East and West Caln Townships
Peter Bezellon Was Here
Peter Bezellon (whose name is spelled in many ways) arrived in Chester County about 1688 where he set up a trading post at the mouth of the French Creek, north of modern Phoenixville. He and his brother were establishing trading connections with the Conestoga Indians around Lancaster County. His French background, irritated the English who wanted to monopolize the fur trade. Peter's skills as an interpreter and negotiator became respected such that the Province licensed him as a trader, even though he was once imprisoned by the same people. In 1718, the General Assembly tasked him to plot a road from today's Downington west to the Susquehanna River (Paxtang).
The "Old Peter's Road" was originally named "King's Highway" until it became Route 340 and the road retains both names today. Peter and his wife would end life living in a home which is today in the City of Coatesville. They are buried at St. John's Episcopal Church, located on the border of Chester and Lancaster counties.
The Caln Meetinghouse
The Caln Meeting was established in 1716 along what was the King's Highway near Thorndale and a structure was built around 1727. The location of the meeting was changed several times until the current structure was begun in 1784 with an addition erected in 1801.
William Henry
William Henry (1729-1786) descended from a Scots-Irish family led by John Henry. The family emigrated to the New World in 1722 and settled on a large tract purchased on Doe Run, in West Caln Township. John Henry married a Chester County native Elizabeth Deveny in 1728, and son William came a year later. After his father died, William moved to Lancaster where he became involved in the manufacture of fire-arms, furnishing weapons and supplies to Indian traders. As a result, he was appointed Armorer under the command of General John Forbes during the Forbes expedition launched from Philadelphia to capture Fort Duquesne (modern Pittsburgh) during the French and Indian War. He was later an Assistant Commissary to the American Army during the Revolution.. He served in Congress from 1784-1785.
In 1756 Henry engaged a young painter from Newtown Square to paint portraits of Henry and his wife. He then commissi0ned a history painting of the Death of Socrates. The works so impressed Henry that he helped to arrange for West to study in Europe. West would never return to America as he was appointed artist to King George III.
In 1759, Henry helped to found the Juliana Library in Lancaster. It was located in his home for many years. Henry eventually would transition from the smithing business to become an iron manufacturer and distributor. His sons would continue in the business of making firearms. Henry is also credited with early experimentation with steam powered vessels. His interest would cause him to meet and encourage an 11 year old named Robert Fulton.
There Was a WEST Caln Meetinghouse?
Yes, but the meeting no longer exists.
"At Chester Quarterly Meeting 5, 10, 1756
'Bradford monthly meeting concurring with West Caln particular meeting requests that the said particular meeting may be established on record, They having by leave of the said mo meeting held meetings for worship at West Caln several years and are now preparing to build a meeting house: Therefore Richard Jones, Thos Goodwin, Thomas Downing, Willm Trimble, John Pierce & Benjamin Cock are appointed to visit the said meeting and inform themselves whether they seem likely to keep it up with reputation to Truth, and make report thereof to our next Quarterly meeting.'
This committee reported 8, 9 1756 that they had met at West Caln meeting house and thought the meeting should be continued whereupon it was established."
William Trost Richards, Painter
William Trost Richards was born in Philadelphia in 1833, and mentored by German artist Paul Weber. At the age of 21, he painted the view a Mount Vernon for the Art Union of Philadelphia. William travelled to Europe to expand his knowledge. From his studies of pre-Raphaelite work, he developed a passion for painting landscapes. He then graduated to painting coastal scenes. His works of the White Mountains are at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. He was awarded a medal at the 1876 Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, and in 1905 he was awarded the Gold Medal of Honor from the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts.
William Trost Richards’ landscape work focused in Chester County after he had acquired Oldmixon Farm at 340 South Sandy Hill, south of Coatesville in West Caln Township. He bought the property in 1884 to live near his daughter and son-in-law, who owned a poultry business. He would summer each year in Newport, where he died in 1905. He is buried at Laurel Hill Cemetery in Philadelphia.
A Schoolhouse with a Hexagonal Shape
Richard Pim (1797-1857) lived on the land that he acquired from his mother. To create more room for his family, he built a home that he called "Greenwood," which is still standing today. Not only did he build a large house for his family, hut he also built a schoolhouse to educate his nine children. The schoolhouse was built in 1837, in the middle of a surge to build more than 100 octagonal school buildings between 1773 and 1851. The school is today at 721 W. Lincoln Highway in Wagontown.
Hibernia Iron Forge and Mansion
Samuel Downing built the first iron forge at Hibernia in the early 1790s. The forge went through different ownerships until 1821 when it was acquired by Charles Brooke (1786-1866), a Pottstown native, who purchased a tract of 1,000 acres. Before his death, he conveyed the property to his three sons. During that time, the forge was leased to Horace A. Beale. He would later move operations and form Parkesburg Iron Company.
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