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Newtown Square Historical Society
Newtown Township is fortunate to have an active, energetic and committed Historical Society, who have become the caretakers and teachers of our rich and proud local history.
The main purpose of the Society are to protect, preserve and promote the historic resources of the Township, and to tell its story to all of its residents and visitors. Each year, children and adults find a full schedule of activities, events and opportunities to visit our historical sites. The Society is an all-volunteer, non-profit 501(c)(3) community organization.
Visit our Facebook page or website for all current as well as upcoming activities! We hope you'll come out and enjoy all the important history that Newtown Township offers!
Meetings
1st Tuesday of every month
Members
Members are listed on our website
What do we do in the community?
- Monthly programs run from October through May.
- Annual Historic Newtown Square Day in June (started in 1995 – next year is 28th anniversary)
- Program book for Historic Newtown Square Day – our biggest revenue source – funds all that we do
- Annual school tours: since 1995 – 4th graders learn about Newtown Square history and life in Colonial Times
- Ellis Scholarship Award: $500 each year to a local high school student
- Newtown Square History Center at the 1828 Paper Mill House - open most Saturdays from 12 - 4pm. Visit the website below for scheduled dates and times
- 1742 Square Tavern - open most Saturdays from 1 - 4pm. Visit the website below for scheduled dates and times
- Bartram Covered Bridge and Hood Octagonal School; visit the website below for scheduled dates and times
- Visit the Newtown Historic website for more information and follow us on Facebook!
What help we need?
People who want to get involved
Takes resources and manpower; our board of 10-15 individuals do virtually all of the work! Entire generation of people who built the organization have passed away or moved away, so we need more young people to get involved.
- publicity – solicit referrals;
- Volunteer for events – guides, help clean PMH; help organize archives, catalog photos, help with architectural dig; help with school tours;
- help with website
- research and writing;
- grants
- Buy ads in our annual program book and help us sell them by promoting the Township and its rich history. This is our biggest revenue source for all activities!
What’s in store for future?
- Visit the Historic Newtown website for all monthly programs
Brief History of Newtown Square
- 1681: William Penn – real estate developer; Penn’s first planned inland New Town west of City – Holmes map
- Settled by Welsh Quakers
- Father of American painting, Benjamin West, lived at Tavern.
- Was a crossroads of the Revolution – Wayne lived up the street, British raiding parties visited several times, one of Washington’s spies, Major John Clark, operated from the Lewis farm on Goshen Road.
- The outlaw Sandy Flash reportedly had a connection to the Tavern
Crossroads of history – Ben West, Sandy Flash, British raids, Major Clark – all at crossroads – get photo from tavern window
After Revolution, West Chester Turnpike was built – new hotel built up there in 1793 or so, and slowly the town gravitated to that intersection and away from the Goshen Rd intersection.
National Register Site
Five Buildings on National Register of Historic Places:
- 1715 St. David's Church and Graveyard: application
- 1742 Square Tavern: application
- 1828 Crosley-Garrett Mill Workers' Housing, Store and Mill Site: application
- 1841 Hood Octagonal School: application
- 1860 Bartram Bridge: application
View all of the Historic Sites on our Website
Newtown Square Historical Society
Visit the Newtown Square Historical Society website for a history of our Township, view many historical images and maps and find other history- related links.