150 Years of Community: Parkesburg Borough Parkesburg Historical Commission works to preserve the community’s history

By: The Parkesburg Historical Commission

As a settled community, Parkesburg Borough predates the Revolutionary War Period. Parkesburg was first known as the Fountain Inn (circa 1734), to which that building still stands today on Main Street. An early center of commerce for the Western Chester County region, it experienced growth due to its location on what was known at the time as the Limestone Pike (Route 10 north and south) and the nearby Lancaster Philadelphia Turnpike (Route 30 east and west).

Rapid growth started moving forward in 1831 when the tracks of the Philadelphia and Columbia Railroad were laid through Fountain Inn on its way to a westward expansion. Since Parkesburg was located at one of the highest points along this railroad, it was decided that the repair shops, round house, and construction/repair facilities be located here. At these shops the standardization of parts and mass production in the railroad industry had their beginnings. Good fortune, however, was not to follow the Philadelphia and Columbia. By 1857, the system had gone bankrupt and was sold to the new Pennsylvania Railroad. By 1861, with expansion westward, the Pennsylvania Railroad moved the shops from Parkesburg to Harrisburg and eventually to Altoona, Pennsylvania. Much of the land in the area was owned by the Parke family, who desired to establish a European style industrial town. When the railroad shops left town the dream disappeared, or so it had seemed. With the name change from Fountain Inn to Parkesburg in 1836, Parke still desired to pursue his dream, and pushed to industrialize the newly named town once again.

In 1872, Horace A. Beale moved his Iron Company from Hibernia into the former railroad shops and established the Parkesburg Iron Company. The company eventually became world known for its quality charcoal iron boiler tubes used in steam engines. At times, the company had a profound positive economic effect on the area for years. Due to Beale’s Iron Company, Parke’s dream of an industrial town became a reality.

Parkesburg, formerly a part of Sadsbury Township, became a Borough in 1872. 1900 to the mid 1920’s were known as the “glory years” due to the prosperity brought by the Iron Company. The town experienced growth in commerce, population, civic involvement, and national recognition.

Parkesburg was a pioneer in many new technologies and innovative adventures of the time, including: Public radio stations, The Parkesburg Airport, semi-pro baseball and basketball teams, The Parkesburg Horse track, Utility infrastructure with its own Electric Company, Water Company and a newly formed Gas Company, Telephone and Telegraph, Civic Activity, Car Builders, Clothing companies, Lamp Company, Center for Public Transportation with a Trolley and Train, Business Districts, and so much more.

By the early 1920’s, competition from big steel companies, governmental regulations and the diminished use of steam power had a profound effect on the need for charcoal iron boiler tubes. After fifty-four years of prosperity to the area, the Parkesburg Iron Company ceased operations in October 1926. Hundreds of people lost employment and the depression of the 1930’s had a devastating effect on the community. Lukens Steel Co. in nearby Coatesville provided many jobs to former iron company employees, but this still wasn’t enough and many of the residents moved out, and the community growth diminished and was once again stunted.

Today, with a population of nearly four thousand people, Parkesburg has become a “bedroom type” community with people commuting daily to all points of the compass from Philadelphia to Harrisburg and everywhere in between. As Chester County grows and expands, residents like the quiet, safe hometown feeling with all the amenities one might need nearby. Parkesburg is, once again, a vibrant community with thriving business districts, multi-generational families filling the streets, and a community feel once again.

Fast Forward to 2019; the longtime residents that had multigenerational roots to the community knew it was time to preserve this valuable history of a once greatly prosperous and booming industrial town. Recognizing the need for not only the preservation of this history but also a need to share this history with the Chester County region and beyond, the Parkesburg Historical Commission was formed. The main objective of this commission was to put all the artifacts, which are scattered in areas all around the US, under one roof to be appreciated for years to come. Knowing this was a daunting task in itself to find a location, the group set out in hopes to find a large enough space that could safely and securely house it within the borough. Along with this task, they also knew that Parkesburg was coming up on its 150th sesquicentennial and knew the town and its residents deserved a celebration that would mark the century and a half long triumphs through adversity and struggle. The event was a success with great effort, and it became a springboard for excitement for the future preservation of Parkesburg for another 150 years and beyond.

The commission knew they needed to restart the quest to open the museum here in the borough. With several newly appointed individuals, as well as returning commission members, they have readied themselves to accept the task, and push forward toward a goal of a museum open by the end of 2023. It is no small task, but knowing that the growth and preservation of history rests on their shoulders, the commission presses on.

We find Chester County is full of “history buffs” and we know there are many out there that would love to be involved in any way they can. We have set up a Facebook Group named Parkesburg Historical Commission to not only track progress, but to share pictures, stories, and memories of the past days of Parkesburg, and look forward to a brighter and stronger future ahead of us. Consider your part in the preservation of History.

“History is not the past but a map of the past, drawn from a particular point of view, to be useful to the modern traveler.”

Henry Glassie, US historian (1941-

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