Brandywine Battlefield Historic Marker Unveiled in Westtown
Posted November 16, 2021
Last month, Westtown Township unveiled a new historic marker recognizing the importance of the September 11, 1777 Battle of Brandywine. The sign is the sixth in a series of 15 to be installed in the Chester and Delaware county municipalities where the largest single-day land battle of the Revolutionary War took place.
The marker reads: "Westtown Crown Forces Left Flank, Mid-afternoon, Sept. 11, 1777, over 8,000 Crown Forces under Generals Howe and Cornwallis halted near here at Osbourne Hill following a daunting flanking march since daybreak. This prominent point for observation allowed clear views of American troop movements to the south. Arrayed into battle lines, the Crown Forces launched a major assault against General Washington's outmaneuvered forces that were forming around Birmingham Hill. British Light infantry and Hessian Jaegers advanced through this area. The ensuing combat witnessed some of the heaviest fighting at the Battle of Brandywine."
Other signs that have been installed include West Bradford Township, East Bradford Township, East Marlborough Township, and Pennsbury Township in Chester County, as well as Thornbury Township in Delaware County.
"Each sign tells a specific part of the larger battlefield story, and, once all 15 signs are installed, they, along with Heritage Centers and Interpretive Sites, will provide a coordinated network of public education about the battle," noted Brian O'Leary, Chester County Planning Commission's Executive Director.
This initiative was led through a public-private partnership developed by the Brandywine Battlefield Task Force, facilitated by the Chester County Planning Commission, coordinated with municipal historical commissions, and funded with the support of the PA Society of the Sons of the Revolution and its Color Guard.
"This project provides an excellent example of private-public collaboration and regional planning and implementation," noted Jeannine Speirs, Senior Community Planner at the Chester County Planning Commission and Administrator of the Brandywine Battlefield Task Force.