The City Of Chester.

"Which said Court house was at the Public Expense Furnished with Tables, Chairs, fire shovels, Tongs, Doggs, fenders, as many as Reasonably adjudged Necessary . . . . But whoever the Person charge the same was Committed to It is Apparent to Every Person that will make use of his Eyes that the Doors are most Commonly Left Open for Horses and Cattle to go in and out at Pleasure, the Furniture broke and Exceedingly Deminished, and the place made a Common Stage whereby Rude people break the windows, Treads down Ceiling and Commits many Disorders, which, if not timely Prevented must end in the Ruin thereof, As the great Danger which proceed by the person Intrusted by you with the Care thereof In making the same a Dwelling house and Keeping Fires therein for some months Together."

The court-house appears to have been much out of order, for on March 1, 1737/8, the commissioners and assessors agreed with John Owens to repair it as follows:

"The Lower floor and the Bar and to provide Convenient Seats for the Petty Jury to sitt on when in Court and to repair the windows and shutters below stairs and above the Chimney case in the Grand Jury room and to repair the Three Tables belonging to the several rooms above stairs, and the Benches and to fix a Turn'd Column or Pillar to support the Ceiling where the Bell rope comes thro' and to cause the Ceiling to be Repaired, and to Provide as many Boards as may lay a ffloor over the s^d Ceiling and to make & put up shutters for the Belfry (or place where the Bell hangs) and Likewise to make a window in the Gable End in the Garret or Upper Room and glaze the same, and to Endeavor to procure (with the help of Joseph Parker) the chairs that is wanted belonging to the Court House as also the Tongs and fire Shovels."

These repairs were made, for some of the improvements designated, particularly the setting up of a turned column to support the upper floor, was in the apartment and removed after the building had passed into the ownership of the city of Chester, when the upper apartments were altered into the present Council chamber.

As stated, the date of the erection of the prothonotary's office is well known, and I doubt whether the building antedates the Revolution, for, on July 28, 1777, the records of the county were in the possession of the late prothonotary, and at his residence, for on that date the Executive Council authorized Caleb Davis, - Benjamin Jacobs not having qualified, - who was appointed in Jacobs' stead, to "enter the dwelling and out-houses of H. H. Graham, take possession of the books and papers of the county, and remove them to a place of safety." Joseph Parker had kept the records in an office alongside his dwelling-house, - the old Logan house on Second Street, - and Henry Hale Graham had after that deposited the records in his office, the one-story building on Edgmont Avenue, north of Graham Street, now belonging to the estate of Henry Abbott, deceased. It seems that in the growth of the business before the County Court, the rooms in the second story of the court-house were necessary for the use of the grand and petit juries, and hence the order of the court of Dec. 15, 1774, had to be disregarded. The prothonotary's office, I am of opinion, must necessarily have been erected subsequent to the battle of Brandywine, for it was the dread of the threatened British attack on Philadelphia which occasioned the alarm of Council as to the safety of the county records, and called forth the order to Caleb Davis.

The old county prison and work-house, as before stated, were built previous to or about the same time as the court-house. The jail was two stories high, built of square cut stone, and extended westwardly along Fourth Street. In the front part of the building was the sheriff's house. This was a structure two stories and an attic in height, presenting in the front to the street the general style of the court-house. Back of the prison, and extending along Fourth Street, was the work-house, also of stone. In 1741 the courthouse and jail were repaired and painted, and a well dug in the court-house yard. The old pump, with a heavy iron handle, stood within the memory of many of our older residents a nuisance in winter, because of the drippings therefrom forming ice and rendering its locality a dangerous one to pedestrians. Many years ago the trunk was taken out and the well filled in. Part of the old brickwork of the well is under the front foundation of the store No. 404 Market Street. During the year just mentioned the commissioners paid Nathan Worley £10 for planks used in flooring the two dungeons on the east side of the prison, and Thomas Morgan was paid £5 11s. 6d. for one hundred and fifty pounds of spikes used in laying the dungeon floors. In front of the gaol and extending to the court-house doors was a double row of Lombardy poplars which afforded a pleasant shady walk in the summer, and frequently during periods of political excitement here the orator of the day held forth and saved the nation by his noisy mouthings. The old trees at length grew so unsightly, many of their branches having died, that over half a century ago the poplars were cut down and a double row of lindens were planted to replace the ancient trees under whose towering branches our Revolutionary sires discussed the Boston Port Bill and other measures preceding the actual outbreak of hostilities between the colonies and the mother-country, and within the venerable structure proceedings were had to raise the quota of the Continental troops required from Chester County, as in after-years similar meetings were held to provide soldiers during the rebellion.

On the removal of the county-seat to West Chester, the old court-house and public buildings in Chester were sold, on the 18th of March, 1788, to William Kerlin, for £415. After the passage of the act of Sept. 26, 1789, creating the county of Delaware, Kerlin sold the property Nov. 3, 1789, to the county for £693 3s. 8d. As long as Chester remained the seat of justice of Delaware County courts continued to be held in the old building, and at times it must have been exceeding unpleasant to those who were compelled to attend, particularly in rainy weather, when, as is stated by a county newspaper in 1843, the mud on the floor was nearly an inch in depth. It was certainly not in this condition on Tuesday, Oct. 5, 1824, when Gen. Lafayette was the guest of Chester. He was accompanied by Governor Shulze and staff, Gen. Cadwalader and staff, and many of the dignitaries of