{"nrhp_refnum":"02001458","name":"Bank of Chester County","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"17 N. High St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"West Chester","county":"Chester County","state":"PA","lat":39.96009701000003,"lon":-75.60477967799994,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1972-06-05","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":[],"significance_levels":[],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A two-story masonry bank building on a narrow town lot in West Chester, Chester County, Pennsylvania, built in 1836 for the Bank of Chester County and later operated as the West Chester Branch of Southeast National Bank of Pennsylvania.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the building is significant for its association with architect Thomas U. Walter and for its Greek Revival design, particularly a portico adapted from a Stuart and Revett plate of a small Doric temple at Athens. It also cites the bank's early founding in Chester County, its continuous operation since opening, and the prominent botanists and officials among its early officers.","narrative":"Built in 1836 on a narrow lot in West Chester under the supervision of architect Thomas U. Walter, this two-story masonry bank was designed around its Doric portico. Walter adapted the columns, capitals and entablature from a small temple at Athens illustrated in Stuart and Revett's Antiquities of Athens, altering proportions and adding anthemion mutules from the Parthenon. The street facade is purely Greek, while two arched side windows show Roman influence. The bank was founded as the first in Chester County in 1814 and was the county's only bank for 43 years. It opened just before the Panic of 1837 and has operated continuously since. Early officers included Dr. William Darlington, a physician and botanist, and David Townsend, a cashier also noted as a botanist, and a plant was named for each. The building is one of three Greek Revival structures remaining in town, and an inscription naming Walter is visible inside the portico.","period_of_significance":"1836","architect_builder":"Thomas U. Walter (architect)","architectural_style":"Greek Revival","criteria":[],"status_note":"In continuous banking operation since opening; altered in 1874, 1905 and 1928, with the 1928 changes still existing.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-haiku-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.1-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 17:11:30.439882-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_PA/02001458.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/02001458/ff32fa3d27-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/02001458/ff32fa3d27-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Ned Goode, HABS photpgrapher","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:BankofChesterCounty.jpeg\" rel=\"noopener\">Ned Goode, HABS photpgrapher</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:BankofChesterCounty.jpeg"},"district":{"nrhp_refnum":"05000096","name":"West Chester Historic District (Boundary Increase)","url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/districts/pennsylvania/west-chester-historic-district-boundary-increase-05000096/"},"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71998642","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bank_of_Chester_County","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4856083"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/pennsylvania/chester-county/bank-of-chester-county-02001458/"}