Chesco Historical Society nominated

WEST CHESTER >> The Chester County Historical Society (CCHS) have been invited to participate in a national voting campaign sponsored by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. West Chester is the only Pennsylvania community to join 19 other finalists throughout the country.

Winners of the voting campaign will receive grant funds provided by American Express and the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Using the theme “Under One Roof”, the Chester County Historical Society stands to win up to $200,000 which is needed to help pay for the repair of their roof and chimneys. Repairs are desperately needed to protect the thousands of historic artifacts and documents located there.

“We are joining CCHS and asking residents to support this campaign by voting online every day,” said

Malcolm Johnstone, Executive Director of the West Chester Business Improvement District. “I know there are people who are passionate about history and historic preservation and we’re asking that they please spread the word to support our great historic institution.”

Each person may vote five times each day through Oct. 29. The only qualification is an email address or Facebook account. The voting page can be found at VoteYourMainStreet.org /West Chester.

The grant funds will be used to fix the roof that is leaking and chimneys that are crumbling. In 1995, the 1908 the slate roof was replaced with a material that looked like slate called Supradur. It was cost effective and believed to be durable. Without consumer knowledge, the manufacturer changed the fiber of the tiles. It was unsuccessful and within 10 years our roof was failing while the company went bankrupt.

The roof is now deteriorating dramatically and repairs are needed immediately.

The winners of the voting campaign will be announced on Oct. 30.

In addition to the online media campaign, the Chester County Historical Society will host a Block Party and Open House on Saturday, Oct. 19 from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.

“Those who attend between noon and 4 p.m. can vote for a special element of the campaign that could mean an additional $50,000 for CCHS,” said Allison Snavely, Director of Development at CCHS.

“We are thrilled to invite all of our public to join in a celebration of the county’s extraordinary history and to discover how CCHS serves as a vibrant community center that connects our stories, past and present,” said Interim President Beverly Sheppard. “We want all of our visitors to engage, explore, and enjoy being part of our region’s unique sense of place.”

More information can be found at DowntownWestChester.com.

SUBMITTED PHOTO Horticultural Hall, now part of the CCHS complex on HighStreet, was the site of the 1852 Women Rights Convention; the first everin Pennsylvania and the seventh such convention in the US. CCHS isspotlighting the county’s women leaders, both then and now, in theirmedia campaign “Under One Roof.” The campaign links historicpreservation to women’s contributions on Main Street America, to womenfighting for human rights in 1852, to the 19th Amendment, and to theimportance of voting and female leadership today.