Willowdale, Pennsylvania facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Willowdale, Pennsylvania
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Unincorporated community
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Willowdale Post Office and General Store
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 Willowdale, Pennsylvania
Location in Pennsylvania
Willowdale, Pennsylvania
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Pennsylvania |
| County | Chester |
| Township | East Marlborough |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
Willowdale is a small community in East Marlborough Township, located in southern Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. It's an "unincorporated community," meaning it doesn't have its own local government separate from the township.
This area got its name from the many willow trees that grew here when people first settled. Today, you'll find many businesses, shops, and homes in the area that also use the name Willowdale.
Contents
A Look Back: Willowdale's Story
Early Days: The 1700s
Long ago, this area was known as Taggarts Crossroads. It was named after the Taggart family, who owned a stone inn built in 1730. This old inn can still be seen today at the northwestern part of the crossroads.
Another old stone house from the 1700s stands on the northeastern side. It was once called the "Oldest House West of the Brandywine." Even though that's not quite true, historians still consider this fieldstone house a very important old building.
On September 11, 1777, during the American Revolutionary War, British forces led by Lord Charles Cornwallis marched right through Willowdale. Cornwallis used a clever plan to surprise American troops led by George Washington. This move helped Cornwallis avoid a big fight with Washington's main army at Chadds Ford.
When Cornwallis reached the crossroads, he met a small group of American soldiers. These troops, led by Lieutenant Colonel James Ross, fired a few shots before retreating. Ross then followed the British army, reporting their movements to Washington. This helped Washington understand the British plan.
Growing Up: The 1800s
During the 1800s, Willowdale grew because a nearby factory, Du Pont, made more and more black powder. This black powder needed charcoal, and the willow trees from Willowdale were excellent for burning to make it.
As the town got bigger, a post office, a general store, a church, a wheelwright shop (for making and fixing wheels), and a blacksmith shop were built around the crossroads in the late 1800s.
In 1866, two landowners, Josiah Pyle and William Rakestraw, started the Rakestraw-Pyle nurseries. This plant nursery was located northeast of the crossroads, near where the Willowdale Church is today. It had a greenhouse, a water tower, and gardens. This business is still around today and is known as RP Nurseries.
Modern Times: The 1900s and Beyond
The community kept growing in the 1900s. In 1906, a trolley line was built through Willowdale by the West Chester Street Rail company. The trolley started in Kennett Square and stopped at the general store near the Willowdale crossroads. It ran every ten minutes throughout the day.
A special track allowed two trolleys to pass each other when going in opposite directions. The trolley service ran until 1929, when buses took its place. If you drive south on Unionville Road today, you can still see the outline of the old trolley line on a stone wall.
Around the same time, the church needed a bigger building. A new, larger church was built right across from the old one. The church still holds services every Sunday.
In the later part of the 1900s, Chester County started to have more suburban areas, and Willowdale grew even more. The area on the northeastern side of the crossroads was developed. The original general store and other small buildings were taken down. The old barn and stone house were turned into office spaces.
Today, this area has many businesses like restaurants, health services, banks, and local government offices. However, the intersection still looks quite rural. It acts like a border between suburban and rural Pennsylvania. Most of the land west of the crossroads is farmland, while the land east of it has many housing developments.
Where is Willowdale?
Willowdale is located at 39 degrees, 52 minutes, 27 seconds North and 75 degrees, 43 minutes, 5 seconds West.
It sits at the meeting point of Pennsylvania Routes 926 and 82. It's found between Kennett Square and Unionville. Willowdale is also very close to Longwood Gardens and is about a twenty-minute drive from downtown Wilmington, Delaware.
Learning in Willowdale
Students in Willowdale attend schools in the Unionville-Chadds Ford School District.
Fun Things to Do in Willowdale
- Willowdale Steeplechase: These exciting horse races are approved by the National Steeplechase Association. They bring together some of the best racehorses and jockeys from all over the world. The race course is in a natural bowl-shaped area and features traditional fences and a water jump.
- Longwood Gardens: This is a world-famous garden destination, only about five minutes from Willowdale. It has 1,050 acres (about 4.25 square kilometers) of gardens, forests, and meadows. You can explore twenty outdoor gardens and twenty indoor gardens inside large, heated greenhouses. Longwood Gardens is home to 11,000 different types of plants and features beautiful fountains.
- Brandywine Battlefield: Located about fifteen minutes from Willowdale, this historic site has a museum and visitor center. Here, you can learn about the Battle of Brandywine and how it fit into the 1777 Philadelphia Campaign of the American Revolution. The museum also has changing exhibits on other interesting topics.
