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West Chester has grown from the sleepy village originally known as Turks Head in the 1700s to a bustling community hosting West Chester University, a thriving educational institution. The selection of West Chester as the seat of Chester Countys government in 1785 led citizens to march on the town armed with a field-piece, a barrel of whiskey, and other warlike munitions. Architect Thomas U. Walter, who designed the U.S. Capitol, was responsible for several classic town buildings.

Chester County is well known for its sprawling scenic views, rich farmland, the Main Line, and mushrooms. Chester County, and specifically the village of Kennett Square, is known as the mushroom capital of the world because of the quantity and quality of mushrooms grown there. Mushrooms have been around for centuries, with the French beginning cultivation in the 1600s, and mushroom farming began in Chester County more than 120 years ago. The earliest farmers were Quakers, but over the years members of the Irish, Italian, and Hispanic communities have joined the ranks of Chester County mushroom farmers. The local mushroom farmers were responsible for the forming of the American Mushroom Institute more than a half century ago.