Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Rustin High recognized by Westtown Historical Commission
WEST CHESTER » Students at Rustin High School may not know much about the piece of land that their sits upon, but thanks to the Westtown Township Historical Commission, they soon will. Members of the commission recently presented Rustin principal, Dr. Michael Marano, with a historical marker that details this history of the land. The marker will hang in the lobby of the school.
Rustin High School, located at 1100 Shiloh Road in West Chester, was originally Maple Shade
Farm. Marshall Jones Sr., purchased the farm in 1913. Jones Sr., along with his son and grandson, also named Marshall, operated the farm which provided milk and produce to the region according to the Historical Commission.
“Whenever there is a large development going on of historic property, which Rustin was, we came up with the idea to put up signs so that people know what used to be there,” said Historical Commission member David Walter. “I thought maybe the students here at Rustin should have a sign in the lobby too so that they know what used to be here. This sign is a replica of what is going to be installed along the walking trail in Rustin Walk which was also part of Maple Shade Farm.”
Erica Reilly, the chair of the Westtown Township Historical Commission said the developer of Rustin Walk, NV Homes, pledged $3,000 towards the historical marker that will be located in the housing development.
The Westtown Township Historical Commission was created in March of 2013 with a mission to foster a community appreciation of the rich and varied history of the township. The Historical Commission educates residents about lands, buildings, and sites of historic, architectural, archaeological, or cultural significance and the people who worked, farmed, and lived in Westtown Township.