Newtown Square Historical Society

Newtown Square Historical Society LOGO 2022

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

  1. What do we do in the community
  2. What help we need

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’s in store for future?

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:

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.