An Early Business in Chester. An 1823 ledger belonging to prominent businessman Peter Deshong shows the cost of items such as rum, whiskey, a keg of powder, pearl buttons, and salt.
Map of the campus in 1892. On the aerial map for this year the following buildings are listed: Old Main, Old Main Annex, Drill Hall/Gymnasium, Observatory, residances of the President and Vice-President, Riding Hall, Laundry and Stables.
The Bullock School Established, 1821. Pennsylvania Military College begins as a Quaker boarding school for boys. Established by John Bullock in Wilmington, Delaware, the school remains at this location until 1862.
The Marquis de Lafayette Visits Chester, 1824. As the United States approaches the 50th anniversary of the Revolution, President Monroe invites General Lafayette to return to America.
Aerial view of the campus in 1942. The campus included the following new buildings by this year: Alumni Lodge, Hyatt Hall, The Armory, and Memorial Stadium.
Samuel Alsop, Headmaster 1846–1853. Upon John Bullock’s death, Samuel Alsop, a Philadelphia Quaker, scholar, mathematician, and teacher at the Bullock School, becomes headmaster. He runs the school until 1853, when he sells his interests to...
Map of the campus in 1947. The campus included the following new buildings by this year: 1st Webb Hall, Dyer Hall, Dyer Annex, Spang Hall, Taitt Hall, and an Engineering Building.
First Permanent Railroad in the Nation. Originally built in 1810, the Leiper Railroad transports stone from quarries on Crum Creek to the landing on Ridley Creek, a distance of ¾ mile. It stops operation in 1828. Pictured here is the second Leiper...
Samuel Alsop, Headmaster 1846–1853. Upon John Bullock’s death, Samuel Alsop, a Philadelphia Quaker, scholar, mathematician, and teacher at the Bullock School, becomes headmaster. He runs the school until 1853, when he sells his interests to...
60th Anniversary of Washington’s Stay in Chester. General George Washington stays at this hotel after his defeat at the Battle of Brandywine in 1777. It is later renamed Washington House.
Aerial view of the campus in 1959. The campus included the following new buildings by this year: PMC Memorial Library and the dormitories Howell Hall, Turrell Hall and Cann Hall (part of the dorm complex located on 14th Street).
Theodore Hyatt, President 1853–1887. Educational excellence, Christian influence, parental involvement, strict discipline and the addition of military training are hallmarks of Hyatt’s tenure.
Aerial view of the campus in 1965. The campus included the following new buildings by this year: Alumni Auditorium, 2nd Webb Hall, Loveland and Victory Halls, MacMorland Center, Sharples Hall, Kirkbride Hall and the dormitories Hanna Hall, Thayer...
Chester Courthouse and Jail. The courthouse, constructed in 1724, provides administrative offices until 1851, when the county seat moves from Chester to Media. By 2007, it becomes the oldest government building still in continuous use in the United...
Military Drill Begins, 1858. Legend holds that Theodore Hyatt entered the gymnasium to find his pupils drilling with broomsticks. Hyatt soon introduces military training to “develop the muscles, expand the chest, and impart an erect gentlemanly...
