Brandywine Stories: Riding the Rails

It was a Thursday. The date was October 18, 1832. That was the day a railroad car, the first of its type, traveled from West Chester to Philadelphia on newly laid railroad tracks. The trip totaled 30 miles. Yet this excursion made local history by demonstrating a new opportunity for West Chester to connect with its neighbors by rail. But, in fact, West Chester was now connecting with the world.

Imagine the delight of local residents knowing passengers could travel to Philadelphia and enjoy a scenic ride in the comfort of a passenger railroad car sheltered from the weather. Until then, the only way to travel beyond West Chester was by horse and wagon. That made going to Philly an all-day trek that generally required good weather. Now, the train took about three hours, with the added bonus of comfortable seats. Plus the trains brought visitors from the city to enjoy the charms of Chester County.

A Train Needs a Station

The first West Chester train station was called Liberty Grove, located at Chestnut and Matlack Streets. It was located next to the home of David Townsend, which still stands. Townsend was a respected civic leader and humanitarian who was among the supporters of the new train service. And it’s reported he applied for a liquor license so his home could become a small pub providing refreshments to train passengers. The license was, however, respectfully declined.

Unfortunately, those likely to use the train considered this first station location to be too far from the central downtown area. That was corrected when the tracks were extended to a newly built station on East Gay Street near High — still the heart of West Chester. The station is reported to have been designed by a young Thomas U. Walter, later considered among the nation’s top architects for his work on the U.S. Capitol dome, among other projects.

The tracks heading out of town followed what’s now Evans Street, past the area where Sharpless Works would later be built, and then extended nine miles to Malvern. Trains would then merge onto the Main Line track, the Commonwealth’s most important railroad connecting Philadelphia to Harrisburg and points beyond.

The West Chester Railroad Company, as it was called, was among the nation’s earliest railroads. It was created as a private company made up of local entrepreneurs, many who now have West Chester streets named after them. Three decades later the West Chester & Philadelphia Railroad opened a station on Market Street at Railroad Street, West Chester’s last surviving cobblestone street.

The Market Street station soon became West Chester’s most successful train station. It provided both residents and visitors an opportunity for day-tripping, while businesses were given the ability to send and receive valuable goods.

Eventually, the two West Chester railroads became part of the Pennsylvania Railroad system in 1881. At its height, the Pennsylvania Railroad operated 24 passenger trains to West Chester each day, plus three scheduled freight trains.

Sadly, tragedy struck the Market Street station in 1967 when a fire destroyed it. It was never rebuilt. Other forms of transportation (cars and trucks) finally caused the Pennsylvania Railroad to end service to West Chester in 1986. The train tracks remained viable, however, and are used periodically.

Update

In the 1990s, a group of railroad enthusiasts successfully approached the Borough of West Chester about creating the West Chester Railroad, a tourist excursion railroad. Throughout the year, this railroad takes visitors into the scenic Chester Creek Valley on one of America’s oldest railroads lines. The round trip is about 90 minutes and stops at historic Glen Mills, where there’s time to explore its picnic grove. Don’t miss the beautifully restored Victorian station, a museum managed by the Thornbury Historical Society.

For a seasonal train ride, this heritage railroad offers a special Christmas Tree Train (Dec. 1, 8 and 15) and a Santa’s Express on weekends through December 22. The whole family can join Santa on a 75-minute ride through Chester Creek Valley in a warm and festively decorated train car with live entertainment. And if the kiddos bring their holiday gift list, Santa will check it twice! Details at WCRailroad.com.

Those hoping for a return of passenger rail service from West Chester had their hopes raised in 2018 and 2021 when options were explored. But for now, it’s all aboard the heritage railroad!

From Rails to Trails

Electric trolleys became all the rage in the Brandywine Valley when the first one began running from West Chester to Lenape in 1891. In addition to serving residents, it brought customers to an amusement park at the Lenape stop.

Soon, trolley tracks became regular features on the streets, with Philadelphia, Downingtown, Coatesville and Kennett Square all enjoying the comfortable convenience of trolley travel. In West Chester, a favorite trolley was the so-called High Street Dinky, providing service between the State Normal School (now West Chester University) and downtown. West Chester’s trolley service lasted until 1954.

The design of the trolley required that it travel on relatively flat ground. Consequently, today trolley tracks have become picturesque trekking trails. One of the most popular is Sugar’s Bridge Nature Area Brandywine Trail located at 1085 Downingtown Pike between West Chester and Downingtown. The main path is paved, and trekkers can see a trolley cut at the head of the trail. Other features include a covered bridge, the scenic Brandywine Creek and unpaved trails for more adventurous hikers.

Malcolm Johnstone is the Community Engagement Officer for Arts, Culture and Historic Preservation for the Cultural Alliance of Chester County, an initiative of the Chester County Community Foundation. His column raises awareness of Chester County’s rich heritage as we journey to 2026: the year the U.S. celebrates the 250th anniversary of our nation’s independence.