The Village of Marshallton
West Bradford, Chester County Pennsylvania
By: Erica Young and Trudi Schmidhousler
What do botany, religion, agriculture, tax avoidance, and the Brandywine have to do with the history of the village of Marshallton? They all contributed to the foundation and development of Marshallton’s history, architecture, and current everyday life. When Edward Clayton, Thomas Arnold, and George Martin received their Penn land grants in 1713-1716, they found that they had been awarded an area of very fertile land in a strategic location now known as “Between the Brandywines.” They quickly began their settlement in the region aided in the early years by the farming and hunting information that the Delaware, the original inhabitants of the Marshallton area, shared with the European settlers.
Located on a ridge in West Bradford Township, between West Chester and Downingtown, surrounded by the east and west branches of the Brandywine and strategically located between Lancaster and Philadelphia, the village of Marshallton is a charming National Register Historic District that rose from a few farms and families. The early settlers were Quakers. Most notably among them the Marshall family was instrumental in establishing the Bradford Meeting in 1726. The current meetinghouse, which is from 1765, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) and its wood stove still warms the thriving Quaker meeting community today. The Methodists arrived in 1813 and built their church in 1829.
The Marshallton United Methodist Church is a vibrant and thriving congregation and the bell still tolls on Sundays for worship. The most notable member of the Marshall family was Humphry Marshall (1722-1801). Humphry Marshall is known as the “Father of American Dendrology” as he published the first inventory of American trees and shrubs called Arbustum Americanum: The American Grove. (Dendrology is the study of trees and other woody plants.) Marshall supplied plants and seeds to Europeans who were curious about new species and the new America. Humphry Marshall built his home in 1773 in Marshallton and established his arboretum and astrological observatory. His fine stonework is of the highest quality and the property, because of its significance, is on the NRHP. In 2014, the PA Historical and Museum Commission approved a historical marker for Humphry Marshall, as submitted by the Marshallton Conservation Trust (MCT).
Strasburg Road was an alternative route to the markets in Philadelphia and was very popular with drovers. The “head tax” charged on Route 30 Lancaster Pike could be avoided by traveling through Marshallton. Taverns and inns arose to support the drovers and their livestock such as Centre House, now a restored ruins park called Martin’s Tavern and maintained by The Friends of Martins Tavern. The outstanding 1814 double door Georgian architecture and owner preservation efforts earned the Marshallton Inn a NRHP designation in 1977. The Marshallton Inn and Four Dogs Tavern (the old drover’s barn) are lively food and drink destinations in the countryside still in operation today.
In order to support the thriving commercial traffic and growing village there were over 30 trades and cottage industries established in the village. Some of these included hatters, scythe makers, tinsmiths, pump makers, cigar manufacturers (Made in Marshallton Cigars), cabinet masters, clock makers, and a blacksmith shop. Today the blacksmith shop from The Village of Marshallton West Bradford, Chester County Pennsylvania By: Erica Young and Trudi Sdchmidhousler the mid-18th century stands in the village center much as it was when in operation including the second story carriage entrance. Of course, additionally, there were many choices for obtaining groceries, oysters, and other goods. Eventually in the 1800s, Marshallton’s population grew and the school and town hall were built. Several disastrous fires impacted many commercial and public operations over the years. Today the Goddard School occupies one of the schoolhouses and the Merchant of Menace occupies one of the town halls.
In 1988, the core 67 buildings of historical and architectural interest in the Marshallton Village were listed as a National Register Historic District. This designation affirms that the whole is more than the sum of its parts. Together all the homes, commercial buildings, and religious centers provide a sense of historical place and provide visitors the feel of Marshallton’s history, scale and beauty. The 2009 Streetscapes improvement project restored the original brick patterned sidewalks, planted trees and corrected roadway and drainage issues to further enhance historical accuracy and place in time.
The Marshallton Conservation Trust (MCT) provides a continued stewardship of this very special village. Our Mission is to promote the preservation and improvement of the Marshallton community. We accomplish this through initiatives focused on maintaining and improving Marshallton’s livability, along with its distinctive character. As you drive through the surrounding countryside of Marshallton and slowly wander the historic paths in our village, we hope you feel you have stepped back in time in this “working man’s village”. The MCT strives to maintain the bucolic charm and historical integrity of Marshallton. We welcome you to our village. Enjoy your visit!