Newlin Township

Newlin Township municipal offices are located at 929 Springwood Dr, West Chester PA 19382; phone 610-436-6388.

Newlin Township has a significant inventory of historic resources that appear on the National Register of Historic Places. These include:

• Green Valley Historic District, Green Road, Newlin and East Marlborough Townships
• Embreeville Historic District, Route 162
• Hayes Homestead, circa 1770, Route 162 (Embreeville Rd) and Harvey's Bridge Road
• The Harlan Family's Star Gazer Farm, circa 1724, Star Gazer Road
• Jacob Hayes House, circa 1779 & 1779, Route 162 (Embreeville Rd)
• Upper Laurel Iron Works, McCorkel's Rock Road
• Hayes Mill House, circa 1780, Star Gazer Road
• Mountain Meadow Farm, circa 1800, Harvey's Bridge Road
• Northbrook Historic District, circa 1798, Newlin, Pocopson, and West Bradford Townships
• Spruce Grove Schoolhouse, circa 1839, Brandywine Creek Road
• Lower Laurel Iron Works, Creek Road
• Joseph Young House, circa 1835, Creek Road

"Located in the center of Chester County, Newlin Township was named for Nathaniel Newlin who in 1724 purchased 7,100 acres of land from the Free Society of Traders. Until his death in 1729 he sold a considerable part of the tract for building purposes, leaving the rest of the land to three sons and three daughters." [1]

William Penn, on the 22nd and the 23rd of March, 1681, by deed of leave and release, granted to Nicholas Moore, James Claypool, Philip Ford, William Sharloe, Edward Pierce, John Simcock, Thomas Bracey, Thomas Barker and Edward Brooks in trust for the Free Society of Traders in Pa, 20,000 acres of land and lots in Philadelphia.

On the 20th of 7th Mo, 1688, by virtue of a warrant form the commissioner of property dated 1st of 4th Mo 1688, there was surveyed and laid out unto Benjamin Chambers, pres. of the said Free Society of Traders, for the use of said society, 7100 acres of land in Chester Co – part of the said 20,000 – beginning at a corner post of Benjamin Chambers' land; thence south 800 perches to a corner post of Bland's land; thence WNW 1710 perches to a corner post, north/northeast by a line of trees, 730 perches; thence ESE by a line of trees, 1403 perches to a place of beginning. Returned, according to there aforesaid survey and bounds, into the proprietary's secretary's office the 23rd of the August 8th 1699. On the 10th June, 1724, the Free Society of Traders by its trustees, Charles Read, Job Goodsonn, Evan Owen, George Fitzwater and Joseph Pidgeon, conveyed the above mentioned tract of 7100 acres to Nathaniel Newlin, in consideration of 800 £, current money of Pa. Thus Nathaniel Newlin became the owner of the tract which afterwards constituted the township bearing his name. Nathaniel Newlin, after the purchase of this tract, entered of it, an granted warrants. [2]

1. Edward Pinkowski, Chester County Place Names, Philadelphia: Sunshine Press, 1962.
2. Futhey, J. Smith and Gilbert Cope, History of Chester County, Pennsylvania, with Genealogical and Biographical Sketches, Philadelphia, Louis H. Everts, 1881