Delaware County Historical Society

08/21/2026

As we are winding down our summer, we hope you are getting ready for the Delco Downhill Derby on Saturday September 26! Registration is still open to build and enter a vehicle. Head on over to our new website for more information on how to register!
https://www.padelcohistory.org/

The Second Annual Delco Downhill Derby
Saturday September 26th (Delco's Birthday!) from noon to 5 pm
North Edgmont Street, in Media!
$25 fee to participate, free to attend to the public!
Be sure to bring a chair, vendors and non-profits will be on site as well! Rain or shine.

Special thanks to our program sponsors and partners:
Visit Delco, PA
National Endowment for the Humanities
Media Borough
Mr. Andy Saul
Wawa
Visit Media PA
Sun East Foundation
America250PADelco
Special thanks to Frances Beaver for the poster design.

Support Delco Historical Society today with a donation to help promote and protect Delco history!

From the Archives:
A photo of John Cooper driving a 1909 Ford with his wife Catherine and Emma Estelle Long.

08/20/2026

Delco Historical Society has a new and improved website! Check out our new website today, to submit a research request, view our holdings and indexes and keep up with upcoming events. Delco Historical Society will still be sending out our Bulletin Newsletter, so subscribe today. Soon we will be including our Omeka database with digitized holdings, so lots of exciting stuff on the horizon!

Check it out here:
https://www.padelcohistory.org/

Our Mission:Delaware County Historical Society collects, protects and preserves the history and culture of Delaware County, making it accessible to all through strong educational outreach.Location: 9 W. Front Street Media, PA 19063Public Hours:Tuesday through Thursday- 10 AM to 3 PM (Free and open t...

08/19/2026

Now on display through September 24, "Athletes and Authors" from the Sports Legends of Delaware County Museum. Featured on display pieces highlighting Emlen Tunnell, Jameer Nelson, Mickey Vernon, Danny Murtaugh, and more!

Also on display are two books from Richard Pagano and John Lemon, the first two speakers for our upcoming fall season of History Under the Stars beginning on September 9! Be sure to stop by Delco Historical Society to see the display and learn more about Delco history.

Special thanks to the support of the Burman Charitable Family Fund-In Honor of Harvey Burman.

Delco Historical Society
9 W. Front Street, Media, PA
Tues-Thurs. 10 am to 3 pm, free and open to the public

Support Delco Historical Society by donating today!
https://www.padelcohistory.org/donate

08/18/2026

Sometimes we can't make it to the lecture we really want to see, but that's ok because Delco Historical Society has a YouTube page where we share our lectures from the past! Visit our YouTube today to see a whole host of lectures, and don't forget our History Under the Stars series returns on September 9th!

Click here: https://www.youtube.com/

08/17/2026

Have you registered for the Delco Downhill Derby yet? Because we are now only six weeks away from the biggest Delco event of the year! Make sure to register today to send your wildly designed vehicle down the hill for the glory of emblazoning your name on the famed William Penn Stump of 1682. Will Danger Dom of greatesthits.official be able to maintain his place on the stump? Or will some lucky participant claim the ultimate Delco prize and knock him off the stump? Tune in to find out and come down to the derby!

Register today! https://pci.jotform.com/form/251614352791053

The Second Annual Delco Downhill Derby
Saturday September 26th (Delco's Birthday!) from noon to 5 pm
North Edgmont Street, in Media!
$25 fee to participate, free to attend to the public!
Be sure to bring a chair, vendors and non-profits will be on site as well! Rain or shine.

Special thanks to our program sponsors and partners:
Visit Delco, PA
National Endowment for the Humanities
Media Borough
Mr. Andy Saul
Wawa
Visit Media PA
Sun East Federal Credit Union
America250PADelco
Special thanks to Frances Beaver for the poster design!

Support Delco Historical Society today with a donation to help promote and protect Delco history!
https://www.padelcohistory.org/donate

08/13/2026

History Under the Stars returns on Wednesday September 9th! Mark your calendars now for a wonderful fall season of free and open lectures, covering a wide array of topics on Delco history. Each lecture will be held outside with weather permitting at our location in Media. Be sure to come out and join us!

Delco. Historical Society
9 W. Front Street, Media, PA.
Lectures will be held indoors if weather is not acceptable. Free and open to the public.

The photo featured in the poster is from a 1939 issue of the Delaware County Advocate, showing a barber of Leiper Flats attending to his customers outside due to an extreme heat wave. Thanks to Frances Beaver for the poster design!

Support Delco Historical Society today by donating to help us promote and protect Delco history!
https://www.padelcohistory.org/donate

Big thanks to our sponsors:
Visit Delco, PA
National Endowment for the Humanities
The Burman Family Charitable Fund-In Honor of Harvey Burman

08/11/2026

We hope you are gearing up for the biggest Delco event of the year, the Delco Downhill Derby! It will take place Saturday September 26th on Edgmont Street in Media from noon to 5 pm. Registration is still available, so design your incredible kinetic vehicle to send down the hill for Delco glory! $25.00 to register, free and open to the public to attend.

For more details click here: https://pci.jotform.com/form/251614352791053

From the Archives:
A stunning photo dating from 1923, of a car parked in the Bethel Court neighborhood of Chester. Bethel Court was notorious with gambling, bootlegging, and was a common stop for sailors on their way up and down the Delaware River. Numerous saloons and bars filled Bethel Court, and these venues often hosted live music and entertainment. The neighborhood was also the birthplace of famed jazz and blues singer, Ethel Waters, and hosted the first shows of a young Bill Hailey and His Saddlemen. Bethel Court was eventually demolished in the mid-1950's as a part of a redevelopment effort.

Support Delco Historical Society today to help continue our mission to promote and protect Delco history!
https://www.padelcohistory.org/donate

08/10/2026

Delaware County Historical Society is saddened to hear of the passing of Mr. Randy Bates, a longtime supporter of our organization. We extend our deepest sympathies to his friends and family, and we thank him for his advocacy for local history and his commitment to the community of Delco.

Randy Bates, the owner of Arasapha Farms in Delaware County, was an active member of the community.

08/06/2026

One of the most unique pieces in the Delco Historical Society collection comes from the Moyamensing Hook and Ladder Company No. 1 of Chester, incorporated in February, 1870. This lantern, dating from the 1870's, would have been positioned on the front of the horse driven cart when the company responded to a fire. The Moyamensing Fire Company of Philadelphia, gifted the young company their first truck and horse-carriage, and we're named so in their honor.

Here we have two photos dating from sometime in the 1890's showing the Moyamensing Hook and Ladder Company No.1 of Chester. The first shows the company posing with their truck and equipment. The second photo dates from the same time, showing their horse driven carriage with some folks posing next to it. This photo was taken at their headquarters, at the intersection of 9th and Upland in Chester.

If you like what we share, consider making a donation to Delco Historical Society, to help promote and protect Delco history! Our work is possible with thanks to our friends and supporters.
https://www.padelcohistory.org/donate

08/05/2026

Come gather on State Street tonight in Media for Dining Under the Stars! Delco Historical Society will be on hand with games about Delco history, DCHS shirts, posters and bags, and of course information on our upcoming Delco Downhill Derby event. Join us for a fun night history and more!

To learn about the Delco Downhill Derby, register here: https://pci.jotform.com/form/251614352791053

Special thanks to Visit Media PA and the The Foundation for Delaware County for having us tonight!

From the Archives:
A photo from sometime during the Second World War (1941-1945) of a military band playing on State Street in Media. This took place at the intersection of Jackson and State in front of the old Media Borough Hall, today Spasso Italian Grill - Media. The arches in the building in the background are still noticeable today!

Support Delco Historical Society to continue our mission to promote and protect Delco history!
https://www.padelcohistory.org/donate