We have a group within the Historical Society which really "makes history"! It's called the Oral History Committee, a group which personally interviews, transcribes, edits, and catalogues the memoirs and tales of established, longtime residents of the Chadds Ford area. An outgrowth of the Chadds Ford Village Reunion, organized in 1990 by Sarah Lee Houston and Sally Sharp for pre-1960's residents, the Society's Oral History Project is "dedicated to the collection and preservation of personal accounts of historical and anecdotal significance within the Chadds Ford community, beginning with the twentieth century." Committee members identify and interview long-time residents of Chadds Ford; the resulting tapes and transcripts are lodged in the Society's archives and are available to the public for research. The stories that unfold from the personal, one-on-one, recorded interviews are like picking up an unopened book.

To read excerpts from these accounts of Chadds Ford life, click below on a link.

The Strands: Last Family to Live in the John Chads House
Miss Annie Wilkins From Maine

All of these interviews will become available for public use as the initial set are transcribed and indexed. Working on the Oral History Project is exciting and fascinating. The committee seeks additional volunteers to join in this valuable work, so if you are interested, please call the office at (610) 388-7376.