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57-598: Star Gazers' Stone located on Star Gazers' Farm near Embreeville, Pennsylvania , USA , marks the site of a temporary observatory established in January 1764 by Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon which they used in their survey of the Mason-Dixon line . The stone was placed by Mason and Dixon about 700 feet (213 m) north of the Harlan House , which was used as a base of operations by Mason and Dixon through

114-476: A chronometer built by John Harrison , used for measuring longitude. Though Harrison's chronometers later became the standard instrument for measuring longitude, the surveyors' job was mainly to measure latitude, and Mason preferred the method of lunar distance of measuring longitude to the new method. On December 9, 1763 soon after arriving in Philadelphia, the surveyors received their instructions from

171-717: A $ 60 million renovation of the Chester Waterside Station of the Philadelphia Electric Company , originally built in 1918, provides recreational and office space for businesses. Harrah's Casino and Racetrack began harness racing in September 2006 and opened its racino in January 2007. Subaru Park , home of the Major League Soccer Philadelphia Union franchise, opened in 2010. Despite

228-630: A popularly elected city mayor and city council. The terms of the mayor and members are four years. The current mayor of the City of Chester is Stefan Roots , who won the Democratic nomination in May 2021, over incumbent Mayor Thaddeus Kirkland . In May 2023, Roots defeated Kirkland in the Chester Democratic mayoral primary election. Roots defeated independent candidate Anita J. Littleton in

285-402: A rubber recycling facility and illegal industrial chemical dumping site. It burned out of control for several days. The burning chemicals caused multi-colored smoke and noxious fumes which injured 43 firemen and caused long-term health problems for the first responders to the fire. In 1981, the location was declared a Superfund cleanup site and remediation occurred throughout the 1980s. In 1989,

342-417: A two-month period of civil rights rallies, marches, pickets, boycotts, and sit-ins. National civil rights leaders such as Gloria Richardson , Malcolm X and Dick Gregory came to Chester in support of the demonstrations. Pennsylvania Governor William Scranton became involved in the negotiations and convinced the protestors to obey a court-ordered moratorium on demonstrations by agreeing to hold hearings on

399-543: Is bordered to the south by the Delaware River . The city has a total area of 6.0 square miles (15.6 km ), 4.8 square miles (12.5 km ) of which is land and 1.2 square miles (3.0 km ) of which (19.42%) is water, according to the U.S. Census Bureau . Chester Creek meets the Delaware River in Chester. Chester's northeastern border is at Ridley Creek . The Port of Chester is located in Chester along

456-808: The Chester Waterside Station , the William Penn Landing Site , and Subaru Park , home of the Major League Soccer team, the Philadelphia Union . The indigenous tribe that owned the land where Chester now stands were the Okehockings , removed by order of William Penn in 1702 to other lands in Chester County. The original indigenous name of Chester was Mecoponaca, which means "the stream along which large potatoes grow". The first European settlers in

513-706: The Ford Motor Company opened the Chester Assembly factory on the site of the previous Roach and Merchant shipyard and built cars there until its closure in 1961. Chester experienced its second growth period during World War II . Manufacturing increased exponentially including companies such as Wetherill Steel and Boilermakers, Congoleum -Nairn, Aberfoyles Textiles , Scott Paper Company , Belmont Iron Works , American Steel Foundries , Crew Levick Oil , Crown Smelting , Fields Brick Company , Hetzel and Ford Motor Company . During World War II,

570-662: The National Register of Historic Places on May 9, 1985. In 2013 construction was completed on a parking area to allow public access to Star Gazers Stone. Built c. 1724 near the forks of the Brandywine , the Harlan House was enlarged c.1758, and is likely the first house built in Newlin Township . The Harlan family lived in the house until 1956, and carefully preserved the location of the stone through

627-584: The Sun Shipyard became the largest single shipyard in the world. The increased labor needs brought a flood of new workers to the city. The wartime labor force for industries along the waterfront soared to 100,000. Chester began losing its mainstay manufacturing jobs by the early 1960s. Ford Motor Company shuttered its Chester plant, American Viscose Corporation in nearby Marcus Hook closed, Baldwin Locomotive Works in nearby Eddystone

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684-606: The Delaware County seat was moved from Chester to the borough of Media . On February 14, 1866, Chester was incorporated as a city and the first mayor elected was John Larkin, Jr. In 1871, the Delaware River Iron Ship Building and Engine Works was opened by John Roach through the purchase of the Reaney, Son & Archbold shipyard. The first steel ships of the U.S. Navy were built at

741-730: The Delaware River. Located at a low elevation between Philadelphia and Wilmington, Delaware , Chester experiences a humid subtropical climate ( Cfa .) The hardiness zone is 7b. [1] Archived 2014-02-09 at the Wayback Machine As of Census 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. [2] There were 11,662 households, out of which 37.3% had children under

798-507: The November 2023 general election and was sworn into office on January 3, 2024. The Chester City Council consists of the mayor and four council members. Council members are elected at-large to serve the entire city. Council meetings are generally held the second and fourth Wednesday of each month. The five help administer the five municipal departments: The city government has been in financial distress for many years and has operated under

855-516: The Philadelphia Electric Company , Old Main and Chemistry Building , Third Presbyterian Church , William Penn Landing Site , and the former Second Street Bridge . Chester borders on (clockwise from southwest to northeast) Trainer Borough , Upper Chichester Township , Chester Township , Upland Borough , Parkside Borough , Brookhaven Borough , Nether Providence Township , Ridley Township , and Eddystone Borough in Pennsylvania. Chester

912-580: The Public Peace", a 10-point statement promising an immediate return to law and order. The city deputized firemen and trash collectors to help handle demonstrators. The State of Pennsylvania deployed 50 state troopers to assist the 77-member Chester police force. The demonstrations were marked by violence and police brutality with Chester being dubbed the "Birmingham of the North" by civil rights activist James Farmer . Over 600 people were arrested over

969-673: The Roach shipyard. For the first 15 years of operation, it was the largest and most productive shipyard in the United States. More tonnage of ships were built at the Roach shipyard than its next two competitors combined. Roach built other businesses to supply materials for his shipbuilding including the Chester Rolling Mill in 1873 to supply metal hull plates and beams, the Chester Pipe and Tube Company in 1877 for

1026-794: The Sector, and to proceed to run the Parallel of Latitude thru this last Point, which is to be the North Boundary of Maryland and the South Boundary of Pennsylvania. The first instruction was completed by January 6, 1764 by constructing an observatory near the Huddle-Plumstead House on Cedar Street (now named South Street ) in Philadelphia, and measuring the angle of the zenith of eight stars. Rather than measure 15 miles (24 km) directly south of Philadelphia to start

1083-611: The South , searching for employment in the city's expanding shipbuilding and manufacturing industries. The Sun Shipbuilding & Drydock Co. was opened in 1917 to build ships for the United States until its closure in 1990. The idled Roach shipyard was purchased in 1917 by W. Averell Harriman to build merchant ships during World War I, and renamed the Merchant Shipbuilding Corporation . The shipyard closed permanently in 1923. Like many boomtowns, Chester

1140-569: The Southernmost point of the City of Philadelphia. 8 Sun. Fixed on the House of Mr. John Harland's (about 31 miles West of Philadelphia) to bring our Instruments to. 9 Returned to Philadelphia 10 Prepared for moving our Instruments 11 The Observatory taken down and put with the rest of our Instruments into the wagons, except the Telescope, etc., of the Sector which was carried on

1197-709: The Springs (with Feather bed under it) of a single Horse chair. 12 Left Philadelphia and reached Chester 13 Lodged at Esquire Worths Arrived at Mr. Harlands and set up the sector in his Garden (inclosed in a tent), and in the Evening brought the Instrument into the Meridian, and took the following observations The new site of the observatory was near marks that had been made by surveyors from New Jersey in 1730 and 1736. By February 28 Mason and Dixon had determined

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1254-642: The Upland Mills by John Price Crozer and the Powhattan Mills by David Reese Esrey and Hugh Shaw. During the War of 1812 , a group of volunteers from Chester called the Mifflin Guards was raised and led by Samuel Anderson . The troops were sent to Fort DuPont to defend the Delaware River from the threatened attack of British Admiral George Cockburn but did not see any action. In 1851,

1311-635: The Wikimedia System Administrators, please include the details below. Request from 172.68.168.226 via cp1108 cp1108, Varnish XID 198228193 Upstream caches: cp1108 int Error: 429, Too Many Requests at Thu, 28 Nov 2024 05:36:44 GMT Chester, Pennsylvania Incorporated in 1682, Chester is the oldest city in Pennsylvania and was the location of William Penn 's first arrival in the Province of Pennsylvania . It

1368-415: The age of 18, 19.5% were headed by married couples living together, 35.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.1% were non-families. 31.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.1% were someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64, and the average family size was 3.34. Chester has a mayor-council government system, consisting of

1425-630: The area were members of the New Sweden colony. The settlement that became Chester was first called "Finlandia" (the Latin name for Finland ) and then "Upland" after the Swedish province of Uppland . The New Sweden settlers built Fort Mecoponacka in 1641 to defend the settlement. In 1644, the present site of Chester was a tobacco plantation operated by the New Sweden colonists. By 1682, Upland

1482-501: The colonies, the Penns and Calverts, then commissioned Mason and Dixon to survey the newly established boundary. Mason and Dixon used the finest instruments of their day in the survey, including a type of telescope, the zenith sector built by John Bird , used for measuring latitude and an " equal altitude and transit " instrument for sighting survey lines, as well as a less accurate quadrant for faster rough estimates of latitude, and

1539-682: The court to return the money to the city of Chester. With the exception of 1904–1905, the Republican political machine controlled Chester politics for over a century. The first non-machine mayor was elected in 1992: Barbara Bohannan-Sheppard ; however, in 1995, she lost her re-election bid and was replaced by Republican Aaron Wilson, Jr. In the 1990s, the Pennsylvania Crime Commission reported that Chester's government had been dominated by "a triad of criminals, corrupt politicians and rogue law-enforcement officers" since

1596-584: The de facto segregation of public schools in Chester. The Pennsylvania Human Relations Committee determined that the Chester School Board had violated the law and the Chester School District was ordered to desegregate the city's six predominantly African-American schools. The city appealed the ruling, which delayed implementation, but the schools were eventually desegregated. In 1978, an intense fire broke out at Wade Dump ,

1653-707: The defense of Philadelphia. However, Colonel Miles led the troops to New York City in July 1776 when it became clear that the British Fleet was threatening New York rather than Philadelphia. In 1777, the Continental Army led by George Washington passed through Chester on the way to meet the British Army led by General Howe at the Battle of Brandywine . John Armstrong was ordered to take command of

1710-787: The farm. They returned to the observatory when they started the new task of measuring the distance of a degree of latitude in miles. They were reputed to be heavy drinkers, and local lore says that a nearby tributary of the Brandywine, Punch Run Creek, was named to commemorate their drinking. At the end of the survey, the Harlan house was one of the last places they visited before returning to Britain via Philadelphia. Brothers George and Michael Harlan were Quakers who were born in Durham , England and immigrated to Pennsylvania about 1687 from County Down , Ireland . Michael's son George Harlan built

1767-456: The four-and-a-half-year-long survey. Selected to be about 31 miles (50 km) west of the then southernmost point in Philadelphia , the observatory was used to determine the precise latitude of its location. The latitude of the Maryland - Pennsylvania border was then set to be 15 miles (24.1 km) south of the point in Philadelphia. The farm, including the house and stone, were listed on

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1824-495: The generations. Mason and Dixon's survey was the final step in the resolution of a border dispute between Pennsylvania and Maryland that lasted over 80 years. From 1730-1738 a violent border conflict, known as Cresap's War , was fought between Pennsylvania and Maryland. In 1760 the Crown intervened, defining the border as the line of latitude 15 miles (24.1 km) south of the southernmost house in Philadelphia. The proprietors of

1881-693: The house in the forks of the Brandywine c.1724. In that year the Free Society of Traders sold 7,000 acres (28 km) to Nathaniel Newlin , which became Newlin Township in Chester County . Newlin immediately sold some of the land, including 169 acres (0.68 km) in the forks of Brandywine Creek sold to George Harlan. A son, Joel, was born to George and Mary Harlan in 1724 in Newlin Township, presumably in their new house. The house

1938-521: The joint border commission: 1st to settle the Latitude of the southernmost point of the City of Philadelphia by the Sector. 2nd to find a point by the Sector, 30 or 35 miles west from this Place, having the same latitude as the southernmost point of this City. 3rd from this Point so found to measure horizontally due South, which done to observe the Latitude of the South End of the said line by

1995-467: The landmark 1954 U.S. Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education . The racial unrest and civil rights protests were led by George Raymond of the NAACP and Stanley Branche of CFFN and made Chester one of the key battlegrounds of the civil rights movement . In April 1964, a series of almost nightly protests brought chaos to Chester. Mayor James Gorbey issued "The Police Position to Preserve

2052-523: The latitude at Star Gazers' Stone by observing the eight stars. After making adjustments for the distance their observatory was south of Philadelphia, Mason and Dixon measured 15 miles (24.1 km) south to a point in Delaware by April 21. They moved the observatory to this point where they measured the latitude again and remeasured back to the Star Gazers' Stone. In May and June they again measured

2109-473: The latitude at Star Gazers' Stone. The southern point was named the "Post mark'd west" and the Maryland-Pennsylvania border was, after a delay, measured straight west from there. Mason and Dixon returned to the house many times during the four and one-half years of the survey, often spending the winters there. On January 1, 1767, Mason recorded a temperature of minus 22 degrees Fahrenheit at

2166-485: The machine until his death in 1965. In 1933, McClure was found guilty in federal court and sentenced to 18 months in prison for vice and rum-running , but his conviction was overturned on appeal. In 1941, McClure was indicted for conspiracy to gain a $ 250,000 profit from the sale of the Chester Water Works to a private buyer. McClure and four Chester City Council members were acquitted but also ordered by

2223-654: The manufacture of iron pipes and boiler tubes, and the Standard Steel Casting Company in 1883 to supply steel ingots . Roach built the Combination Steel and Iron Company in 1880 to supply steel rails and other products for businesses beyond the Roach shipyard. He lost control of the company after his shipbuilding enterprise entered receivership in 1885. Chester was known as a freewheeling destination for vices such as drugs, alcohol, numbers rackets, gambling and prostitution. Chester

2280-414: The mid-20th century, it has lost most of its manufacturing base and has struggled as a post-industrial city dealing with crime, pollution, and poverty. Pennsylvania declared Chester a financially distressed municipality in 1995 and a fiscal emergency in 2020. In 2022, Chester became the 31st city in the United States to declare bankruptcy. The city is home to Widener University , Harrah's Philadelphia ,

2337-527: The militia stationed at Chester. The Continental Army fled back to Chester after defeat at the Battle of Brandywine . A portion of the British force occupied Chester as they chased the Continental Army fleeing to Philadelphia. In 1788, the Chester County seat was moved from Chester to West Chester . In 1789, Delaware County was formed from the eastern part of Chester County, and Chester became

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2394-508: The new county seat. The borough of Chester was governed under the charter granted by Penn in 1701 until March 5, 1795, when it was incorporated by the Pennsylvania Assembly . In the 1700s and 1800s, Chester was a hub for business due to easy access to the Delaware River for the transport of raw materials and finished goods by ship. By the mid-1800s, many textile mills and factories were built along Chester Creek including

2451-834: The placement of projects that increased concerns about pollution, noise, and trucks, such as a contaminated soil remediation facility, the trash incinerator, the DELCORA sewage waste treatment center and the Abbonizio recycling center. In 1995, the state designated Chester as a financially distressed municipality . Recent programs to foster investment into Chester include the Pennsylvania Keystone Opportunity Zone (KOZ) program, which incentivizes companies with state and local tax breaks to invest in KOZ-designated areas. The Wharf at Rivertown,

2508-410: The recent investments into the community, Governor Tom Wolf declared a fiscal emergency for Chester in 2020 and the city declared bankruptcy in 2022. It was the 31st municipality to declare bankruptcy since the U.S. Congress offered the program in the 1930s. National Register of Historic Places in Chester are: Delaware County National Bank , 1724 Chester Courthouse , Chester Waterside Station of

2565-418: The same house, but Mason and Dixon's Journal always refers to the "John Harland farm" or simply the "Harland farm." John Harlan died by drowning in the Brandywine in 1768. The original house is two stories measuring 25 feet (7.6 m) by 16 feet (4.9 m), constructed of stone. The c.1758 addition was also constructed of stone and measures 25 feet (7.6 m) by 13 feet (4.0 m). A small frame addition

2622-426: The site was deemed safe and removed from the Superfund national priorities list. In 2004, the site was converted to a parking lot for Commodore Barry Bridge Park . By the 1980s, Chester was a city bereft of industry. Many bottom-rung projects were initiated in Chester, including the Westinghouse trash incinerator , a sewage treatment plant, and a prison . Chester residents and politicians began pushing back against

2679-402: The state's Act 47 provisions for twenty-one years. The act provides for municipalities that are near bankruptcy. Chester has been hurt for decades by corrupt politicians and organized crime . Chester's Republican Party political machine was one of the nation's oldest and most corrupt. John J. McClure took over from his father, William McClure, in 1907 and was the political boss for

2736-481: The stone. Natural Lands , the region's foremost land conservation organization, now owns the stone as part of ChesLen Preserve, which is open to the public. Joshua Harlan, son of the immigrant George Harlan, built a log cabin known as the Harlan Log House about 1715, about 12 miles (19 km) south in Kennett Township which is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Embreeville, Pennsylvania Too Many Requests If you report this error to

2793-400: The survey, a westward move was needed to avoid crossing the wide Delaware River twice, and to avoid beginning the survey of the Pennsylvania-Maryland border in New Jersey. The surveyors fulfilled the second instruction by January 13, as recorded in their journal: January 7 Set out from Philadelphia with a Quadrant to find (nearby) a place in the Forks of Brandywine having the same Parallel as

2850-461: The western part. Chester served as the county seat for Chester County from 1682 to 1788. In 1724, the Chester Courthouse was built to support the legal needs of the county. Chester played only a small role in the American Revolutionary War . Throughout 1776 and 1777, there were significant forces stationed in Chester and nearby Marcus Hook . In April 1776, nearly 1,000 men were stationed in Chester under Colonel Samuel Miles in preparation for

2907-465: Was built in the nineteenth century. The Harlan family lived on site until they sold the property in 1956. In 1908 the Chester County Historical Society dug up the Star Gazers' Stone, set it in concrete, built a low stone wall around it, and placed a plaque on the new wall. At the dedication, Henry K. Harlan said that each generation of the family was taught that the Star Gazers' Stone had an important place in American history and that they should not move

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2964-451: Was close to bankruptcy and Sun Shipyard employment had fallen from a high of 35,000 in 1945 to 4,000 in 1962. Chester's precipitous drop in jobs in the late 20th and early 21st centuries caused the city's population to diminish from over 66,000 in 1950 to under 34,000 in 2010. In 1963 and 1964, the Chester school protests fought to end the de facto segregation that resulted in the racial categorization of Chester public schools, even after

3021-415: Was probably the first in the township. Tax assessments in the township were first made in 1739, and until 1760, Joel's older brother John Harlan paid the taxes on the house and farm. Sometime between 1758 and 1760 Joel returned to Newlin Township after living in other locations in Chester County, took ownership of the farm and built an addition to the house. Both John's and Joel's families apparently lived in

3078-536: Was the county seat for Chester County from 1682 to 1788 and of Delaware County from 1789 to 1851. From the second half of the 19th century through the first half of the 20th century, the city was a major center of heavy industry , manufacturing and shipping . The city became a boomtown during World War I and World War II . The availability of employment in factories , dock work , and shipbuilding attracted immigrants from Southern and Eastern Europe and African-American migrants from southern states . Since

3135-402: Was the most populous town of the new Province of Pennsylvania . On October 27, the ship Welcome arrived bearing William Penn on his first visit to the province. Penn renamed the settlement after the English city of Chester . Chester County originally stretched from the Delaware River to the Susquehanna River from its founding in 1682 until 1729 when Lancaster County was formed from

3192-462: Was unprepared for the social changes that came along with rapid growth. As southern blacks migrated to Pennsylvania as part of the Great Migration , racial violence broke out, racially segregated neighborhoods expanded and economic discrimination emerged. A four-day race riot that resulted in seven deaths broke out in the city in July 1917, and the separation of blacks and whites in Chester's neighborhoods and workplaces became more defined. In 1927,

3249-498: Was widely known as Greater Philadelphia's "Saloon Town". By 1914, Chester had more saloons than police officers; approximately 1 saloon per every 987 residents. During and following World War I , Chester grew significantly as people migrated to the city for jobs, 63% of which were in manufacturing. Between 1910 and 1920, Chester's population increased from 38,000 to 58,000 due to the influx of poor Southern European and Eastern European immigrants and African-American migrants from

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