Our City
Coatesville
Coatesville a city of great history and rich heritage. Nestled between the two historic citys of Philadelphia and Harrisburg in the great county of Chester, Coatesville is where it all began.
Though Coatesville was not incorporated as a city until 1915, its legacy dates at least as far back as the 1700’s. It began as a Native American village which grew both as a center for trade and a beacon for the fur trapping industry. In 1787, Moses Coates, a prosperous farmer and the area’s first postmaster, purchased land which now comprises the center of the town. About this time, another man by the name of Isaac Pennock was making plans to build a mill (later called Rokeby) which was in operation by 1793, providing the essential iron products for the burgeoning region. Shortly thereafter, America’s first turnpike (now U.S. Route 30) was completed in 1794, connecting Philadelphia to Lancaster. Moses Coates’ son-in-law, Jesse Kersey, a potter by trade and a Quaker missionary by vocation, conceived of an idea to develop the area by selling frontage properties on the turnpike.
In 1810, he purchased 110.5 acres of Coates’ farm that lay along both sides of the Brandywine River, in partnership with ironmaster Isaac Pennock. The farm’s sawmill was converted to an ironworks and named Brandywine Iron Works and Nail Factory, the forerunner of Lukens, Inc.
The village was named “Coates Villa”, thus launching modern Coatesville and the longest operating steel mill in America. The year 1834 saw the construction of the Philadelphia and Columbia Railroad, establishing a station on the west side of the nearby Brandywine river. The station was dubbed “Midway” because of its location between the two terminals, and the village that quickly formed around the station took the same name. In 1867, the village of Coatesville and the Village of Midway joined to form the Borough of Coatesville.
Coatesville continued to operate as a borough until 1915, when by vote of its citizens, it became the first and to this day only city in Chester County.
Despite its prosperous beginnings, Coatesville has been witnessing a decline in its reputation for the past few decades. Drugs, gangs, broken families, prostitution, and other social ills have been on the rise, but we believe that God is going to turn this trend around. Our heart is to see the city of Coatesville become a blessing to the citizens of Chester County, and ultimately the world. Will you partner with us in prayer for this city? Is God putting it on your heart to come and get involved? If so, feel free to get a hold of us. We’d love to talk with you!
