1724 Chester Courthouse

The 1724 Chester Courthouse was once the Courthouse for Chester and Delaware Counties and City Hall for Chester. Since the 1920s it has been open as a historic site. It is now owned by the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission (PHMC) and leased by Delaware County. It is the oldest building in continuous public use in the country. Both PHMC and Delaware County are rehabilitating the building in anticipation of America250 in 2026. Follow the progress here.

• Latest News

On October 5, 2024, the County hosted Lafayette Day in Chester with boarded up windows but new LED lighting so the interior of the courtroom was not dark. See photos and learn more about the event here.

If you have ideas for what to use the building for, let us know here. The County would love to see the building used by the public on a regular basis and now is the time to start planning for its future.

On December 12, 2024 at 11 am, there will be a Lafayette Trail Marker Dedication and a short celebration of the 300th anniversary of the Courthouse. It will be held at the park opposite Chester City Hall at the corner of 4th Street and Avenue of the States. Parking is available at City Hall.

Project Background

In 2021, PHMC signed a lease agreement with Delaware County for the County to take over the programming and maintenance at the Courthouse. As part of the agreement, PHMC will be doing the following improvements:

Repair/repaint first floor windows, doors, and shutters

Repair/replace first floor HVAC system

Upgrade first floor lights

Repair roof leaks and seal roof to last longer

Selective first floor interior painting/plastering

In 2023, Delaware County was awarded a National Park Service Grant for the Rehabilitation of the Courthouse. See press release here.

The grant covers the following improvements:

Exterior stone repairs/ repointing

Repair/repaint cupola and second floor windows, shutters, eaves

Upgrade electric, fire, alarm systems

Install kitchenette plumbing/electric on second floor

Remove carpet on second floor and refinish wood floors

Interior painting/plastering on both floors

The County hired J&M Preservation to undertake the drawings, specifications, and construction management for the NPS grant project. They have regular meetings with Delaware County and PHMC staff about the project and coordination. The bidding for the projects covered by the NPS grant will open in the spring with a late spring start date so the work will be completed by June 2026.

Some of the work covered by PHMC has been completed or are underway, and progress can be seen by visitors:

On October 5, 2024, the County hosted Lafayette Day in Chester with boarded up windows but new LED lighting so the interior of the courtroom was not dark. See photos and learn more about the event here.

Keep checking back here for more progress about both projects.

Public Use of the Courthouse

The Courthouse has the honor of being the oldest public building in continuous public use in the country. Apart from a few years in the 1780s between when Chester County moved the courthouse to West Chester and Delaware County was established, it has been in public ownership and use. While these construction projects are underway, public access is limited to a few times a year. Law Day, hosted by the Delaware County Bar Association, is on the first Friday in May each year. The Chester Historical Preservation Committee and Friends of the 1724 Chester Courthouse host the Reading of the Declaration of Independence on July 8 each year in honor of when it was read at the Courthouse on July 8, 1776. 2024 marks the 300th anniversary of the Courthouse, but because there is no heat and no running water to the building, no large celebration is scheduled in 2024; something will happen in spring 2025 before the NPS grant construction starts.

The Delaware County Planning Department is hoping for public input for programming at the Courthouse after the construction is completed in 2026. The first floor is a courtroom which can hold audiences for mock trials, speeches, lectures, small performances, etc. The second floor has two restrooms (not ADA accessible), a room for meetings with a kitchenette, and a large room (former Grand Jury Room). This can be used as a museum for Chester and/or the Courthouse, a larger meeting room, or anything else. Delaware County Parks and Recreation will manage rental permits for the building (free/low cost for community groups and non-profits to have meetings/programs) in 2026 and beyond.

Questions about the 1724 Chester Courthouse? Contact the Planning Department at 610-891-5200 or Planning_Department@co.delaware.pa.us.