Chester

Incorporated in 1682, Chester is the oldest city in Pennsylvania and was the location of William Penn's first arrival in the Province of Pennsylvania. It was the county seat for Chester County from 1682 to 1788 and of Delaware County from 1789 to 1851.

From the second half of the 19th century through the first half of the 20th century, the city was a major center of heavy industry, manufacturing, and shipping. The city became a boomtown during World War I and World War II. The availability of employment in factories, dock work, and shipbuilding attracted immigrants from Southern and Eastern Europe as well as African-American migrants from southern states. Since the mid-20th century, it has lost most of its manufacturing base and has struggled as a post-industrial city dealing with crime, pollution, and poverty; however, certain manufacturing, industrial, energy production, waste treatment, and shipping centers on the Port of Chester remain active. Pennsylvania declared Chester a financially distressed municipality in 1995, and a fiscal emergency was declared in 2020.