2025 Town Tours and Village Walks

Town Tours LogoThe summer program, Town Tours and Village Walks, returns for its 31st year with the theme of "Untold Stories." This year's programs will focus on people and places that are not the economic or social elite, war heroes, or celebrities. The featured sites will represent the everyday citizens and places of Chester County that are the foundation of our history and heritage. Featured sites include those connected to the Underground Railroad, the shift workers of our industries, educators, farmers, Revolutionary War soldiers, and more. Some of the sites featured this year include Barnard Station in Pocopson, Coatesville's business district, charcoal production sites at Warwick County Park, and more.

The programs are free and held weekly, on Thursdays, from June 12 to August 21 (excluding June 19 and July 3), at locations throughout Chester County. Every program starts at 5:30 p.m. and ends at 7:00 p.m. The 2025 program will kick off at Church of the Holy Trinity in West Chester.

Download and share the 2025 Town Tours and Village Walks Brochure.

Tour 1June 12 — Welcome to the kickoff celebration in West Chester Borough!

Come join us for the 31st Town Tours and Village Walks 2025 kickoff, as we explore some of West Chester's "Untold Stories" at the Church of the Holy Trinity, 212 S. High St. The doors open at 5:00 pm with the formal program starting at 5:30 pm. Tours will highlight various stories including the Marquis de Lafayette in West Chester, "Buffalo Bill," lily smuggling, the Shadd family, "The Invisible Man," the Director of the IRS and other assorted tales. As always, West Chester neighborhoods offer lots of historic architecture to view and learn about. Music provided by the Lenape Brass.

Parking: Garage at 20 S. High Street, metered street parking, metered lots at 200 W. Miner and 100 S. High Streets.

Tour 2June 26 — Untold and Under-told Stories of Coatesville

Join us in celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Art Deco Movement — Coatesville Style. Featured on a walking tour of the city's Historic District will be a variety of stops pointing out this unique and disappearing architecture. We will be emphasizing unique stories of the area that may be unknown or only partially known to the tour participants. Hear stories of local people you may never have heard of and share time with local authors as well as several pop-up displays.

Parking: Lukens Executive Building, 50 South First Avenue, Coatesville

Tour 3July 10 — Warwick County Park

The forests of Warwick County Park, between Coventry Forge and Warwick Furnace, were once used for making charcoal that fueled the iron industry through the 18th and 19th centuries. Some of the people involved in these sites are household names today, while others are not as well known. Join us to learn about the people, the occupations, seeing where charcoal was made, and how resources were used to build an industry that built a nation.

Parking: Warwick County Park, Main Parking Lot, 191 County Park Road

Tour 4July 17 — Valley Forge NHP

Join us at Valley Forge National Historical Park as we explore some of the lesser-known buildings, monuments, and stories. We start at the Washington Memorial Chapel, an Episcopal congregation whose building is full of references to Washington, the Revolutionary War, and the Valley Forge encampment. We will see historic Maurice Stephens House. Owned by the National Park Service, the non-profit Valley Forge Park Alliance is restoring the 1816 structure as a coffee house and to provide visitor services. Finally, the walk will end at the Patriots of African Descent Memorial, a relatively recent addition to the Historical Park.

Parking: Memorial Chapel Parking Lot, Route 23

Tour 5Saturday, July 26 — Lafayette Day

The Marquis de Lafayette, a French aristocrat and military officer, volunteered and served in the Continental Army under George Washington. Wounded at the Battle of Brandywine, Lafayette helped to secure France as an ally. Following a brief return to France in 1799, Lafayette returned and served until the end of the American Revolution. For the 50th anniversary of America's independence, Lafayette returned in 1824. Touring through Chester County, Lafayette returned to the Brandywine Battlefield. Today, we celebrate that return.

Thornbury Farm (AM)

Join us at 10:00 am for the start of the program at Thornbury Farm. After opening ceremonies join us for a walk, about a half mile, to Birmingham Hill where Lafayette was wounded.

Parking: Thornbury Farm, 1256 Thornbury Road

Downtown West Chester (PM)

Join us in downtown West Chester, at 2:00 pm, for the Lafayette memorial parade. It starts at the corner of High and Miner Streets and ends at Marshall Square Park, where Lafayette spoke to an adoring crowd.

Parking: Parking garages in downtown West Chester and street parking [limited] around Marshall Square Park.

Tour 6July 31 — Barnard Station, Pocopson Township

Barnard Station represents 19th century efforts throughout Pennsylvania and the United States to end slavery and uphold the community's values & beliefs to help secure "the Blessings of Liberty" for all people.

Friends of Barnard Station, a nonprofit formed in 2020, worked dutifully to provide access to the interior, highlight the family's history and legacy, and create a heritage center to connect to the house's unique history.

You will tour Barnard Station's interior, currently undergoing restoration. Learn about 19th century Pocopson Township, its free Black population, agricultural highlights, and the Barnard Family's anti-slavery activism.

Parking: Use 664 South Wawaset Rd, West Chester — Pocopson Township Office, our shared driveway.

August 7 — Oxford Region Self Guided Driving Tour

Tour 7The Oxford Area Historical Association invites you on a journey of the small villages in the Oxford region, such as Homeville, Russellville, Tweedale, Hopewell, and Lewisville. These historic villages highlight the agricultural and scenic resources that characterize the area. Established by William Penn in 1682, Chester County includes Nottingham Township, first surveyed in 1702 and later divided into East and West Nottingham in 1715. Elk and Oxford Townships were formed from this land in the mid-1800s. Early settlers were primarily English, Scottish, and Irish, with some Swedes, reflected in local place names like Christine Road, named for the Queen of Sweden.The land's cultivation and the establishment of taverns led to the creation of place names that continue to be used in the area today.

Driving tour start: Oxford Area Historical Association, 119 S. 5th St., Oxford

August 14 — Hopewell Furnace NHS

Tour 8Join us for a walk through the heart of Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site. For the decades the furnace operated, many people provided the labor and materials for its operation. We will focus the tour on the lesser known people that called the Furnace their job and home. We will look at Colliers that made the charcoal, the drovers that shipped raw materials and finished goods, the school that served the village, and the families that lived there.

Parking: Hopewell Furnace Visitor Center, 2 Mark Bird Lane, Elverson

August 21 — Historic Yellow Springs, W. Pikeland Township

Tour 9DID YOU KNOW vaccinations were given to Revolutionary War soldiers at Yellow Springs?

DID YOU KNOW patient John Knight was wrapped in spring water soaked sheets as part of his spa treatment?

DID YOU KNOW deceased PA Orphan School children are buried at the Vincent Baptist Church cemetery on Art School Road?

DID YOU KNOW an English landscape gardener designed the Water Meadow pathways?

DID YOU KNOW Burt Bacharach wrote music for THE BLOB, Steve McQueen raced his Corvette through our country roads and Patty Duke, Lee Meriwether and Robert Lansing starred in movies made here by Good News Productions?

Join us and learn so many "untold stories" from over 300 years of history at Yellow Springs.

Parking: 1701 Art School Road, Chester Springs

 

The Chester County Planning Commission is pleased to support the 2025 Town Tours & Village Walks and thanks the many partners and volunteers who make the program an annual success, as we welcome this summer's participants in learning about the county's heritage. The program is also supported by the Chester County Board of Commissioners, the Chester County Conference & Visitors Bureau, the Chester County Historic Preservation Network, and the Chester County History Center.

 


 

Previous Tours

2024 Town Tours and Village Walks Recap

Town ToursThe 2024 Town Tours and Village Walks celebrated 30 years of the program and saw an amazing turnout with more than 1,700 visitors. Learn more.

2023 Town Tours and Village Walks Recap

The 2023 Town Tours and Village Walks program welcomed more than 1,500 individuals to explore Chester County's agricultural heritage through a series of presentations and tours this past June through August. Learn more.

2022 Town Tours and Village Walks Recap

Chester County's Town Tours & Village Walks program wrapped up another great series of events in its 28th season highlighting the "Founding Mothers and Fathers" of Chester County's past! The tours welcomed 1,220 attendees with many familiar faces returning this year as well as lots of new faces. Learn more

2022 Town Tours

2021 Virtual Town Tours and Village Walks Recordings

The 2021 Town Tours and Village Walks Summer Series took place virtually and in person. View the recordings from 2021.

2020 Virtual Town Tours and Village Walks Recordings

The 2020 Town Tours and Village Walks Virtual Summer Series took place virtually through Zoom, a free video conferencing software for use with computers, tablets and cell phones. View the recordings from 2020.