Biography of David McConkey McFarland David McConkey McFarland, one of the leading and most successful business men of Chester County, and a prominent and public spirited citizen of West Chester, is a representative member of that distinguished class of self-made men, who not only deserve success, but who win it. He is a son of James …
Philip Brandt, of New Hanover BY HENRY S. DOTTERER. Philip Brandt received a commercial education in Germany. On his journey to this country he lost his property, compelling him to begin life here under great disadvantages. In 1734 he was the owner of 100 acres of land in Hanover township. His property was located in …
One of the more intriguing stories about Chester County’s local inns is that of the Stottsville Inn on Strasburg Road. As the legend goes, the Inn is haunted by the ghost of Josephine Stott Chandler Emery, after supposedly being murdered by her husband, Horace G. Emery when he found her in bed with someone else. …
The Vickers family were well known for their pottery, but perhaps even more for their work on the Underground Railroad. John Vickers, one of the sons of Thomas Vickers, followed in his father’s footsteps, both as a quality potter and as an abolitionist. His farm in Lionville became a major stop on the Undeground Railroad. …
The first Ship Inn was located a mile west of Downingtown and was operated by Thomas Park, a British loyalist. Just after the Battle of Brandywine, a number of patriot soldiers came by the inn for a drink, but Park refused to serve them. Angered, the soldiers fired thirteen shots in tthe sign board of …
The Inn was probably built in the late 1700’s as it does not appear on maps from the Revolutionary War era. By 1822, the property was in the hands of Joseph Lancaster, whose request for a tavern license was denied. Eventually, Lancaster did receive his license and the property became known as the Lancaster Inn. …
omas Lunn purchased the land where the Tavern now stands in November 1758 and, in 1764, petitioned for a tavern license. The license was finally granted in 1766. Lunn operated the Inn until 1793 when it was taken over by his nephew, William, for several years, unitl 1798, when Thomas ran it again briefly. His …
Tavern licenses had been sought for this location since 1758, but were not finally granted until 1778. The Inn property was owned by several successive parties and went by various different names, including the General Wolf, the Red Horse, and finally, the Sandy Hill Tavern. It was purchased in 1790 by Caleb Way, but in …
George Rees established the Lamb Tavern at this location in 1812 and it continued as a tavern through the first half of the 1800’s. After the town of Devon was founded, the Lamb was extensively renovated. Late in the 1800’s, it shifted its trade to boarding summer guests from Philadelphia, which allowed the property to …
In 1793, Joseph Woodward purchased 4 acres in what would become Marshallton and built a stone house and stable. In 1814, the stone house became a tavern, first known as the General Wayne, but after a number of name changes, it began to go by the name by which we know it now, the Marshalton …