Parkesburg

Official Website: Borough of Parkesburg

In 1734, Parkesburg began as a tavern called the Fountain Inn and predates the American Revolutionary War. As the area population grew, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania authorized the organization of the Borough from Sadsbury Township. The town formed when the Pennsylvania Assembly passed Act 193. Today, it is home to 870 families.

While Parkesburg is not as well known as other Chester County towns, like West Chester, Downingtown and Coatesville, the Borough received national attention in 1984 when the local train station appeared in the movie Witness, starring Harrison Ford. The station is part of Amtrak’s 195-mile  Keystone Service, which provides higher speed train service between Harrisburg, PA and 30th Street Station in Philadelphia.

Today, while technically considered part of the Philadelphia Metropolitan Area, the town is very rural and surrounded by some of the most productive farmland in the United States. Despite county-wide development, agriculture remains a major part of the surrounding area. Consequently, with little commercial or industrial activity, the Borough is a bedroom community and residents typically work and shop elsewhere. But, locals will tell you that the advantages of living in a smaller community outway a longer commute to work.

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