More Than “Chester County’s Attic”: A Case Study On The Chester County Historical Society Analyzing The Complex Relationship Between Local History And Community

“‘You've got to decide who you are…We cannot be Chester County’s attic.’” Stephen Hoyt, the president of the Chester County Historical Society’s board of directors in 1989, issued this statement in defense of the Society’s decision to change their mission going forward, and he was not alone. The statement reflects the concerns of many historical societies across the United States at the end of the 20th century. The birth of local historical societies began around the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century, as small groups of wealthy elites banded together to preserve and celebrate the history of their local communities. The Chester County Historical Society was one of these societies, as local community members met at the end of the 19th century to create an institution that would protect and preserve its community’s history. People trusted historical societies with one mission: to safeguard the family treasures that formerly collected dust in their attics and basements. However, as the United States became a more diverse nation throughout the 20th century, people found they could not relate to the histories told through historical societies, and as a result, visitorship and interest declined. Towards the end of the 20th century, many historical societies in America struggled to maintain their collections and buildings due to a lack of visitor funds and donations.