East Fallowfield Township
Pennsylvania was established as a colony in 1681 when the territory was granted to William Penn by King Charles II, of England. Penn, a Quaker with a strong sense of justice, then purchased the land from the native indians. Chester County was founded in 1682, as one of the three original counties in Pennsylvania, along with Philadelphia and Bucks Counties. The name Chester probably suggested by friend of Penn's, Robert Pearson, because it had been the city in England where Pearson resided. Before European settlement, Indians of the Lenni Lenapes tribe were found in the County, but were rapidly displaced by the influx of settlers.
One of the first purchasers of land from Penn was Lancelot Fallowfield. In 1718, a preacher named John Salkield brought a tract of land from Fallowfield. The land extended west from what is now West Bradford Township to the Octorara Creek, and included the area between Upper Oxford and West Caln Townships. Salkield decided to call his land Fallowfield, in honor of its former landowner. Land boundaries were redefined in 1728, when Sadsbury was taken out of the original tract. The courts were unsuccessfully petitioned in 1731 and 1738 to further redefine the tract, but the matter was not accomplished until 1743. The division was along the North Brand of Doe Run, now known as Buck Run, with land west of the creek eventually forming Highland and West Fallowfield Townships. A portion of West Marlborough was subsequently added to the area that had become known as East Fallowfield.
East Fallowfield Township grew slowly, but increases in population were steady. For example, there were three taxable residents in 1718, and thirty six in 1753. The first iron mill in America is said to have been established along Buck Run by Issac Pennack, in 1793, at Rokeby. In 1811, the population was sufficient to warrant the building of the Friends meeting House, which still exists after several renovations. By 1826, there were still no villages in East Fallowfield Township that were larger than several houses, and Coatesville was only a tiny cluster of houses. Soon after the advent of the locomotive, railroads were extended from Philadelphia, as far west as Parkesburg, by 1831. As rail traffic increased, villages along its route grew, and the Coatesville area quickly became a prominent population center, while East Fallowfield Township, continued to grow at a slower rate. The need for education became an increasing concern, and in 1851, the Ercildoun Academy was founded as a school for boys. In 1854, the school began functioning as a girls seminary, and became noteworthy as one of Chester County's institutions of higher learning.
Throughout the 1800's, East Fallowfield Township continued to develop along the lines of rural agricultural area. With slavery becoming an increasingly sensitive issue, rural residents in the Chester County area found themselves in a demanding situation. Since Pennsylvania was a free state bordering on the sla
One of the first purchasers of land from Penn was Lancelot Fallowfield. In 1718, a preacher named John Salkield brought a tract of land from Fallowfield. The land extended west from what is now West Bradford Township to the Octorara Creek, and included the area between Upper Oxford and West Caln Townships. Salkield decided to call his land Fallowfield, in honor of its former landowner. Land boundaries were redefined in 1728, when Sadsbury was taken out of the original tract. The courts were unsuccessfully petitioned in 1731 and 1738 to further redefine the tract, but the matter was not accomplished until 1743. The division was along the North Brand of Doe Run, now known as Buck Run, with land west of the creek eventually forming Highland and West Fallowfield Townships. A portion of West Marlborough was subsequently added to the area that had become known as East Fallowfield.
East Fallowfield Township grew slowly, but increases in population were steady. For example, there were three taxable residents in 1718, and thirty six in 1753. The first iron mill in America is said to have been established along Buck Run by Issac Pennack, in 1793, at Rokeby. In 1811, the population was sufficient to warrant the building of the Friends meeting House, which still exists after several renovations. By 1826, there were still no villages in East Fallowfield Township that were larger than several houses, and Coatesville was only a tiny cluster of houses. Soon after the advent of the locomotive, railroads were extended from Philadelphia, as far west as Parkesburg, by 1831. As rail traffic increased, villages along its route grew, and the Coatesville area quickly became a prominent population center, while East Fallowfield Township, continued to grow at a slower rate. The need for education became an increasing concern, and in 1851, the Ercildoun Academy was founded as a school for boys. In 1854, the school began functioning as a girls seminary, and became noteworthy as one of Chester County's institutions of higher learning.
Throughout the 1800's, East Fallowfield Township continued to develop along the lines of rural agricultural area. With slavery becoming an increasingly sensitive issue, rural residents in the Chester County area found themselves in a demanding situation. Since Pennsylvania was a free state bordering on the sla
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