Delaware County Historical Society

Mission Statement:

The mission of Delaware County Historical Society (DCHS) is to collect, protect, and preserve the history and culture of Delaware County, PA, making it accessible to all through strong educational outreach.

Purpose: 

Archive and research center: Store, protect, and preserve pieces of Delaware County history and culture that are considered significant.         

Create accessible avenues for historic research through digitization of historic items.          

Educational outreach through curated events and programming. Working with local k-12 schools and colleges to advocate and promote local history.        

Reflect and promote all narratives of Delaware County, especially those of historically underrepresented communities such as the Black community, LGBTQ+, Asian American/Pacific Islander, Latinx, Indigenous Communities, and those who are differently abled. DCHS also shares and protects the history of all 49 municipalities, townships, boroughs, and incorporated territories within Delaware County.

Goals for 2025:

DCHS is rolling out a series of programming for 2025 and beyond, that would provide the community of Delaware County insight into the stories and people who have made Delco the unique little corner of the world it is! DCHS offers free programs in order to provide equitable and accessible humanities to the community of Delaware County. Funding provided by you will help support our programming and to make it available to all. DCHS public programming includes:

"History Under the Stars":

The DCHS lecture series runs from March through October and will be held outdoors in the DCHS parking lot on Wednesday evenings during the Dining Under the Stars season. Guests will be welcomed to a free and open lecture, covering a wide array of historic topics from a number of speakers including, local historian Dr. Sam Lemon, Professor Kelly O'Donnell from Bryn Mawr College, and more!

DCHS Seasonal Open House:

Once every couple of months, DCHS hosts a weekend open house featuring curated displays of Delaware County history at our new location in Media. The open houses are free and open to the public, and showcases incredible pieces of Delaware County history, some of which have never been seen by the public before! Our 2025 Winter Open House featured pieces celebrating Delaware County Black history, highlighting the lives and work of figures like Ruth L. Bennet and Ethel Waters, with thanks to the YES Center of Chester. The DCHS Spring Open House in April highlighted Delco's role in the American Civil War, with pieces from the Sports Legends of Delaware County Museum in Radnor, highlighting the life of Tom Berry. For Delco Gives, DCHS will host a special Open House on May 8th, featuring pieces not often on display for the Delaware County community! The Open Houses run from 1 pm until 7 pm, at our location at 9 W. Front Street, Media.

Delco Downhill Derby (The Triple "D"):

Our most ambitious program for 2025 is to revive the historic downhill derby in Media. DCHS is planning to host in September the Delco Downhill Derby (or Triple "D") a fun, engaging event for the community of Delaware County to come together and celebrate the unique creativity of Delaware County residents. Folks will have an opportunity to sign up and build their own cart to race down Edgmont Street in Media and show off their creative and industrious skills. Food and drinks will be available as well as other tables from sister historic non-profits for guests to learn more about local history!

DCHS 130th Birthday Celebration:  Friday September 26th is DCHS' 130th birthday and also Delco's birthday, so of course we're going to have a big celebration! DCHS will have an open house and a celebration afterwards, more details to be announced soon.

Events:

DCHS is establishing cornerstone events for the community that celebrate Delaware County history. Those programs include:

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• nnual Delco Historical Conference: DCHS hosts a gathering of local Delaware County historical groups and historians to share and exchange ideas and preservation goals. This conference serves to bolster the historic community of Delaware County, and to foster dialogue between different communities and how they can work together towards preserving local history. Our first conference was this year at the Willows Preserve and was met with great enthusiasm!D
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• lco Summer Social, A Concert Fundraiser for DCHS: Our annual summer concert fundraiser is slated for this June in Rockdale, featuring prominent local acts, as well as a secret special surprise guest! DCHS will also have a special display on hand featuring pieces of Delaware County music history and more. Tickets and line-up information will be announced soon.Pi
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ars of DCHS:DCHS

serves the community of Delaware County with our four pillars:      Arch

ives/Research: Providing the people of Delaware County with a reliable and accurate archive to house the historic treasures of Delaware County.    Educ

ation: Creating accessible avenues f…