douglas Harper
West Chester, Pa
August 14, 1992 |
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Township Municipal Building
1214 Horseshoe Pike
Downingtown, PA 19335
(610) 269-8230 Phone
(610) 269-4157 Fax
Email: ebtwp@ebrandywine.org
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