{Parker House}

Henry Parker House in East Vincent Township

With the purchase of the Henry Parker House in the Parkerford Historic District, East Vincent Township, plans for the newest Chester County ranger station have begun. It will complement and support East Vincent Township’s restoration of the 1766 Parkerford Tavern, providing an education center and public historic site. Once completed, the property’s parklands will also serve as a heritage interpretive site, and have public rest rooms and river access. Proposals call for the Parkerford Tavern and historic district to be a Schuylkill River Heritage National and State Heritage Trail "gateway site" into northern Chester County.

The 5.5 acres of Schuylkill riverfront property includes the home built by Henry Parker and his wife, Susannah. In 1766, Henry’s father, Edward, built and operated the Parkerford Tavern until 1787. Originally, the 1801 residence had two rooms per floor but now has one. A cooking fireplace stands at the north end and a heating fireplace at the south. A modern kitchen occupies a one-story wing to the north. This was originally the stone lean-to of the 1801 building. In the nomination to the National Register of Historic Places, it notes that when the house was restored in 1932, an inside wall was found. This led to the belief that {map} another building stood beyond the present one. The canal bed for the Girard section of the Schuylkill Canal is just a few yards from the east door. The parcels to the rear of the house reach the Schuylkill River, providing ample area for small mouth bass fishing, picnicking, bird and wildlife watching, and offering beautiful river views. Pigeon Creek presents the potential for a safe boat launch.

The Colonial Period/ Revolutionary War (1766-1788)
After their defeat at the Battle of the Brandywine and attempting to prevent General Howe’s invasion of Philadelphia, George Washington rested at the Parkerford Tavern before his troops crossed Parker’s Ford on the Schuylkill River. Washington addressed a letter to the Continental Congress datelined "Parker’s Ford." The island at the Parkerford shallows of the Schuylkill, which broke and divided the full force of the rushing waters for Washington’s troops who had to cross the river at breast height, is still visible.

The Early National Period (1788-1824)
State legislator James Brooke took over the tavern until 1825. He was a scion of the Birdsboro iron dynasty family associated with the Hopewell Furnace and Hibernia Mansion at Hibernia County Park. This is part of the larger Iron and Steel Heritage strategy, which is being developed to trace the importance of the iron industry in northern Chester County to the history of our country.

The Age of Canals and Transportation (1825-1851)
Roads and turnpikes brought travelers to the district during the first two periods. Beginning in {canal} 1824, the newly-opened Schuylkill River Canal, a system of man-made waterways that connected Philadelphia with the coal regions of the northern counties, made Parkersford Village a center of commerce. The Girard section of the canal was constructed virtually at its front door. An aqueduct was constructed to carry the new canal over the creek where Pigeon Creek enters the Schuylkill River. A mile upstream was Lock #57 built by Alexander Lawrence. Remains of the canal, the aqueducts and Lock #57 are still visible. Trails allowing visitors to view them are being considered.