Chester, Pennsylvania

Chester is a city in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is part of the Philadelphia metropolitan area and sits on the western side of the Delaware River between Philadelphia and Wilmington, Delaware. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 32,605 people.

Incorporated in 1682, Chester holds the distinction of being the oldest city in Pennsylvania. It was the place where William Penn first arrived in the Province of Pennsylvania. For many years, it served as the county seat for Chester County and later for Delaware County.

During the late 1800s and early 1900s, Chester became a busy center for heavy industry, manufacturing, and shipping. The city grew quickly during World War I and World War II, drawing workers from many places, including Southern and Eastern Europe, as well as African-American migrants from southern states. Today, while much of the old manufacturing has faded, some industries still operate, especially around the Port of Chester.

Chester is home to several notable places, including Widener University, Harrah's Philadelphia, the Chester Waterside Station, the William Penn Landing Site, and Subaru Park. Subaru Park is where the Philadelphia Union, a Major League Soccer team, plays its home games.

History

Early history

The land where Chester now stands was owned by the Okehockings tribe. They were moved to other lands in 1702 by William Penn. The area was first called “Finlandia” and later “Upland” by settlers from New Sweden. They built Fort Mecoponacka in 1641 to protect their settlement.

In 1644, the area was a tobacco plantation. By 1682, Upland became the most important town in Pennsylvania. William Penn visited in 1682 and renamed it Chester after a city in England.

18th century

Chester County was large when it was created in 1682, but it was later divided. Chester was an important town and the county seat until 1788. In 1724, a courthouse was built there.

During the American Revolutionary War, troops stayed in Chester. In 1777, General George Washington’s army passed through on their way to meet the British Army. After a battle, some British troops stayed in Chester.

In 1788, the county seat moved to West Chester. In 1789, Delaware County was formed, and Chester became its seat. Chester became a city in 1866.

19th century

Chester grew because it was easy to move goods by ship along the Delaware River. Many factories and mills were built there, including textile mills.

During the War of 1812, volunteers from Chester were ready to defend the river but did not see battle.

In 1871, a big shipyard opened and built some of the first steel ships for the U.S. Navy. The shipyard also built other businesses to make materials for shipbuilding.

20th century

Chester became known for having many places to buy alcohol and other activities. By 1914, there were more bars than police officers.

During and after World War I, many people moved to Chester for jobs in factories and shipyards. New workers came from Southern and Eastern Europe and from African-American communities in the South.

Chester grew quickly, but it was not ready for all the changes. There were problems with race relations, and a big fight happened in 1917.

In 1927, Ford opened a car factory. During World War II, many new workers came to Chester, and the city made a lot of things for the war effort.

After the war, many factories began to close. Jobs disappeared, and the population of Chester fell.

In the 1960s, people in Chester protested because schools were still separated by race, even after a big court case said it was wrong. The protests were led by civil rights leaders and brought attention to the issue. Eventually, the schools were integrated.

In 1978, a big fire started at a place where old tires and chemicals were stored. It burned for days and made bad smoke that hurt firefighters.

By the 1980s, Chester had lost most of its factories. The city began to push back against new projects that might pollute or make noise.

In 1995, the state said Chester was in serious financial trouble.

21st century

Recent efforts to bring investment to Chester include tax breaks for businesses. A big renovation project created space for offices and recreation.

A casino and racetrack opened in 2007, and a soccer stadium opened in 2010.

Despite these efforts, Chester faced serious money problems. In 2020, a governor declared a fiscal emergency, and the city declared bankruptcy in 2022.

Chester has several places listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Geography

Chester is a city in Pennsylvania that borders several smaller towns and is next to the Delaware River to the south. The city covers an area of 6.0 square miles, with some of that area being water.

Chester has a humid subtropical climate, which means its weather can be warm and humid in the summer and cooler in the winter. It is located between the larger cities of Philadelphia and Wilmington, Delaware.

Demographics

Racial and ethnic composition

2020 census

According to the 2020 census, Chester had a population of 32,605 people. The middle age was 33.2 years. About 24.5% of the residents were younger than 18, and 13.5% were 65 years or older. For every 100 females, there were 93 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.1 males age 18 and over.

All residents lived in urban areas.

There were 11,805 homes in Chester. About 32.4% of these homes had children under 18 living in them. Of all homes, 18.0% were led by married couples, 25.0% had a male head of household without a spouse, and 49.5% had a female head of household without a spouse. About 34.0% of homes were made up of single people, and 13.5% had someone living alone who was 65 or older.

There were 14,023 places to live, with 15.8% of them empty. The rate of empty homes owned by people was 2.5%, and the rate of empty rental homes was 8.4%.

2010 census

In the year 2010, the racial makeup of the city was 74.7% African American, 17.2% White, 9.0% Hispanic or Latino of any race, 0.6% Asian, 0.4% Native American, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander, 3.9% from other races, and 3.0% from two or more races.

There were 11,662 homes. About 37.3% of these homes had children under 18. 19.5% were led by married couples living together, 35.6% had a female head of household without a husband, and 38.1% were not families. 31.2% of all homes were made up of single people, and 11.1% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average size of a home was 2.64 people, and the average size of a family was 3.34 people.

Government

See also: List of mayors of Chester, Pennsylvania

Chester has a mayor-council government. This means the city has a mayor who is elected by the people and a city council to help run things. Both the mayor and council members serve for four years.

Right now, the mayor of Chester is Stefan Roots. He became mayor in January 2024 after winning elections in 2023. The Chester City Council has the mayor and four other members who help make decisions for the whole city. They meet twice a month to discuss important city matters.

The city government has faced money problems for many years and has needed help from the state to stay running.

Political corruption

Chester has had problems with dishonest leaders and organized crime for many years. For a long time, one political group controlled the city, and some leaders did not follow the rules. In the past, some leaders faced legal trouble for their actions. In the 1990s, reports showed that some leaders, police, and others worked together in unfair ways. One former mayor even went to prison for taking money that wasn’t his.

Economy

From 2010 to 2014, the average yearly income for a household in Chester was about $28,600, and for a family it was about $34,800. Men working full-time earned around $34,300 on average, while women earned around $30,600. Each person in the city had an average income of $15,500. Many families and people in Chester lived below the poverty line, with about 27% of families and 33% of all people affected, including nearly half of children under 18 and about 18% of people aged 65 or older.

Sports

Horse racing

When Harrah's Philadelphia was built, Chester began hosting horse races that used to be held at the Brandywine Raceway and Liberty Bell Park Racetrack. The racino opened on January 22, 2008, and has a special bridge that lets races cross over the Delaware River.

Soccer

Chester is where the Major League Soccer team, the Philadelphia Union, plays. Their home games are at Subaru Park, a stadium built just for soccer near the Commodore Barry Bridge. The stadium is part of a big area called Rivertown. Plans for Rivertown were shared in 2008, including money for Subaru Park and for building homes, offices, and shops.

Education

The city of Chester has several schools that serve its students and nearby areas. The Chester Upland School District provides public education for the city, Chester Township, and the borough of Upland.

There is one main religious school in Chester called Drexel Neumann Academy, which is part of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Some older schools, like Resurrection of Our Lord School and St. James High School for Boys, closed many years ago.

Chester also has charter schools, which are public schools that operate independently. The Chester Charter Scholars Academy started in 2008 and moved to a new building in 2017. The Chester Community Charter School, opened in 1998, serves many students across several campuses. The Widener Partnership Charter School, begun in 2006, works closely with Widener University.

Chester is home to Widener University, a private university with a large campus. It offers many different programs for students and has campuses in other places too. The university has a long history, starting as a school for boys in 1821 before moving to Chester in 1862.

Transportation

Chester has about 98 miles of public roads. Some are kept up by the state, and some by the city.

The city has many highways and bridges. Interstate 95 runs through Chester and has three exits to different streets. Two other federal highways, U.S. Route 13 and U.S. Route 322, also go through the city. US 322 crosses the Delaware River on the Commodore Barry Bridge. Before the bridge opened in 1974, people used a ferry, which caused traffic jams.

Chester has public bus services run by SEPTA, with seven bus routes and two train stations. The Chester Transit Center is a main spot for buses and trains. There was another train station, Lamokin Street, but it closed in 2003 because not many people used it.

Public safety

Law enforcement

The City of Chester Police Department is the main group that keeps Chester safe. They work with other police teams like the Chester Housing Authority Police Department, the Delaware River and Port Authority Police Department, and the Pennsylvania State Police to help protect the city.

Crime

In 2020, a report said Chester had higher crime rates than many other places in the U.S. But in recent years, there has been a big drop in serious crimes, especially shootings.

Religion

Chester has several churches that are very old and important:

• Asbury AME Church - Founded in 1845, it is the second oldest African Methodist Episcopal Church in Chester.
• Calvary Baptist Church - A Baptist church started in 1879. Martin Luther King Jr. visited this church when he studied at Crozer Theological Seminary.
• Chester Friends Meetinghouse - The first Quaker meeting house was built in 1693, and William Penn often spoke there.
• St. Paul's Church and Old Burial Ground - An Episcopal church first built in 1702. The church was rebuilt in 1859 and again in 1900. The burial ground holds the remains of John Morton, a signer of the Declaration of Independence.
• Third Presbyterian Church - A Presbyterian church founded in 1872. It held the first summer bible school in 1912 but was badly damaged by fire in 2020.

St. Katharine Drexel Church is the only Roman Catholic church left in Chester. It is part of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia and was formed by joining six older churches in 1993.

Notable people

Main article: List of people from Chester, Pennsylvania

Chester, Pennsylvania, has been home to many famous individuals throughout history. These people have made important contributions in various fields and have helped shape the community's identity. Some of them are well-known names that you might recognize from history books or popular culture.

Points of interest

Chester, Pennsylvania, has many interesting places to visit and explore. Some of these include historic buildings like the 1724 Chester Courthouse and Widener University, as well as parks such as Deshong Park and Subaru Park. There are also important landmarks like the Chester Waterside Station of the Philadelphia Electric Company and the William Penn Landing Site.