Saint Peter's Village
Encyclopedia
Saint Peters is a community located in Chester County, Pennsylvania
. The village is a historic 19th century industrial 'company village' at the Falls of French Creek
in Warwick Township
.
Located in a narrow ravine along French Creek, Saint Peters has its origins in the French Creek iron mines established in 1845. In 1880, granite
quarrying began and the "Excursion House" hotel opened, distinguishing the community as both an industrial village and recreational weekend retreat. The bulk of the residence and businesses were built following the hotel's opening.
Spurs of the Wilmington and Northern and Delaware River and Lancaster
railroad lines once ran through the village servicing the local mining, forging and quarrying operations.
By the early 1970's industrial operations had ceased and the village was developed by its owners as a local tourist destination. Owned until 1978 by the Knauer family, it subsequently changed hands several times and portions of it are now privately owned. Historical preservation efforts, however, have led to the appearance of the village today that is almost entirely of its historic period. Local ordinances prevent exterior alterations to historic structures and limit new construction in designated areas in and around the village.
The main street, St. Peter's Road, is lined with private residences, a hotel and restaurant, and number of small specialty shops. The boulder-strewn French Creek running directly adjacent is one of the area's most popular attractions.
Saint Peters Village was entered onto the National Register of Historic Places
in 2003.
Chester County, Pennsylvania
-State parks:*French Creek State Park*Marsh Creek State Park*White Clay Creek Preserve-Demographics:As of the 2010 census, the county was 85.5% White, 6.1% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American or Alaskan Native, 3.9% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian, 1.8% were two or more races, and 2.4% were...
. The village is a historic 19th century industrial 'company village' at the Falls of French Creek
French Creek (Schuylkill River)
French Creek, once known as Saukanac Creek, is a tributary of the Schuylkill River in Berks and Chester counties, Pennsylvania in the United States.French Creek travels through French Creek State Park and joins the Schuylkill in Phoenixville...
in Warwick Township
Warwick Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania
Warwick Township is a township in Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,507 at the 2010 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of , all of it land.-Demographics:...
.
Located in a narrow ravine along French Creek, Saint Peters has its origins in the French Creek iron mines established in 1845. In 1880, granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
quarrying began and the "Excursion House" hotel opened, distinguishing the community as both an industrial village and recreational weekend retreat. The bulk of the residence and businesses were built following the hotel's opening.
Spurs of the Wilmington and Northern and Delaware River and Lancaster
Delaware River and Lancaster Railroad
The Delaware River and Lancaster Railroad, known locally as the Sowbelly Railroad, was a short-lived rail line rail line along French Creek between Kimberton and St...
railroad lines once ran through the village servicing the local mining, forging and quarrying operations.
The main street, St. Peter's Road, is lined with private residences, a hotel and restaurant, and number of small specialty shops. The boulder-strewn French Creek running directly adjacent is one of the area's most popular attractions.
Saint Peters Village was entered onto the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 2003.