USA > Pennsylvania > Chester County > Downingtown > History of Downingtown, Chester County, Pa > Part 7
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Downingtown, January the twenty-seventh, one thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
Petitioners names‹ Samuel Ringwalt
Isaac Webster
Daniel Kelly
James Lockart
Oliver Hawks
Lebuton Thomas
Mary B. Thomas
Elizabeth Gray
John P. Edge
Charles Leigler
Ann Walker
Wm. Edge Mary Ayars William Rogers
Israel Thomas
Alfred Goodwin Compton
Jacob Sharpless Mary D. Sharpless, per order. John Webster Richard Webb
Allen W. Wills
Edwin W. Hoster
Joshua Walton
67
Samuel Black
Henry Euhotts
Stephen Blatchford
Francis I. Hull
David Shelmire
James Harboon John McGraw Jonathan C. Baldwin
Sarah Cornoy
Jos. M. Downing
Adam Fullerton.
Richard D. Webb
Isaac Webster
James Bennett Chymoweth
Theodore B. Rambo
Daniel Kelly lıis
Oliver X Hawks
mark
Joseph Baugh
Wm. P. Walkinshaw
M. I. Baugh
Sarah M. Souders
S. E. Shelmire
Elizabeth Corble
Chas. Downing.
To the Honorable Judges of the Court of Quarter Sessions of Chester County: We, the undersigned, being a majority of the Grand Jury of Chester County for the January Term, A. D. 1859, respectfully certify to your Hon- orable Court that after a full investigation of the case contained in the with- in --- application for the Incorporation of the Village of Downingtow:1 into a Borough, we find that the conditions prescribed by the Acts of the Gen- eral Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in such case made and provided have been complied with, and that we believe that it is expedient to grant the prayer of the petitioners :
M. B. Hickman
Wm. Davis
John B. Temple WVm. Patterson
J. M. Beale Abel Reese Stephen Snare
Moses M. Binder
Washington Yearsley
Josiah Hoopes
Jesse A. Strickland
Alexander Stephens
Abner Davis, Jr
David Shields
Joshua Hallowell
Isaiah Knauer
Joseph Kimes
Isaac M. Anderson
William Hurton.
Isaac Meredith
DECREE INCORPORATING THE BOROUGH OF DOWNINGTOWN,
May 12th, 1859, filed In the Court of Quarter Sessions of Chester County.
In the matter of the application for the Incorporation of the Borough of Downingtown. Whereas, the petition of divers inhabitants of the Village of Downingtown having been presented in due form to said Court at January Sessions, 1859, praying that the said Village and the Territory particularly described in said Petition and the plot or draft thereof thereto annexed should be erected into and Incorporated as a Borough by the name, style and title of "The Borough of Downingtown"; And the said application or Petition having been regularly laid before the Grand Jury of said County when in Session of the said January Term of said Court, that the said Grand Jury after a full investigation of the case having found that the conditions prescribed by the various Acts of the Gen-
Robert B. Moore Webster F. Hilton Webster F. Hilton Prest. Board Brandywine Lodge I. O. of O. F. I. P. Baugh James Humphrey his Patrick X Daily mark
John Baldwin Andrew Cox Sarah A. Walton
Silas D. Yerkes Evans Thornbury
Taylor Pierce
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eral Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania relating to Boroughs have been complied with, and that they, the said Grand Jury, believed that it was expedient to grant the prayer of the petitioners. And the said Grand Jury having certified the same to the Court according to law, which cer- tificate was duly entered of Record.
And now, to wit: May 12th, 1859, The judgment of the Grand Jury aforesaid is approved by the said Court, and it is ordered and decreed that the said petition and this decree be Recorded in the Recorder's Office of Chester County.
And from thenceforth the said Village and Territory adjoining thereto, the boundaries thereof to be the same as described and set forth in the said peti- tion and plot of draft thereof thereunto annexed, shall be deemed an In- corporated Borough by the name, style and title of "The Borough of Down- ingtown." and shall be entitled to the several rights, privileges and immuni- ties conferred by the various Acts of the General Assembly of the Common- wealth of Pennsylvania relating to Boroughs: And that the said Borough be a separate and independent Election District, the Election to be held at the Public House known as Swan Tavern, now occupied by Joseph P. Tucker, in said Borough, and also a separate and independent School District.
The time for holding the annual Borough Election of said Borough shall be the last Tuesday preceding the third Friday in March in each and every year (except the year 1859) between the hours of eight o'clock A. M. and six o'clock P. M. of said days. The said Elections to be held at the Public House aforesaid, now occupied by Joseph P. Tucker, in said Borough, until otherwise ordered by the Court: The first Election to be held on Saturday, the twenty-eighth day of May, A. D. 1859, between the hours of eight o'clock A. M. and six o'clock P. M. of said day: And Samuel Ringwalt is appointed to give public notice thereof by six or more printed or written advertisements affixed at as many of the most public places in said Borough at least ten days preceding said Election : and Morgan L. Reese is appointed Judge and John S. Mullin and James Lockart Inspectors to hold the said first Election.
After the Court had taken into its consideration the applica- tion for the incorporation, and had made its decree, the proceed- ings had therein were recorded in Recorder's Office of Chester County, and as duly set forth, constituted the Charter of the Borough of Downingtown, and said Charter is herewith printed : CHARTER & At a Court of Quarter Sessions of the Exemplification of Record. The Court &c., to The Borough of Downingtown. CHESTER COUNTY, ss : Peace held at West Chester, in and for said County the 12th day of May A D. 1859, before the Honorable Townsend Haines President and Wil- ham Wollerton and Robert Parke, es- quires associates, Judges of said Court. In the matter of the incorporation of the Borough of Downingtown whereas on the Fourth day of February, A. D. 1859, at a Sessions of the said Court the petition of Sundry inhabitants of the Village of Downingtown in the Township of East Caln in the said County of Chester, was presented Setting forth that they desire that the said village of Downingtown and the Terri- tory adjoining thereto, all in the township of East Caln included within the following boundaries to wit :
[ Then follows the boundaries as already given in the petition.]
CONTAINING about seven hundred and sixty acres of land run to magnet bearing variation of the Compass four degrees and thirty minutes west of a plot or draft of which was thereto annexed and praying the Court that the same should be erected into and Incorporated into a Borough to be
69
called The Borough of Downingtown in accordance with the acts of General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in such case made and provided --: CERTIFICATE OF GRAND INQUEST, To the Honorable, the Judges of the Court of Quarter Sessions of Chester County, we the undersigned being a majority of the Grand Jury of Chester County for the January Term A. D. 1859. Respectfully Certify to your Honorable Court that after a full investigation of the Case Contained in the within application for the Incorporation of the Village of Downingtown into a Borough, we find that the Conditions prescribed by the acts of the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in such Case made and provided have been Complied with and that we believe it is Expedient to grant the prayer of the petitioners.
Marshall B. Hickman William Davis J. M. Beale Abel Reese
John B. Temple Wm. Patterson
Moses M. Binder
Washington Yearsley
Stephen G. Snare
Taylor Pierce
Josiah Hoopes
Jesse A. Strickland
Alexander Stephens
Abner Davis, Jr.
David Shields
Joshua Hallowell
Isaac MI. Anderson
William Huston
Isaac Meredithi
Filed February 4th, 1859.
April Term A. D .. 1859, Whereas
Isaiah Knauer
Josialı Kime
In the Court of Quarter Sessions of Chester County. the petition of Divers inhabitants of the Village of Downingtown having been presented in due form to the said Court at January Sessions 1859, praying that the said Village and the Ter- ritory particularly described in said petition and the plot or draft thereof annexed should be Erected into and Incorporated as a Borough in the name of Style and title of The Borough of Downingtown, and the said application or petition having been regularly laid before the Grand Jury of said County when in Session at the said January Term of said Court and the said Grand Jury after a full investigation of the lease having found that the conditions prescribed by the various acts of General Assembly of the Commonwealth of , Pennsylvania relating to Boroughs had been complied with and that the said Grand Jury believed that it was Expedient to grant the prayer of the pe- titioners, and the said Grand Jury having Certified the same to the Court according to law. which certificate was duly entered of Record and now to wit, May 12, 1859. The judgment of the Grand Jury as aforesaid is approved by the said Court and it is ordered and decreed that the said petition and this decree be recorded in the Recorder's Office of Chester County and from thence forth the said Village and Territory adjoining thereto the boundaries thereof to be the same as described and set forth in the said petition and olot of draft thereto annexed shall be deemed an Incorporated Borough of the name Style and title of The Borough of Downingtown, and shall be en- titled to the several rights, privileges and immunities Confirmed by the Vari- ous acts of the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania relating to boroughs and that the said Borough be a separate and independent Election District the Elections in said Borough to be held at the public house known as Swan Tavern now occupied by Joseph P. Tucker and also a separate and Independent School District. The time for holding the annual Borough Elections for said Borough shall be the last Tuesday preceding the third Friday in March in each and every year Except the year 1859 Between the hours of 8 O'clock A. M. and 6 O'clock P. M. of said days the said Elections to be held at the public house aforesaid now occupied by Joseph P. Tucker in
70
said Borough until otherwise ordered by said Court. The first Election to be held on Saturday the 28th day of May A. D. 1859 between the hours of 8 O'clock A. M. and 6 O'clock P. M. of said day, and Samuel Ringwalt is appointed to give public notice thereof by six or more printed or written advertisements affixed at as many of the most public places in said Borough at least ten days preceding said Election and Morgan L. Reese is appointed Judge and John S. Mullin and James Lochart Inspectors to hold the said First Election.
From the Record.
BY THE COURT.
Witness my hand and the seal of the Court this twentieth day of May A. D., 1859. (Signed) Addis M. Ayers. (Clerk)
Recorded June 29, 1858.
(Signed) E. H. Taylor, Clerk.
Downingtown took on a new era of prosperity after her in- corporation.
In 1860 her population was 61
In 1870 it was 1,077
In 1880 it was 1,480
In 1890 it was 1,920
In 1900 it was 2,133
In the carly thirties, starting at the Hunt mansion, then oc- cupied by Joshua Hunt, and coming on to the Lancaster Pike, the first property on the north side was occupied by John Can- ada : the next two by Isaac Hawley ; the next was the property of Morgan L. Reese, and on the south side were two dwelling properties of Thomas Edge; then coming further to the east- ward, properties of George Edge, John L. Ingram. On the south side of the road, Joseph Hunt and Morgan L. Reese. On the north side, some distance from the highway, was the farm house of Charles Downing, and the home of Samuel Miller, Esq., and on the south side, after crossing the bridge over the Brandywine, were the properties of William W. Downing and Joseph Hunt, and on the north side properties of Benjamin Fell, Joseph R. Downing. William W. Downing, and on the south side the prop- erty of Thomas Pattin, Thomas A. Parke, Jonathan Diller, and on the north side W. Wright, T. Springer, Richard Downing, W. Downing's mill, and on the south side Samuel Fondersmith, John F. Parke. On the north side William Downing (miller), S. Bellerjean, Elizabeth Downing, Mary Whelen on the south side. The Academy building on the north side an old brewery, property of Samuel Hoopes, the Masonic Hall house, formerly occupied by Dr. Fairlamb, and on the south side, formerly the property of William Lent, a coppersmith, and Malachi Parke. This description of property owners along the Lancaster Pike is taken from an old draft in the possession of Mrs. Ella C. Rob-
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erts, now living in Downingtown, and who is a daughter of Wil- liam Downing, deceased. I give it at this period of the narrative, so as to contrast the new times with the old times.
After the borough had been incorporated and the Chief Bur- gess had been elected, and the Councilmen had taken their places of service, public improvements were at once begun. Previous to that time the Road Supervisors of East Caln had allowed all kinds of sidewalks, all sorts of street gutters and every variety of crossing which the property owners chose to have. Although the assessed valuation of the property in the borough limits of Downingtown was equal to all the rest of the township of East Caln, vet such had been the neglect of those in official stations that the improvement brought about by incorporation was im- mediately manifest. Street gutters were established, sidewalks were improved, gutters were made passable and possible, and at numerous points along the main street facilities for crossing in muddy weather were established. The questions of light and of a borough water supply as well as ordinances for the govern- ment and regulation of property and property owners were con- sidered. Downingtown had a new era of development, but in the midst of all these hopeful visions for the future, war clouds ap- peared upon the horizon, and civil war between the States of the Union approached. The life of the nation was menaced. The people recognized the impending fact that the election of Abra- ham Lincoln meant a rebellion by the South. This critical period in our country's history largely obliterated party lines in Down- ingtown. Many of those who had acted with the Democratic party declined to act any further. Many of those whose Friendly environment had instilled into their minds the doctrines of peace, felt and declared that the country was worth fighting for and that the Federal Union should be preserved, even if force had to be used for its preservation. The afternoon in April, 1861, when the new's was flashed all over the North that Fort Sumter had been fired on, and that war was imminent, roused the spirit of the en- tire North. There was a war meeting called at once at Down- ingtown. and Col. Samuel Ringwalt was at the head of the move- ment. He had been an active and a staunch supporter of John Hickman, and had followed his course in Congress with a great deal of interest and enthusiasm, and when the sound of war's alarm reverberated throughout Downingtown, no man was more loyal and more determined than Samuel Ringwalt. At that time the population was about nine hundred (900) persons, and during the ensuing four years of bloody conflict, many persons entered the service of their country, and while some of them never re- turned, having yielded up their lives upon the battle field or in the hospital, yet quite a number survived the shock of battle and
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the perils of the service to return to their families and their the perils of their service to return to their families and their friends. Among the soldiers who figured in this crisis, and who sought to perpetuate the memory of the living and dead, no man was more active, and more outspoken than Liberty Browne. The writer well remembers him, having associated with him for a number of years, and while he was an excellent soldier in time of war, he was a most distinguished citizen in the days of peace, It was a patriotic family. Five sons served in the army, together with the father.
The Eicholtz family was, like the Ringwalts, from Lancas- ter County, and was distinguished for its patriotism. Henry Eicholtz, the father, was for many years landlord of the hotel, which was the dining resort of travelers upon the Pennsylvania Railroad. Both his sons served in the war of the rebellion. The father. Henry Eicholtz, was a gentleman of more than ordinary literary attainments. He was a great reader and a keen observ- er of pssing events.
The following is a list of the soldiers of Downingtown in the Civil War:
A.
Carberry, John L.
D.
Bailey, George F.
Bailey, Reese M.
Dallar, Charles
Burnett, James
Burnett, Josiah
Eicholtz, James
Blatchford, Thomas
Bailey, Thomas V.
Blatchford, Stephen
Ferrell, John
Burnett, Cyrus
Ford, Peter
Browne, Francis A.
Frame. Issac
Bondfield, George
Ford, John B.
Browne, George W.
Ford, John
Breinar, Frederick
Ford, Lewis J.
Boner, Barnard
Browne, Ellett
Browne, Liberty C. Conway, Thomas Cox, David M. Caruthers, David P. Crisman, John
Dallar, William
Dugan, Michael
Dowlin, Thomas
Bennett, James
Dailey, John
E
Eicholtz, George M. F.
Bedloe. John
Foreman, George
Fondersmith. George G. Garrett, Eber Gordon, James R. H. HIall. Joseph Hoffecker, Henry Harvey, William
Ahn, Benjamin F. Ahn, Edwin T. B.
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Hickman, John Hoopes, Henry L. Hickman, Daniel Holtsgrove, Henry J. Jones, Temple K. Keech, James L. Laird, David Lewis, Joel Lewis, Thomas M.
Mullen, John
Maxton, George
Mercer, Reuben MI.
Mercer, Evan
Mealy, James
MacCullough, Thomas
Monaghan, Hamilton
Mercer, Richard
Mercer, Townsend
McClintock, James
Mathews, George T.
Mercer, William
McCafferty, Enos
Moylin, Richard O. O'Neil, James P. Price. Issachar
Packingham, Samuel H. Price, George W. Peace, Alfred
R. Roberts, John
Rambo, Nathan
Rambo, Abram
Roberts, G. Ringwalt, J. E. P S. Springer, William 1.
Smith, William H.
Starr, Samuel
Shelmire, Jacob
String, Benjamin
Skeen, Benjamin F.
Smith, Cooper
Skeen, Robert. Jr.
Smith, Columbus
Smith, Vaughn T. Thompson. George IV. Webster, William 1.
Wills. F. F.
Webster, Alfred
Wilkinson, William
Wills, J. Hunter
Webster, William L Y.
Yeager, Arthur B.
.
Chapter 7
Downingtown Churches-Dwight Farms-Northwood Cemetery.
The following brief histories of the religious organizations in Downingtown are given in their historical order as to age. They have been prepared largely by pastors and others who were specially interested and who had ready access to the rec- ords necessary for accuracy of detail. These histories are given as fully as was warranted in a volume which is the record of a community and not the history of any particular organization.
The Friends. To the Friends belong the honor of having first preached the Gospel in this part of Chester County. Their Society in Downingtown was organized in 1807; but almost a hundred years before they met for divine worship in Uwchlan and Caln townships, only a few miles distant from this place. With respect to the origin of Uwchlan meeting we find the following statement in a "History of Delaware County," by George Smith, M. D., p. 220: "At a monthly meeting held (at Chester) the 28th of April, 1712, the representatives of Goshen Meeting 'moved the request of several Friends that live at a place called Youchland to have a meeting at the house of John Cadwalader.' This meeting was allowed to be held every first and fifth days, except when a meeting is kept at James Thomas', they meeting once in six weeks with the Great Valley Friends at James Thomas'." The Uwchlan stone meeting house, now standing at Lionville, was built in 1756. It was preceded by a log house, built perhaps as early as 1715, the foundations of which can now be traced. On the 16th of January, 1716, John Winchester sold a tract of land to Thomas Fell, with the fol- lowing reservation : "Excepting a piece of ground on the side of the King's Road, which the said Cadwalader allotted for a burying place, and to set a meeting house for the use of the people called Quakers." The ground thus reserved is that on which the Uwchlan meeting house now stands. The land was bought by John Cadwalader the year before he sold it to Thomas Fell. He allotted a portion to the Friends some time between
76
June and January, and it is likely they built upon it during that period.
Concerning Caln, Dr. Smith says, p. 226. "A preparative meeting was called in Caln in 1716 by Concord Monthly Meet- ing." P. 238: "It is probable the first meeting house at Caln was erected in 1121 ( Dr. Michener says it was built about 1:16). as that meeting had selected ground for said purpose upon the further side of the valley upon the mountain, and had secured the consent of Concord Monthly Meeting to proceed." The first meeting house at Caln was built on an acre of land bought of John Mend nhall. The acre. with the exception of the bury-
ing ground, was subsequently sold to William Pim with the con- sent of Bradford Monthly Meeting, held at Caln August 19. 1143. A more convenient location was selected. On the 18th of January, 1159, Richard Pike conveyed four acres of land in Caln township to Robert Miller and Thomas Parke in trust "for the benefit of the people called Quakers," on which ground the present Caln meeting house was built soon after.
As to Downingtown, we found that in 1784 a meeting was allowed to be held on First-day afternoon during the summer at the school house near the corner of Lancaster and Uwchlan avennes, and this privilege was repeated by Uwchlan Monthly
77
Meeting, 1785-89. In 1795 and 1798 similar meetings were held, and in 1800 an earnest effort was made to establish a per- manent meeting, but this was met with opposition. Its advo- cates persisted in their efforts and obtained an indulgence of holding meetings from time to time until 1806.
On the 22d day of ith month (july), 1806, the following contract was made for the erection of a Friends' meeting house in East Caln, near Downingtown :
ARTICLE of agreement made and concluded upon, by and between John Roberts, Samuel Downing, Jonathan Parke, John R. Thomas and Sam'el Baldwin, who stand legally appointed and authoris'd Trustees for the Building Friends' Meeting-house in the vicinity of Downing's-Town of one part, and Peter Sheneholts, Mason of the Township of East Caln and County of Chester of the other part, Witnesseth that for and in con- sideration of the sum of Four Shillings and three pence per perch the s'd Peter Sheneholts agrees to find his tenders and boards himself and his hands in order to Build a Meeting-house of the following Dimentions, that is to say the House shall be Forty feet by Thirty-five from out to out and all the pillars and Walls the sd. Trustees shall deem or Judge neces- sary in or about sd. Building, the whole of the measurement shall be brought into what's Call'd Masons perch of Wall, and in no instance to edge stones less than four inches thick, or otherwise remove them by the Direction of one or more of sd. Trustees, and completely joint and finish the whole of his part of sd. work in a Masterly workmanlike manner, he the sd. Mason nor his hands shall not willingly nor designingly Retard or hinder the Carpenter in his work, but shall pay all customary or necessary attention to the leveling and plumbing all the timbers of sd. Building, Him- self and his hands shall assist in raiseing sd. timbers, unless their own part of the work should necessarily call them at times of raiseing-the whole of said Mason work (except pointing which is subject to the direction of sd. Trustees) shall be completed within six weeks after said Trustees have made all necessary preparation for sd. Mason and notify'd him thereof, and further he shall set and raise All the scaffold poles find withs and raise the scaffolds for sd. Building-The Trustees to wit John Roberts, Samuel Downing, Jonathan Parke, John R. Thomas and Sam'el Baldwin, do agree on their part to deliver at sd. Building 'at all times during the carrying on of sd. Work a sufficiency of suitable Building Stones, Lime, Sand, Water, Scaffold, Poles, Range-poles, and putlocks, as also suitable materials for gang-ways and a sufficiency of good scaffold Boards-sd. Trustees further agree that when the Seller Joice are laid to furnish sd. Peter Sheneholts with Forty Dollars in part Toward Defraying the expense of sd. Mason work and other Forty Dollars when sd. Building is carried to the square, and the Remaining Part of the money shall be paid when the whole of the Mason work is completed agreeably to contract-All unforeseen accidents and Casualities on both sides to be considered-for the true performance of each and every of the above or foregoing Covenants, the sd. parties bind themselves to each other in the pennalty of one Hundred Dollars as witness our hands and seals this Twenty-second day of the Seventh Month Anno. Domini one thousand Eight Hundred and six-1806- Sealed and delivered
in presence of
T. DOWNING
WM. MITCHENER.
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