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Home : Quarterly Archives : Volume 24 |
Tredyffrin Easttown Historical Society |
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Source: April 1986 Volume 24 Number 2, Pages 59–66 Early Roads in Chester County Since "Early Roads in Chester County" is obviously a pretty broad topic, I have narrowed my report down to the more important roads in the county before the Revolutionary War. Whenever and wherever settlements are established the cry soon goes up for more and better roads - and the cry becomes eternal! Today we are very much aware of road construction and traffic problems in our two townships as our area becomes more and more developed. In ancient times the Romans seem to have answered the cry best. Many of the roads they built to move their armies can still be seen in Britain and on the Continent. They banked their roads, piling the dirt and the stones up and leaving ditches for drainage. Thus the name highway came to mean a better road or main road. For extensive travel in Colonial America, the colonist for many years used the trails laid out by the Indians for travel between their hunting and fishing grounds. Actually, Pennsylvania had more and better roads than the other colonies. Even before it became a Province and was still under the Duke of York's Charter, in 1678, the government took early action to establish roads in the colony. In that year the following notice was posted at the court at Upland (now Chester): "Ordered that every person should within the space of two months, as far as his land reaches, make good and passable ways from neighbor to neighbor with bridges where itt needs To the End that neighors on occasion may come together, -- those neglecting to, forfeit 25 guilders."
Map by Thomas Scull 1770 [A] King's Highway [B] Edgemont Road [C] 1703 Road [D] Conestoga Road or Provincial Road [E] Lancaster Road or Great Road [F] Marlborough Road [G] Swedesford Road [H] Nutt Road [I] 1748 Road A few months later the Court prescribed how the roads should be made: "The highways to be cleare of standing and lying trees, at least ten feet broad; all stumps and shrubs to be close cutt by ye ground, the trees, marked yearly on both sydes -- sufficiemt bridges to be made and kept over all marshy swampy and difficult dirty places --..." (This gives us a picture of how crude these early roads were, fit for only horseback or pack horses!) The next step was to enforce the order. The following was entered in the court records in 1680: "Whereas the Court finds itt necessary that some fitt persons bee appointed as overseers of ye highways and roads; it was therefore Resolved, and Mr. John Cook & Lasse Dalbos were this day appointed and sworn overseers ..." The grand jury was charged with the task of hearing petitions for new roads, viewing the proposed routes, and arranging for their construction. The earliest roads were laid out for travel to meeting houses and churches and to mills. As more settlements were established, the need for more and better roads became more and more apparent. The first extensive road laid out by the colonists was the King's Highway, from Darby to Chester, both a part of Chester County at that time. The first record of this road can be found in the 1678 Court Records of the Upland Court: "Neighbors should make a road to get from the Cobbs Creek Mill to the mill of Caleb Pusey along the Chester Creek." As soon as the town of Chester was laid out, the road was extended to it. The road was called the King's Road in honor of King Charles II. By 1693 it was opened down through the Lower Counties (as Delaware was then known) and on into Maryland. [See A on the map] The Edgemont Road was another very early road. The records of the Chester Court for December 11, 1687 read "Laid out a High way from Edgemond to ye King's Highway in Chester, about a sixty foote road, by virtue of an order of the Court bearing date ye 4th of October 1687; ..." By 1693 this road was extended through Thornbury, Westtown, Goshen and Whiteland townships. It was used mainly to bring limestone from the Great Valley to Chester. (Route #352 follows closely the route of this old road.) [B] The Court, under Penn's government, continued to appoint supervisors until 1692. In that year the job was turned over to each township. Eight years later, in 1700, it was ordered that county roads be in the hands of the county justices, and that the Governor and his Council take care of only problems connected with the King's highways. The first road laid out by the county justice so appointed to lay out and survey old roads in 1700 was the road from William Powell's ferry on the Schuylkill river, passing the Haverford Meeting House, running through Goshen township, and continuing in a direct route to the upper settlements on the Brandywine. It was laid out in 1703. [C] The earliest important highway to go all the way through the present day Chester County was the Conestoga Road, also known as the Provincial Road. It ran from Philadelphia to the Conestoga settlements along the Susquehanna river. This road had its beginnings in Philadelphia in 1687 and through the years was extended and developed. [D] After Lancaster became a good-sized settlement, a branch ran from this road into the new town. After 1741 this was known as the Lancaster Road or the Great Road, and became the most traveled road of its time; Benjamin Rush in 1789 remarked that it was "not uncommon to meet fifty to a hundred conestoga wagons in one day along this road, mostly belonging to German farmers". This road held sway until the new Lancaster turnpike opened in 1794 -- and even then the new turnpike followed the route of the old Lancaster Road in many places. [E] In 1710 the Providence Road was laid out, from the Chester Court House past the Providence Meeting House and into Whiteland. This had been a well-traveled route, believed to have been an old Indian trail. The Goshen Road was laid out in 1719, from the Goshen Mill, passing by the "Old Square" (now Newtown Square) and intersecting with the Providence Road. In this same year William Penn laid out Marlborough Street Road. It ran from the Pennsbury Township line to the Marlborough Meeting House five miles away. The road was soon extended in both directions, and is now known as Street Road (or Route #926). [F] The Provincial Council ordered a road opened through the Great Valley in 1724. This road forded the Schuylkill river at the Swede's Ford, just below the present Norristown, and was known as the Swedesford Road. It ran west thcough the Chester Valley, into the Whitelands. In the petition for it, it was described "As the most convenient for the publick, and especially necessary for the congregation of the Baptists and least detriment to private persons". [G] Another early road was laid out in East Nantmeal Township, around 1735, to bring iron down from the furnaces to Valley Forge. It came through Warwick and Vincent townships and picked up an old Indian trail near the mouth of the Pickering Creek, then passed on by the Yellow Springs, from there to Valley Forge, and down into Philadelphia. It was called Nutt Road, in honor of the founder of the furnaces. (Route #23 now follows the route of this old road very closely.) [H] The Paxtang Road was also laid out along an old Indian trail, running from the Susquehanna river in Paxtang Township, into Honeybrook, through Uwchlan and by the Meeting House, and intersecting with the Conestoga Road near the White Horse (now Planebrook). The Paxtang Boys used this road when the came into Philadelphia during the French and Indian War. As I mentioned earlier, these early roads were in many cases the results of petitions. Here is one for a road in Tredyffrin Township: "To the Court of Quarter Sessions held att Chester May the 26 - 1719 "We whose names are hereunto written being under some grievaness and hardship or disconveniency for want of a road from the grave-yard near Lewis Walker in trevdyfrin to the Great Road near the widow Samuel, being about two miles and a half distance we hitherto had a good road and much in use this 14 years without Interuption. this Road suits our convenience both for Philadelphia and Chester, and it is the only way to the nearest and most convenient Limskill for Radnor, Mairion, Haverford, and Darby -- this Road is Like to be stop'd and we gott to much Disconveniency for want of it; therefore it is our humble petition that this Court may take our cause in consideration and Remove our said grivances, as your great wisdom shall think most fit: Hopeing that your poor petitioners shall ever pray as in duty bound." The petition was signed by seventeen persons: Lewis Walker, John Robert, Stephen Evans, James Abraham, Owen Gathin, Daniel Walker, Rowland Thomas, Evan Jones, Griffith Evan, two John Davids, Evan Lewis, Evan Jons, Morris Edward, Thorny Jenkin, Griffith Philip, and Joseph Walker. A jury of six persons was appointed by the Court in October to review the petition and report back to the Court. In its report, dated "the twenty-third day of February Anno Dom. 1719/20", the jury reported that it had "Viewed and Layd out a Road Beginning at a Hickery marked near the Grave Yard near Lewis Walker's in Tredufrin thence South thirty three degrees east Sixty Eight perches through Lewis Walker's Land to a White Oak Marked. Thence South Seventy degrees East one hundred and thirty two perches through James Davis' Land to a White Oak Sapling Marked thence South Seventeen degrees East One hundred and thirty two perches through Morris Davids to a White Oak Marked thence South two degrees west fourteen pchs to a Spanish Oake Marked thence South thirty Degrees West Sixteen pchs to a Hickery Sapling Marked thence South fifty one degrees West fifty six perches to a Chesnut marked thence South twelve degrees West forty perches to a Black Oak marked thence South Eight degrees West Sixty perches to a White Oak marked thence South three degrees West forty two perches through T, Simons Land thence South Seven degrees East fifty six perches to a Black Oak marked - thence South twenty Six degrees East Eighty six perches to a White Oak. marked thence South twenty Six degrees West twenty Six perches to a Black Oak Sapling marked thence South thirty five degrees West thirty perches to a Spanish Oak marked thence South thirty seven deg west thirty perches through Several 1 tracts of Land to the high road at Margaret Samuels." The return was granted by the Court, which ordered that "it Should be Posted at Large", and that orders "to Cutt and Clear the Same" also be issued and posted at large. You might think that with so much open land at that time it would be no problem to run a road right through where needed. Not so! The courts were bombarded with petitions whenever a road of any length was proposed -- both in support of the original petition and against it. Do the phrases "Private Advantages" and "Entirely Contrary to the spirit and Intention of the Act" sound familiar? They were used by our early citizens more than two hundred years ago, as shown in the following proceedings regarding a petition for a road, recorded in the road papers of Chester County in volume 14, page 7. (The proceedings also indicate the problems faced by the courts in these matters.) "To the Honable Justices of the Court of Quarter Sessions to be held at Chester August 1774 "The petition of the Subscribers Humbly Showeth That We apprehend there is a Necessity of a Public Road to begin in Paxtang Road near Uwchlan Meeting-house & the Redlion Tavern; and to lead thro Lands of Dennis Whelen, Stephen Philips, Isaac Jacobs & George Thomas the directest Course the Ground will Admit to Lancaster Road at or near the Corner of Samuel James's Land and thence Crossing the Valley on a Strait Line dividing the Lands of George Thomas, Samuel Jones, and Nicholas Ryar, Ending in the Road leading from Downing's to Chester at or near the Corner of David Dunwoody's Field. "Therefore we Request that wou wou'd be pleased to Appoint a Sett of Men to View & if they see occasion to lay out said Road And Your Petitioners shall acknowledge the Favour." The petition was signed by eleven men, including the owners of the lands through which the road was to pass. At their August 30, 1774 meeting the Court appointed six men to view and lay out "the said road" and report back to the Court, which they did. The proposed road, however, did not suit some of the other citizens in the neighborhood, and at the next Court they petitioned "To the Honorable Justices of the Court Of Quarter Sessions to beheld at Chester November 1774 "The petition of Divers Inhabitants of the Township of West Whiteland Humbly Sheweth That your Petitioners Understand there has Lately been a road laid out from the sign of the RedLyon in Uwchlan through the land of Stephen Philips, Isaac Jacobs, George Thomas, Samuel James, & David Dunwoodie, to the road Leading to the Sign of the Boot to Brandywine (Commonly called Chester Road) And the sd. Road having been Applied for by the owners of the land through which it goes; who allways have it in their power to keep an open Road through their own Lands, for whose advantage only the sd. Road is or can bee Now it appears to us very unreasonable for a few Persons who want a road for their Private Advantage, To obtain a power of getting it done by the Township; and Entirely Contrary to the spirit and Intention of the act of the Eighth of George the Second which Expressly declares that all such Roads as this will appear to be 'Shall be Cleared & maintained by the Persons using the same. "We therefore pray this Honourable Court not to confirm the sd. Return Untill we can be further heard, or if you should not see fit to lay it aside or Delay the matter Until we can be more fully heard we desire a fresh set of men to view the same And Your Petitioners will acknowledge your Justice." It was signed by six men. The Court listened to this petition, and at the Court held on November 29, 1774 appointed "a fresh set" of six men to view the road and make recommendations. At the February court term they made a report to vacate the requested road. But at the same Court seventeen other men prayed the Court to confirm the road as originally laid out! So another jury was appointed -- and its finding was that the road should be laid out! There was still one man, Samuel Jones, who would not give up his protest and in May 1775 he petitioned the Court, claiming that this road would cut off about four acres of his land, all greatly to his damage, "Besides the very great Expense the making of the sd. road will be to the Township which will be of use but to a few neighbors two or three at most". Nevertheless, the Court finally confirmed the road. In addition to those already mentioned, references to several other early roads in Tredyffrin can be found in the County Road Docket Book and the original road files. While this, in itself, does not mean that the road was actually laid out and built, notations on the original papers do show that the road was approved. The roads are never named in these papers. Can you name these early roads in Tredyffrin? (Some of them may no longer exist!) The first road in Tredyffrin in the Docket Book dates back to 1710. It ran from Thomas Jarman's Mill land to the Great Road from Radnor to Philadelphia. (It is found in Dockett 1-200.) There is also a record of a 1716 road, going from the townships of Tredyffrin, Easttown and Newtown, beginning at Thomas Jarman's mill road on land of Edward Hughes and ending in the road from the Valley to Newtown Meeting House. (Docket 1-74.) Mention should also be made of a 1748 road, beginning at the Provincial Road at the end of George Aston's land, to the Episcopal Church Burying Ground in the Valley. (Docket 5-37.) II] Finally, although it was not laid out until after the Revolution, there is one other road that I think is interesting enough to be included here. It is a 1795 road, beginning at a post at the end of the lane commonly called Walkers Lane on the Swedesford Road in the township of Tredyffrin, thence southly through the land of Thomas J. Walker and the land of J. Evans until it intersects with the turnpike at or near the sign of the General Paoli, length about 1-1/2 miles. The laying out of these early roads, of course, meant only a survey of their course and clearing the timber from them. They were dirt roads. Mud, dust, and deep ruts made them impassable for several months of the year. Their maintenance was largely only a matter of filling in the holes and ruts and leveling off the higher spots. A stage coach averaged only eight or nine miles an hour at best on them, and twenty to thirty miles was a good day's journey for a horse-drawn wagon even when the road was in good condition! The first stone-bedded road in America -- the Philadelphia and Lancaster Turnpike -- didn't come until 1794. TopSources J. Smith Futhey and Gilbert Cope: History of Chester County. Philadelphia 1881 Chester County Archives: Road Dockets and Original Papers Clerk of Courts, Chester County Court House: Road Index Book Thomas Scull: Map. 1770 |
