The Chester County Parks & Recreation Board was constituted January 1, 1958 for the purpose of "coordinating and promoting park and recreation facilities for Chester County."
In 1962, Nottingham County Park was the first park dedicated within the Chester County Park system. Since then, Hibernia (1963), Warwick (1973), Springton Manor Farm (1988) and Black Rock Sanctuary (2003) have been dedicated.
The Department presently manages over 4,500 acres of public parkland for passive recreation.