For the Media

Chester County Historical Society is more than happy to assist the media in any way possible. We hope you find this section of our site a valuable resource for your reporting needs. Please follow the links above for additional information.

Feel free to contact our Public Relations and Marketing Manager for further assistance or to join our media list:

Public Relations and Marketing Manager
225 North High Street
West Chester, PA 19380
Phone: 610-692-4800
Fax: 610-692-4357

About Us 

What is The History Center?

The History Center, the descriptive name given to Chester County Historical Society's architectural complex at High and Chestnut Streets, a complex designed as a lively center of activities, exhibits and facilities for studying the past. An enclosed bridge links Horticultural Hall, the Society's home for over fifty years, with an adjacent structure, the former YMCA. During the recent renovation and expansion, the facade of the YMCA building was restored to its handsome Colonial Revival appearance, while the interior was dramatically altered to become a vibrant center for celebrating Chester County's rich past.

What does The History Center offer visitors?

The History Center museum offers six galleries of permanent and changing exhibits, making the Society's extensive collections more fully accessible to the public. The decorative arts gallery is designed to showcase the finest of the furniture collections, and a series of first floor galleries is devoted to changing exhibitions. Nearly 10,000 square feet of the first floor is devoted to the research library, incorporating a reading room and open stack areas as well as separate microfilm areas. Large closed stack areas with high-density compacting storage units house the manuscript and photograph collections. The Museum Shop offers a selection of Chester County gift items, as well as a large selection of books about the county.

What is the history behind each of the buildings?

The History Center blends two distinctive buildings in Chester County's history, both listed on the National Register of Historical Places. Horticultural Hall, designed by noted architect Thomas U. Walter, was the center of activity in West Chester during the mid-1800's, hosting such meetings as the End-Slavery Society and the first women's rights convention in the state of Pennsylvania. Uriah Hunt Painter converted the building into the West Chester Opera House in the late 19th century. It later became the meeting place for the Grand Army of the Republic before it was deeded to the Chester County Historical Society and renovated for its use in 1940. 

The main body of the old YMCA building was build in two sections, both begun in 1907. The Sharples gymnasium was built by business entrepreneur and philanthropist P.M. Sharples, who offered to donate it to the Y if the YMCA agreed to build an additional building on the same land. The two structures were both designed by noted Philadelphia architect Charles Barton Keen and were ultimately joined by a "hyphen" or corridor. An addition in 1928 expanded the facilities, and in 1959, a new entrance corridor obscured the buildings' original appearance. The restoration project undertaken by CCHS restores the High Street Facade to its original Colonial Revival appearance.

News Releases

To automatically receive CCHS news releases, please e-mail us or call 610-692-4800.

• History Bursts into Bloom at CCHS (4/19/2007)
• The Cultural Center Hosts "The Ghosts of Duffy's Cut" (4/18/2007)
• 19th Century Regional Quilts Draw Crowds at CCHS (4/12/2007)
• Researching Tips Provided by CCHS Staff (4/10/2007)
• CCHS Teaches the Ancient Art of Basket Weaving (4/10/2007)
• The 2007 Antiques Show (2/15/2007)
• History Day 2007 (2/15/2007)
• Annual Quilt Project (2/15/2007)
• Chester County Historical Society Presents "Scouts Night at the Museum!" (2/1/2007)
• "An Evening with Phil Roy and Friends" (1/10/2007)
• "Take Your Teddy Bear to Lunch" (1/08/2007)
• "The Face on the Lunch Box" (9/07/2006)
• "Chester County, A to Z" (9/07/2006)