The City Of Chester.

within one year, and completed within five years from the date of the passage of the act.

By the act of March 24, 1817, an additional sum of eight thousand dollars was appropriated, one-half of which amount was to be paid to the commissioners when work was resumed on the wharves at Chester, and the remainder on the 1st of June, 1818, "or so soon thereafter as the said work shall be completed," and by the same act William Anderson was substituted for Commodore David Porter. The work was to be proceeded with within one year, and completed within three years after the passage of the act.

Previous to the date of the law the owners of the land on which the piers abutted ceded their interest in the wharves to the State. The deed conveying the upper pier is as follows:

"This Indenture, made the 20th day of June, 1816, between Davis Bevan, of the Borough of Chester, in the county of Delaware, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, gentlemen, of the one part, and the said Commonwealth of Pennsylvania of the other part Whereas, by an Act making an appropriation for the erection of piers in the river Delaware, at the Borough of Chester, in Delaware County, David Porter, Joseph Engle and William Graham, Esq., are authorized to obtain cessions to the Commonwealth of ground within the said Borough of Chester, necessary for the erection and construction of the wharves and piers provided the said cessions be obtained without any consideration from this commonwealth, and whereas the wharf lying on the North east side of High Street, in the said Borough of Chester, commonly called 'Richardson's wharf,' has by good and sufficient assurances in the law became vested in fee simple in the said Davis Bevan, who is desirous to aid the public interest by ceding his title thereto to the Commonwealth, for the purpose aforesaid: Now this indenture witnesseth, that the said Davis Bevan in consideration of the premises and also in consideration of the local advantages which will arise from the contemplated work, hath granted, bargained, sold, ceded, surrendered and confirmed, and by these presents doth grant, bargain, sell, cede, surrender and confirm unto the said Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, all that the above mentioned wharf, situated, lying and being in the said Borough of Chester, on the North east side of High Street and extending from low water mark on the river Delaware to the fast land, being in breadth from low water mark to a button wood tree Standing on the North east side of said wharf about twenty-one feet, and thence to the fast land opposite the north end of a stone stable of the breadth of twenty feet, measuring from the South-west side of said wharf, as the foundations now exist. Together with all and singular the logs and bolts, stone and other material belonging to and connected with said wharf, to have and to hold the same for the purposes aforesaid with the appurtenances to the said Commonwealth of Pennsylvania forever; provided always nevertheless, that unless the said Commonwealth shall proceed to carry on the contemplated work within the period mentioned in the aforesaid recited law, then this Indenture and the estate hereby granted and ceded shall cease and become void. And the said Davis Bevan doth reserve to himself and to his heirs the right liberty and privilege to pass to, upon and from the said wharf, with free ingress egress and regress, to and for him and his heirs and his and their servants and workmen, with horses, carts and carriages at all times and seasons for the loading and hauling of goods and merchandise or other property, and for shipping and sending away the same."

The lower pier, at the foot of Edgmont Avenue, was sold by the sheriff of Chester County after Richardson's failure to William O'Neal, and he, on Nov. 4, 1797, conveyed it with other real estate to Ephraim Pearson. The latter ceded that wharf to the State of Pennsylvania by the following instrument, dated May 6, 1816:

"To all people to whom these Presents shall Come. I Ephraim Pearson of Chester, Delaware County, send greeting and whereas by an Act making an appropriation for the erection of piers in the river Delaware, at the Borough of Chester in Delaware County, David Porter, Joseph Engle and William Graham, Esq., are authorized to obtain cessions to the Commonwealth of ground within the said Borough of Chester, necessary for the erection and construction of the Wharves and piers provided the said cessions be obtained without any consideration from this Commonwealth. Now know ye that I, the said Ephraim Pearson, do hereby grant, transfer and cede to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania all that piece of ground known by the name of 'Richardson's Lower Wharf,' lying on the river Delaware, between the mouth of Chester creek and Front Street continued and extended from high water mark to low water mark, being in the Borough of Chester, aforesaid. To have and to hold the same, to the said Commonwelth forever, for the purpose of erecting and constructing wharves and piers, and for no other purpose; provided that if the said Commissioners shall not make use thereof for the purpose aforesaid, within the time limited by the above recited Act for finishing their work, then the cession to be void."

The State of Pennsylvania completed the piers at Chester, but constant repairs had to be made to them, until the commonwealth sorely repented accepting the wharves, which, even after the State had reconstructed them, were indifferent structures. Chester being the residence of Commodore Porter, and many of the noted men of the navy being often there, the town acquired reputation in that branch of the public service, hence government vessels frequently wintered in the space between the piers, riding at anchor where now is solid ground. The State, desirous of being relieved from the charge of this white elephant, intimated that if the government of the United States would stipulate to keep the piers at Chester in good condition and repair, the commonwealth would cede to the former their title to the piers. The influence of navy officers was used. The United States accepted the proposition, and on April 11, 1825, the commonwealth of Pennsylvania formally ceded the piers at Chester to the national government.

The Logan House (Second Street, near Edgmont Avenue). - This dwelling was built by Jasper Yeates in the year 1700, on ground purchased from David Lloyd, Dec. 11, 1699, and formerly a stone on which was cut the initials "J. & C. Y.," with the date 1700 underneath, similar in appearance to the date-stone of the old Porter house, was set in one of the gables. These initials stood for the names Jasper and Catharine Yeates. It was two stories in height, with a tent-like roof forming an attic within, with steep sides. Over the first-story windows was a pent-roof, similar to that remaining on the old City Hall, and a porch at the front door, with seats at each side of the door, at right angles to the building. A wide door-way gave access to the spacious hall, many small diamond-shaped panes of glass set in lead, in the large window-sashes, gave light to the several apartments, and casements at the head of the stair landing furnished the same to the wainscoted hall-way. All the rooms were wainscoted also, and the panels were painted or stained in imitation of mahogany. Large closets were on each side of the wide chimney-places, lighted by windows in the outer walls. Under the high wooden mantel-pieces in the parlor and the room opposite, across the hall, the fireplaces were