In a Press Release, Delaware County Pennsylvania officials announced that the county had been awarded a National Park Service grant in the amount of $522,872 for the rehabilitation of the 1724 Chester Courthouse.
The 1724 Chester Courthouse is the “oldest continuously occupied building in public use in the country” and “has served as the County Courthouse for Delaware County and Chester County, as well as the City Hall for Chester City.”
Delaware County leased the property from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in 2021 in order to take on a more active role in the preservation of the structure and began the process of obtaining grants. Funding for the National Park Service grant was made available through the Historic Preservation Fund’s Semiquincentennial Grant Program, which was established by Congress in 2020 to support a variety of historic preservation projects.
Delaware County Council Vice Chair Elaine Paul Schaeffer said that rehabilitation efforts will preserve the historical and architectural significance of this historic structure in time for its 300th anniversary and America’s 250th Birthday Celebration in 2026.
The grant funds will be used to restore the exterior stonework, second floor windows, and interior second floor walls and floors. Funds will also be used to update existing building systems and bathrooms and to install a kitchenette. After the rehabilitation, the county plans on opening the Courthouse as a historic site for visitors.
For more information, see Delaware County Pennsylvania’s Press Release.