Chester County Archives and Record Services

601 Westtown Road, Suite 080

West Chester, PA 19380-0990

Phone: (610) 344-6760

E-Mail: ccarchives@chesco.org

Created in 1982, the Chester County Archives was established to preserve and make available the historic records of Chester County.  The archives currently holds over 2,940 volumes and 1,823 cubic feet of original public records of enduring historic and cultural value.  Serving over 3,000 researchers a year, the archives is a primary destination for genealogists, property researchers, local historians and academics researching all facets of Chester County history

Chester County Historical Society

225 North High Street

West Chester, PA 19380-2691

610.692.4800 (Voice)

610.692.4357 (Fax)

website:  www.chestercohistorical.org/index.php

Chester County Historic Preservation Network

P.O. Box 174
West Chester, PA 19381
1-877-44-CCPHN
(877-442-2476)

website:   http://www.cchpn.org/

Bureau for Historic Preservation

The Commonwealth Keystone Building

400 North Street, 2nd Floor

Harrisburg, PA 17120-0093

717.787.4363

website: www.phmc.state.pa.us

This State Commission reviews nominations to the National Register of Historic Places, conducts initial reviews of applications for the federal investment tax credit for the restoration and rehabilitation of historic properties, and provides information and technical assistance. Its Pennsylvania History and Museum Program and Keystone Historic Preservation Grants are available to eligible organizations.

National Register in Pennsylvania

website: www.arch.state.pa.us

The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission has entered its complete inventory of National Register and National Historic Landmark properties in the Commonwealth on a new website called ARCH. It includes more than 3000 National Register nominations

Preservation Alliance of Philadelphia

1616 Walnut Street, Suite 2110

Philadelphia, Pa 19103

215.546.1146

fax 215.546.1180

website: www.preservationalliance.com

The Alliance is the Philadelphia region’s non-profit preservation leader, dedicated to the protection and appropriate development of Greater Philadelphia’s historic resources - buildings, communities, and landscapes. A membership organization, Alliance programs include public advocacy, the acquisition and maintenance of preservation easements, and the provision of grants and technical assistance to stewards of historic house museums. The Alliance sponsors the annual Preservation Achievement Awards and conducts monthly insider tours of historic places, publishes Preservation Matters, a quarterly newsletter, maintains an award-winning web site with the latest in preservation news, and has a number of publications available to the public.

National Trust for Historic Preservation

Northeast Field Office

6401 Germantown Avenue

Philadelphia, PA 19144

215.848.8033

fax 215.848.5997

website: www.nthp.org

The field office of the private, non-profit organization chartered by Congress in 1949 serves Pennsylvania, Delaware, and New Jersey. The Trust encourages public participation in preservation, provides limited financial assistance through grant and loan programs, and publishes widely.

Preservation Pennsylvania

257 North Street

Harrisburg, PA 17101

717.234.2310

fax 717.234.2522

website: www.preservationpa.org

This statewide membership organization assists Pennsylvania communities and groups to protect and utilize the historic resources they want to preserve. It also monitors state legislative activity, publishes a newsletter, and administers a grant program for Philadelphia preservation projects.

Historical Society of Pennsylvania

1250 Locust Street

Philadelphia, PA 19107

215.732.6200

website: www.hsp.org

The Society is an excellent source of materials on Philadelphia history, including census records, old newspaper articles, family histories, maps and atlases. The Society also has a large collection of watercolors and early photographs of various buildings and landscapes throughout the Philadelphia area.

Athenaeum of Philadelphia

219 S. 6th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19106
215.925.2688
website: www.philaathenaeum.org

website: www.philadelphiabuildings.org

The Athenaeum holds an extensive collection of architectural plans and drawings by noted Philadelphia architects and other materials useful in researching old Philadelphia houses.