Coatesville

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The first settlement was an Indian village which had grown as a

trading center and as a market for the fur trapping industry. Records

indicate land holdings as early as 1714 by William Fleming, a native

of Greenock, Scotland. Another early resident was Peter Bazillion,

Indian fur trader and merchant, whose accomplishments were

recognized with a market place on Oak Street by the Pennsylvania

Historic and Museum Commission.

​Then, in 1794, rural life in the valley changed with the completion of

the Philadelphia to Lancaster Turnpike, now U.S. Route 30. It was

America’s first turnpike.

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An event of major importance to the region was the construction in 1834 of the Philadelphia and Columbia Railroad, established a station on the west side of the Brandywine, which because of its location at the halfway point between the two terminals, was designated as “Midway,” and the village that quickly formed around the terminal took the same name. It was in 1867 that the village of Coatesville and the Village of Midway joined to form the Borough of Coatesville.

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Since the turn of the century, Coatesville has invested in redevelopment, encouraging private projects. It has torn down public housing and encouraged new single family and townhouse developments.