History of Chester County, Pennsylvania, with genealogical and biographical sketches, Part 59

Author: Futhey, John Smith, 1820-1888; Cope, Gilbert, 1840-1928
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Philadelphia, L. H. Everts
Number of Pages: 1162

USA > Pennsylvania > Chester County > History of Chester County, Pennsylvania, with genealogical and biographical sketches > Part 59

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

" Phinehas Eachus, being a cooper by profession, as well as a tavern- kecper, had the business carried on in a small log house built for the purpose about the time that the school-house was put up. It stood in the corner of the field, at the intersection of the two roads leading to Philadelphia and the Great Valley ; but he in time hecame insol- vent, and his property was disposed of by John Morton, then sheriff of Chester County, and his farm, etc., between the two roads afore- mentioned, was purchased by Isaiah Matlack.

" About the year 1770,2 John Hoopes, owning the plantation south-

+ Subsequently occupied as a store by John W. Townsend, and afterwards by Charles Miner, where he printed and published the Village Record.

# This building stood near the present site of the Mansion House hotel; it was of brick, fronted north, having a yard paled in in front, and was owned and occupied by William Wollerton and family as far back as can be remembered ; it was sold, with the farm adjoining, about 1827, to the late William Everbart. The stone barn stood a short distance to the south or west, perhaps near where Roecker's confectionery now is: and a frame inclosure for stray animala, known as the " pound," a little north, near the line of what is now Church Street, which terminated near the building above described.

¿ The date-stone, which had been covered up by the enlarging of the building westward, was found April 26, 1879, while some repaira were in progresa. It bears date 1769. .

# Now the intersection of Gay and High Streets.

To the Honouratte Juftices

at then Court of General, Quailer Jeffions to be held at Chefter, the 31 : Day of August CA: 2. 1762.

The humble Petition of hinchas Eachus of the town Ship of Gothen, in the Country of Chefter, Sheweth.

& That, Whereas your Petitionout Habitation"at the Interfection of two Public Reader, one where of leading from Branford to (Philadelphia, and the Other from the Great Valley to Willmington; whichy Roads, but Officially the Latter, is much Occupied by Travelleres from Siftand Parts; and being Deflitute of @ Public House, for many Miles together), is therefore & Inconvenient for those who travel from Remote Parts, and Burdenforme to the Adjacente Inhabitants.

Therefore it is your Petitioners Humble Request, that you may be Pleased to grant him your Recommendation to the Governor, in row for his obtaining a fence to keep Such In Public house of Entertainment ..

and your Ichitioned, as in Duty bounds, Shall Gray &C ;- Phinchas Eachus

We the Subfiber. being Neighbours and Acquaintances of the above Petitiones, are of the Opinion, that there is Med. La Public house of Entertainment at the Place above mentiam, And Deem him to be a Serfon Sufficiently Qualified for the" Exercife of that Calling. Therefore we Requer melt that he may be thecommended according to the Terror of his Petition

Thomas Darlington Joseph Garratt Tof: natlack~ Jogoph Jorunsere Galet lian Ellis Davies

sph Pierce Thomas years ley , ThePowerfond. Jonathan Parkefanno Dilworth Charles Ryant Ariaho Taylor Hace Vayle, Or Sofath Gilliony for

Situs Bernes Isaac Haines for

Tometrode John Darlington John Hooper

Thomas ffiliamson

Daniel offcoper George Carter Ralph Torrestory

James Marshall

williamichnytom

James Jaports

Alexander Johnson

This Pin John Danning.

Warrick Miller

Immer Jeforis

The father

William Eachus Jaich Mattack

213

TOWNSHIPS AND BOROUGHS, ETC.

easterly of the old tavern lot, built a respectable-looking brick house in the corner of his field, a little south of the line of said let, and near the enst line of the Wilmington road, into which the tavern was re- moved, where it has continued ever since.

"The successors of Phinehas Eachus in keeping the Turk's Head tavern in the old and new establishments, previous to the Revolu- tionary war, were Capt. John Clark, John Harper, and Jacob James, the latter leaving his dwelling and engaging with the British army during their stay in Philadelphia, autumn and winter of 1777 and spring of 1778.

" A few years previous to the commencement of the Revolutionary war a two-story log building was put up near the intersection of the Wilmington and Brandywine ronds, and in the orchard aforemen- tioned, and occupied by Henry Glass and Ebenezer Matthews for a retail store.

" Having given a hasty sketch of the buildings at the Turk's Head tavern to this time, I shall now give a description of some of the con- tiguous ones.

"The first one southerly was the dwelling of Charles Ryant. He continued there until William Sharpless, son of Nathan, and the only male heir, was out of his apprenticeship (he served his time with John Marshall, a cabinet-maker, whose residence was on 32 acres of land bequcathed by Joseph Townsend the elder to his daughter, Hannah Rynnt). When William wns twenty-one years of age he took possession of the premises, and built a work-shop on the west side of the Wilmington road, a little south of the north line of his farm, and a small log tenement was also put up on the east side of said road, near the north line aforesaid.

"On the south side of the Philadelphin rond, about one-quarter of a mile from the tavern, was an ancient log house, occupied by George Bostock. His wife, with Mary Otley, her associate, were famous, and noted for enchantment at that period of time.

" A small distance up in the field, on the north side of the Phila- dolphia rond, and nearly opposite to George Bostock's dwelling, was a frame dwelling-house, clapboarded on the outside, the residence of Peter M. Gowen, a weaver by occupation. The remains may yet be seen a little west of the road leading to the Boot tavern.

"Near the Valley road, on the east side, in the field, was a spring- house* belonging to and used by Phinehas Enchus, who kept the tavern. On the west side of said road, a little over the branch issu- ing from the said spring, was an old log dwelling.

"Samuel Hoopes, the second son of Daniel Hoopes, having learned the trade of a blacksmith, his father built him a work-shop a little north of the aforesaid old dwelling, leaving room for the road to pass between to his dwelling, which was some distance down the bottom, being a respectable stone house, with hard and other outhouses ne- cessary for a reputable farmer.t

"It was not long after the establishment of the blacksmith-shop occupied by Samuel Hoopes until he built himself a comfortable dwelling-huuset in the field, in a westerly direction from the snid shop. He lived therein for a number of years, and deceased. It afterwards became the property of Jobn Hangum, Esq., who was the great in- strument in obtaining the law to remove the county sent of justice from Chester, on the Delaware, to the Turk's Head, nnd established the borough of West Chester.

" He died some years thereafter, an overgrown, middle-aged man, in the said dwelling-house.

' "The foregoing contains all the buildings that I can recollect, ex- cept an addition to the store-house occupied by Glass & Matthews previous to my removal to Maryland, which was in the year 1782, at which fime a considerable excitement had got up for the removal of the courts of justice from Chester, on the Delaware, as being too re- mote for a great portion of the inhabitants of the county. Marshall- ton, Downingtown, Admiral Warren, and Turk's Head were situations contended for, but no place was decided on nt that time.

" Prior to the Revolutionary war there was an old burying-place near the centre of the field belonging to Phipebas Eschus, io front of Friends' meeting.housc. It was formerly inclosed, but since neglected, aod the ground is now in cultivation."

The first petition, for license, by Phinehas Eachus, was presented Nov. 24, 1761, but was rejected. The next year he was successful, and as a somewhat historic document, as well as a sample of tavern-keepers' petitions in that day, we present a fac-simile of the petition on that occasion. It was signed by the principal farmers of the neighborhood. Being once established in the business, fewer signers were deemed necessary in succeeding years, there being but six in 1764.

No name appears for the tavern until August, 1768, when John Clark, having " Rented the House lately kept by Phineas Eachus, at the Sign of the Turk's head in Goshen," succeeds him in the business. Aug. 29, 1769, John Hoopes represents that he " has purchased the tavern known by the Name of the Turk's Head, iu Goshen, and the House being Rendered unfit for that purpose by its Decay and Other Inconvenies thereto Belonging, I have Built a New Brick House near the other, and more Comodious for the Accomodation of Travelers than the other." Although twenty-eight substantial citizens signed his request, it was merely indorsed " Allowed at the old House." In Novem- ber following he renews his request, assuring the court that his house is ready, but probably was unsuccessful, and in his disappointment made some uncomplimentary remarks about the justices.

Aug. 28, 1770, John Harper comes forward, " having Lately taken a lease of a very Convenient house, within a few Perches of the noted Tavern, known by the name of the Turks-head, in Goshen, . . . and as the old Tavern house is now become Insufficient for a dwelling place," etc., he wishes to have license in the new house. This petition was rejected, but on November 15th following John Hoopes seut to the justices a " recantation," in which he says, " if I have said any Thing Disrespectfull of the Bench Heretofore I am hartily sorey for it, and ask the Justices Pardon, . . . but if my Intreaties have not ye Desired Effect I had rather suffer a Doubel Portion of the Mis- fortune than John Harper and the Publick should suffer on my account." Two weeks later he plainly admits that " Whereas I have spoke Disrespectfully of the Honorable Bench heretofore, I now Declare that I am sorey for it and ask the Justices Pardon, or any one of them that I Treated with Contempt," etc. A petition from John Harper for license in the new house is now favorably received, and the name of the " Turk's Head" transferred thereto, as appears by his petition in the following ycar. He was succeeded in 1774 by Jacob James, whose last application was made in 1776. Francis Trumble was there in 1778, and John Underwood in 1782-83. Nathan Scholfield was the land- lord, 1785-86, and was succeeded by Isaac Webb in 1787. Upon the completion of the new public buildings at this place, preparatory to the removal of the seat of justice from old Chester, it was evident that more taverns would be needed to accommodate the concourse of people attending courts. Emmor Trego and William Worthington were licensed in 1786, and the first was succeeded by Joshua Weaver in 1788. Nathan Scholfield was licensed, Febru- ary, 1787, in a house just built by Isaiah Matlack, the " Green Tree," where he remained till 1793. Col. John Hannum built the " Washington," just north of the court- house, but it is uncertain who kept it. Perhaps the first

* At the northeast corner of High and Chestnut Streets.

t The old house now on the Ebbs estate.

# Now the residence of John Rutter, which, large and solid as it is, was moved some fifty feet westward, without much apparent injury, when Church Street was opened north, some years since.

214

HISTORY OF CHESTER COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

was William Worthington, who was succeeded in 1787 by William Beaumont, he having built a new house at the " corner of Gay Street." Samson Babb had built and re- ceived license at the " Bear" in 1788, which was directly south of the court-house, now the site of the post-office and other offices. Prior to 1800 the names of Isaac Webb, James Bones, John Rouse, Peter Mather, Jesse Matlack, and Benjamin Miller appear as landlords in the borough. Maj. Jolin Harper having become reconciled to the removal of the county-seat, made the best of it by keeping the " Turk's Head" from 1792-98. In 1796, Isaac Webb removed from some other house to the " General Wayne," since known as the " White Hall," where he remained several years. The former name is said to have been the " Cross Keys," which name it again bore prior to 1838. After Mr. Webb came Ephraim Buffington, Polly Pearson, and Samuel Osborne. The two last united their fortunes by marriage, and continued at this stand until 1827, after which Davis Beaumont, Joseph Taylor, John Watson, and Joel Matlack successively catered to the public wants. In 1838, Philip P. Sharpless became the owner, and a large rear addition was erected on Church Street. Capt. Robert Irwin purchased it in 1839, and named it " White Hall,"

of the other taverns also, and each has its history buried in the past.

The new seat of justice being established, it was thought best to hedge it about with certain bounds, that the place might receive a name, as the following will show :

" AN Aor for erecting a certain district of Country in which the Court- House in Chester County stands into a County Town.

"SECT. I. Whereas a number of the inhabitants of Chester County have petitioned this house that a certain district of country in which the court-house of the said county stands may he erected into a county town, and that the inhabitants of the said town may be en- titled to a like number of Justices of the Peace with other county towns, and it appearing that the public convenience will thereby be promoted,

"SEcr. II. Bs it therefore enacted, and it is hereby enacted, by the Representatives of the Freemen of the Commonwealth of Pennsyl- vanin in General Assembly met, and by the authority of the same, That a certain district of country within the county nforesaid, bounded as follows, viz. : Beginning at the line which divides the town- ships of East Bradford and Goshen, at the corner of the lauds of Charles Ryan and John Darlington, thence along the lines of the said Charles Ryan, and the lands late of Thomas Williamson, of Gideon Williamson, and of Thomas Darlington, junior, to the lands of George Matlock, thence along the lines of the lands of George Matlock, William Sharpless, Jonathan Matlock, and John Patton, to a line of the land of Doctor Joseph Moore, thence to the line of the land of Isainh Matlock, thence along the lines of the snid Isaiah

WHITEHALL

CROSSCUPSWEST.PHILA.

WHITE HALL TAVERN.

after which it was rented to various persons until 1869, the lust host being John Carroll. The accompanying cut* is an excellent representation of its appearance before being torn down in 1874. Several fine-stores now occupy the site.

When Lafayette visited this county in 1825, lie made this hotel his headquarters, though he lodged across the street at the residence of Ziba Pyle. It was a place of general resort for judge, lawyer, and politician, and many were the stories told or jokes concocted by these in their hours of relaxation from other cares .; This may be said

# For which we are indebted to the Daily Local News.

+ " West Chester, in its sarly days, was remarkable for the cecentrio- ity aod broad bumor of a race of tavern-loungers who have entirely disappeared. These were led on and made use of by ingenious, mis-

Matlock's land, and of the lands of Doctor Joseph Moore and Thomas Hoops, to the road called the Goshen street, thence along the said street to the land of Bennniel Ogden, being the line which divides the township of East Bradford from the township of Goshen, and from thence to the place of beginning, be and hereby is erected into

chief-loving young lawyers, who had much idle time on their hands, and were prone to all sorts of the coarsest waggery. The ready wit, the quaint, original phrases and eccentric deportment of the singular characters referred to wers familiar to nvery one. The young law- yers, between terms, would institute what they called "Flaxseed Courts," and get one of those waggish creatures for presiding judge, when they would have "lots of fun." If any pompous, conceited fool happened to stray into the place he was quickly detected, and often stared at through leather spectacles until he was fairly "looked out of town." As hut few now remain who can recollect those men and times, it is not deemed expedient to give the names or to detail the pranks of the prominent netors."-Directory of 1857.

215

TOWNSHIPS AND BOROUGHS, ETC.

and constituted the county town of and for the said couety of Chester, by the name and title of ' West Chester,' and is hereby invested with and entitled te all the rights, privileges, immunities, and advantages of a ocunty lown within this Commonwealth.

"Signed, by order of the House,

" THOMAS MIFFLIN, Speaker.

" Enacted inte a law at Philadelphia en Menday, the third day of March, in the year of cur Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty-eight.

" PETER ZACHARY LLOYD,

" Clerk of the General Assembly."

These bounds have remained to be sufficient for the growing town up to the present time, though at one or two points they have been slightly overrun.

The original plan of the village or town proper of West Chester consisted of four contiguous squares, with two principal streets crossing in the centre, and yet, simple as it was, with that utter disregard of symmetry and lack of good taste which characterized the projectors of the plan and early buildings, neither of the streets crossed at right angles, and consequently none of the so-called squares was rectangular. An oblique policy, strongly redolent of bar- barism, seemed to prevail among the primitive Cestrians, and its sinister influence was long perceptible.

In 1829, however, several additional streets were opened and new squares formed from the old Trego or Rankin farm, on the southwestern side of the first town plat, by William Everhart, Esq. People then began to perceive the advantage of setting private dwellings back from the street, of having side-yards, and of planting ornamental shade-trees and shrubbery. Until this improvement was introduced and those trees planted which now render the streets of West Chester so umbrageous and pleasant, our pedestrians found nothing to intercept the glare of the summer sun, save here and there, at long intervals, a strag- gling relic of a decaying Lombardy poplar.

The first foot-pavement in front of private property in West Chester was made in 1809 by Dr. William Darling- ton. There being no bricks then made in the borough, rough flag-stones were used for the purpose. The example was immediately followed by Ephraim Buffington, who re- sided opposite, at the White Hall hotel, in Gay Street ;. and then William Hemphill, Esq., with more ambition and better taste, procured bricks from abroad, and paved neatly in front of his dwelling, on High Street, where the Bank of Chester County now stands. These were the voluntary acts of individuals, but the process found few imitators until the corporate authorities, in 1823, required the side- walks to be regularly graded, curbed, and paved. The first macadamizing of streets was done in 1829 and 1830.

In 1802 a small market-house was built in the rear of the public offices, but it was seldom occupied, as the mar- ket-people in those days preferred to call on the towns- folk at their dwellings. Those early and rarely-used shambles were at length superseded in 1831 by a more capacious establishment in Market Street, one hundred feet in length, which was afterward extended by two or three similar structures.

Early in 1869 these street-sheds were torn down, two closed market-houses having been erected, but one of which is now used as such.

The Cestrians (as the West Chester people may be classi-

cally termed) went on very cautiously for a time to improve their "town" by building some houses in it, and after a few years they began to aspire to corporate privileges.

Accordingly, on the 28th of March, 1799, the town of West Chester was erected into a borough by an act of the Legislature. This elevation required burgesses and assist- ants to manage the municipal affairs, and the following is a list of the chief burgesses, with date of election :

William Sharpless, 1799; Jacob Ehrenzeller, 1800 ; Philip Derrick, 1801; Jacob Ehrenzeller, 1802; Richard M. Hangum, 1803; Joshua Weaver, 1804-5; William Bennett, 1806; William Sharpless, 1807; Emmor Bradley, 1808; George Worth, 1809; Joshna Weaver, 1810; William Sharpless, 1811; Jacob Ehrenzeller, 1812-13; Jeseph Mc- Clellan, 1814; Daniel Hiester, 1815-17; Jacob Ehrenzeller, 1818- 24; Ziba Pyle, 1825; Jacob Ehrenzeller, 1826; Ziba Pyle, 1827-30; Themas S. Bell, 1831-33; William Williamson, 1834-35; William Everhart, 1836-37; Thomas S. Bell, 1838; Jeseph J. Lewis, 1839-43; William Williamson, 1844 ; Uriah V. Pennypacker, 1845-46; William Darlington, Esq., 1847; Uriah V. Pennypacker, 1848-49; Francis James, 1850; James H. Bull, 1851; Townseed Eachus, 1852 -- 54 ; Jeseph P. Wilson, 1855-57; Francis Parke, 1858; Wm. B. Waddell, 1859-60; Henry S. Evans, 1861; Wm. Darlington, 1862-65; Wayne MacVeagh, 1866; Jefferson Shaner, 1867-77; Seneca G. Willaner, 1878; J. Bayard Wood, 1879 to the present.

The following exhibit shows the growth of the borough (including the occupants of the farms within the chartered limits) at the several decennial enumerations, viz. :

Population

Population.

Census of 1800

374

Census of 1850.

3172

1810

471

1860

4757

1820

553

1870

5630

1830

1244

1880

7046

1840

2152

At the census of 1790, West Chester was but four years old,-a mere embryo " town," by the courtesy of the Legis- lature,-and was only counted as a portion of Goshen town- ship.

In the year 1799 the apprehension of fire induced the formation of the first West Chester Fire Company, which is still kept up in good condition, with two other efficient companies, viz. : the " Good Will," organized in 1833, and the " Fame," organized in 1838.

Mention has been made in the sketch of Goshen town- ship that John Haines became the owner of all the land in the borough south of Gay Street in 1702. Of this he conveyed to his son John 365 acres in 1715, and the latter sold to John Hoopes 50 acres in 1751 ; to his son, David Haines, 51 acres and 112 perches in 1753; and devised a remainder of 100 acres, at his death, to his grandson, John Haines, son of David. This last John Haines sold to Benjamin Trego (4, 22, 1769) ; and Trego, after giving a lot therein for the county buildings in 1784, and 11 acres to his son Emmor, devised the remainder also to the latter. June 10, 1790, Emmor Trego, of West Chester, limner, conveyed to John Rankin, of the same place, 99 acres; Rankin sold to William Wollerton, who sold to William Everhart in 1829.

John Hoopes, besides the 50 acres purchased of John Haines, also became the owner of the 51 acres and 112 perches of David Haines prior to 1770, and sold the whole to John Patton, 1784. This formed the southeastern part of the town, adjoining the " Turk's Head."

We here present a view in West Chester, copied from

216

HISTORY OF CHESTER COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

Day's "Pennsylvania Historical Collections," 1843, in which the first building on the right represents the Turk's Head, beyond which are Hemphill's building, residence of William W. Jefferis, the Bank of Chester County, and in

surveys in the following order : Thomas Rous, 300 acres ; Thomas Coeburn, 175; John Bound, 500; John Eluny (?) -; Nathaniel Evans, 300 ; Barnabas Wilcox, 500; Richard Whitpain, 1900; Richard Collett, 1000 acres.

VIEW IN WEST CHESTER ABOUT 1842.

the distance the " Green Tree." On the other side of the street are first the public office building, erected 1791; the court-house, finished in 1786; and the "General Wash- ington Hotel," which, however, should have a two-story porch in front. The town-clock, on the court-house, dates from the year 1835.

WESTTOWN.

Westtown was probably so named from its location, rela- tive to Easttown. It forms a rectangular parallelogram, about five and one-half miles long by nearly one and a half in width, the longer axis bearing E. N. E. In per- haps the majority of early surveys, on the east side of Brandywine, and south of the valley, the lines were run E. N. E. or N. N. W., from which it appears they were intended to be either parallel or at right angles to the Dela- ware River in its general course at the nearest part. To the southwest of the Brandywine-as in Kennet, Marl- borough, New Garden, Londongrove, etc .- the lines corre- sponded with the cardinal points of the compass, while in the northeastern part of our county they were laid down parallel or at right angles to the general course of the Schuylkill River. The surveys commenced near the navi- gable waters, and gradually extended back into the woods, so that Westtown doubtless succeeded Thornbury as to date of survey, and was probably laid out as early as 1685. Its limits as a township were not then defined, and there is evidence that land to the north and west was considered as being in Westtowo. It was finally limited to a range of surveys, which extended across the township in narrow or wider lots according to quantity. Beginning at the eastern end, and proceeding towards the Brandywine, we find the

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

History of Chester County, Pennsylvania, with genealogical and biographical sketches, Part 59

Author: Futhey, John Smith, 1820-1888; Cope, Gilbert, 1840-1928 Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Philadelphia, L. H. Everts Number of Pages: 1162

Author: Futhey, John Smith, 1820-1888; Cope, Gilbert, 1840-1928
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Philadelphia, L. H. Everts
Number of Pages: 1162