Welcome to
  Charlestown Township!

Our township is about 25 miles west of Philadelphia and very close to Valley Forge National Historical Park. It is rich in the history of Pennsylvania. The township is about 12.515 square miles (8,010 acres) in area.

Location Change for Summer Meetings

Due to renovations planned at the Middle School, all Township meetings from June 17 – August 31 have been relocated to the Great Valley High School.

Latest News

July 12
The Environmental Advisory Committee (EAC) would like to recognize businesses in Charlestown that make efforts to reduce, reuse, refuse, use high energy efficiency methods, and install green infrastructure. Read more about this project and download the nomination form at Green Business Award.
July 11
The Malarky Brothers Concert for tonight has been canceled due to expected continued rain. If the Historical Society is able to reschedule the concert, we’ll post it here.
July 2
The Planning Commission meeting for July 9th has been cancelled. The next meeting will be August 13.
The Official Minutes of the June 3, 2019 Board of Supervisors’ Meeting.
June 25
The Agenda for the July 1, 2019 Board of Supervisors’ Meeting.
June 24
The Official Minutes of the May 16, 2019 Parks & Recreation Board Meeting.
June 20
6:12 p.m.: The Historical Society concert at Brightside Farm is on for this evening!
The Zoning Hearing Board decision on the Application of Janet Rubino, No. 01-2019 has been posted.
June 19
The Charlestown Historical Society is sponsoring a FREE CONCERT being held at the Wisner-Rapp House (located on Yellow Springs Road between Hollow and Valley Hill Roads) on Thursday, June 20 between 7 and 9 pm featuring a James Taylor Tribute Band. Bring your lawn chairs and beach blankets. The weather might be a problem — check back for updates.
June 18
Minor adjustments were made at the Planning Commission meeting June 11th to the Clean Energy Resolution.
The Agenda for the June 20, 2019 Parks & Recreation Board Meeting.
June 12
Due to renovations planned at the Middle School, all Township meetings from June 17 – August 31 have been relocated to the Great Valley High School.
The Official Minutes of the May 14, 2019 Planning Commission Meeting.
June 4
The Board of Supervisors invites you to comment on their draft Clean Energy Resolution, which will be considered for adoption at the July 1, 2019 meeting. If you would like to offer any comments, please email them to Township Manager Linda Csete at manager@charlestown.pa.us.
The Agenda for the June 11, 2019 Planning Commission Meeting.
The Official Minutes of the May 6, 2019 Board of Supervisors’ Meeting.
May 29
The Agenda for the June 3, 2019 Board of Supervisors’ Meeting.
May 28
The Chester County Agricultural Development Council has just released its new 2019 Local Farm Products Guide. The guide is available in English and Spanish.
May 20
The Official Minutes of the April 10, 2019 Environmental Advisory Council (EAC) Meeting.
May 16
Public Bids are being accepted until 11:00 a.m. May 31 for the sale of the former Auchincloss property.
The Official Minutes of the April 9, 2019 Planning Commission Meeting.
May 14
The Agenda for the May 16, 2019 Parks & Recreation Board Meeting.
The Official Minutes of the April 18, 2019 Parks & Recreation Board Meeting.
May 9
The Public Hearing for Application of Janet Rubino for a variance to increase the area of a nonconforming dwelling. May 28, 2019 at 7:00 p.m.
May 8
The Revised 2019 Budget is now online.
The conditional use decision on the Application of Donald and Elizabeth Andersen has been posted.
May 7
The Agenda for the May 8, 2019 Environmental Advisory Council (EAC) Meeting.
The Agenda for the May 14, 2019 Planning Commission Meeting.
The Official Minutes of the April 1, 2019 Board of Supervisors’ Meeting.
The Chester County Commissioners announced results of a study, Return on Environment: The Economic Value of Protected Open Space in Chester County, during an Open Space Summit on Thursday, May 2, 2019 at the Lenfest Center at ChesLen Preserve in Newlin Township. The study—and its accompanying video—highlight the valuable economic, environmental, and public health benefits that open space preservation has provided to Chester County for the past three decades. Learn more about the study and view the video: chescoplanning.org/openspace/roe.cfm.
May 1
The Spring 2019 Newsletter is now online.
April 30
The Agenda for the May 6, 2019 Board of Supervisors’ Meeting.
The Environmental Advisory Committee is having a one day soil sampling project at Brightside Farm on May 18 with the objective of creating an effective riparian buffer with optimal plantings.
Two sets of keys and a gold bracelet were found at Charlestown Park over the last few weeks. Call the Township office at (610) 240-0326 if you are searching.
April 26
Route 29 (State Road) is scheduled to close between Creek Road and Pothouse Road in Schuylkill Township, Chester County, on Saturday, April 27, from 7:00 AM to 3:00 PM, for pipe replacement. Motorists will be directed to use Charlestown Road and Pothouse Road to access Route 29. See map.
Photos are in showing several Earth Day events in April.
Learn about the benefits of open space preservation at the Open Space Summit free event in Coatesville on May 2 at 5 pm.
The Pennsylvania Dept. of Agriculture has begun their annual door-to-door canvassing for dog licenses and rabies vaccination. They select random areas throughout the county and are clearly identified as dog wardens. Info at www.licenseyourdogpa.com.
April 22
The conditional use decision on the Application of George Meyer has been posted.
The Official Minutes of the March 21, 2019 Parks & Recreation Board Meeting.
The Official Minutes of the February 21, 2019 Parks & Recreation Board Meeting.
April 17
The Agenda for the April 18, 2019 Parks & Recreation Board Meeting.
April 12
The Official Minutes of the March 13, 2019 Environmental Advisory Council (EAC) Meeting.
April 10
The Official Minutes of the March 12, 2019 Planning Commission Meeting and Minutes of the March 23, 2019 Joint Session with the Board of Supervisors.
April 9
Thanks to everyone who came out on Saturday for our annual clean up and park fix up day! Over 100 bags of trash were collected from Coldstream Road alone, and about 250 bags by Monday. Bird houses were installed at Brightside Farm, and trees mulched at Charlestown Park, along with other tasks. Look for pictures to be posted on this site, and in the newsletter that will be coming out in early May.
The Agenda for the April 10, 2019 Environmental Advisory Council (EAC) Meeting.

Projects

3D Scans of Charlestown Mill

George Csete is a professional engineer from West Chester who specializes in 3D laser scanning. George has provided images of his scans of the Charlestown Mill captured in 2013 and 2018. These revealing scans now appear on our Mill page in the Historical section.

Gallery

Pictures from Township Earth Day Activities

Events

Click item for details.

Yoga in the Park

Adelphia Gateway Project Township Outreach

If you have received any notices from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) as a landowner regarding the Adelphia Gateway Project or as a Charlestown resident you have concerns or questions related to this pipeline project, please contact the Township’s Environmental Advisory Committee (EAC):

Pete Goodman at peteg@bee.net or (610) 655-5020 or

Veda Maany at vmaanymd@yahoo.com or (917) 566-1904.

The EAC is working with the Township to obtain answers for resident questions, and to consolidate and transmit their concerns on this project to FERC.

Update — February 5 — The township has responded to the FERC regarding the Adelphia Assessment. The letter is available here.

Volunteers Needed

Docent

Trail Maintenance

The time is now! Mile-a-minute vine is up and growing! It’s along all of our trails including behind our gardens at Brightside.

Please don your gloves and long sleeves, bring a couple of big black trash bags and go to the gardens or your favorite trail; and PULL! Stuff the vines in your bags and put them out with your trash. If you need to, leave the bags at the bottom of my drive, Hana Lane, 4th drive off of Hollow on block between Charlestown and Route 29.

Best pulling on Pickering Creek Trail is on the end closest to Charlestown Road, between the little dam and the little bridge — or on the shore near the creek near the bridge leading from Pickering Dam Road entrance.

Best pulling on Pickering Dam Trail is from the Pickering Dam Road entrance right around the corner, when you are paralleling the Creek. From Route 29, go either way where the trail forks – it is everywhere!

At Brightside, there are vines covering the rocks between the gardens and the hayfields — and gardeners! Watch for it in the gardens! It is also to be found along the mown path that leads from the gardens by the house, down the hill and up toward the new paved trail.

The next two weeks are our window of opportunity – before the vines flower and berry!

Parks & Recreation Board

The Township is seeking two volunteers to serve on the Parks & Recreation Board beginning January 1st. The Board consists of seven members who serve 5 year terms.

The Parks and Recreation Board advises the Board of Supervisors on matters of recreational policy and the development and maintenance of parks and trails in the Township, including the 44 acre Charlestown Park on Township Line Road, Brightside Farm Park, the future Jenkins Park on Valley Hill Road, the Pickering Trail between Charlestown Road and Route 29, and other recreational and open space throughout the Township.

Parks & Rec meets on the 3rd Thursday of the month in the Choral Room at the Great Valley Middle School.

If you are interested in joining this active and involved group, please submit a letter of interest to Charlestown Township, P.O. Box 507, Devault, PA 19432 or email: admin1@charlestown.pa.us.

Historic Commission/Historical Architectural Review Board

Due to a recent vacancy, the Township is seeking a volunteer to serve on its combined Historic Commission/HARB. The group consists of seven or more members who are appointed to five-year terms by the Board of Supervisors. While some members serve at-large, this particular vacancy is for a resident who is a licensed real estate broker.

The Commission meets on the 3rd Tuesday every other month (Jan-Mar-May-Jul-Sept-Nov) at 4:00 p.m. at the Guidance Office at the Great Valley Middle School.

If you are interested in the preservation and protection of the many historically significant structures located in Charlestown Township, please submit a letter of interest to Charlestown Township, P.O. Box 507, Devault, PA 19432 or email admin1@charlestown.pa.us.

Environmental Advisory Committee

The Township has created an Environmental Advisory Committee (EAC) to provide advice and research to our municipal officials on a range of environmental issues.

We are seeking interested persons with backgrounds relevant to environmental science and best practices who would consider serving on a pilot trial of an environmental advisory group.

To learn more or to apply, see our Environmental Advisory Council page.

Found Items ...

Meeting Agendas

  • Board of Supervisors: July 1
  • Planning Commission: July 9 meeting cancelled.
    Next meeting: August 13.
  • Parks & Recreation: June 20
  • Environmental Advisory Council (EAC): May 8

Recent Documents

Bids & RFPs

There are no bids open at this time.

Hearings

There are no pending hearings at this time.

Decisions

The Zoning Hearing Board decision on the Application of Janet Rubino, No. 01-2019 has been posted.

Tips

Don’t get duped by unscrupulous solicitors. Here are some guidelines to avoid problems.

Dividing a property? Our new Sketch Plan Fact Sheet will point you in the right direction.

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Contact Us:
Office Hours:
Monday thru Friday
9:00 A.M. - 3:00 P.M.
Phone Us:
(610) 240-0326 Phone
(610) 240-0328 Fax
Email Us:
manager@charlestown.pa.us
Mail Us:
P.O. Box 507
Devault, PA 19432
Visit Us:
4030 Whitehorse Rd.
Malvern, PA 19355
Find Us:
Directions to Office
Learn About Us:
FAQs

Meeting Dates, Times & Locations

Township Statistics

Other Useful Links
Area Road
Closings/
Openings

The Chester County Planning Commission has released its June 2018 Phoenixville Region Multimodal Transportation Study.

Click on FINAL_Phoenixville Region Multimodal Transportation Study_June 2018.pdf when the file list is displayed to download a copy from the Chesco FTP Website.

New for 2019...

Chester County
Local Farm Products Guide

In English and Español
PA Dept of Agriculture

The Spotted Lanternfly is becoming an increasing environmental threat to the area. Learn to identify this pest and destroy its eggs when possible. For more information, visit Penn State Extention on the topic or the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture.

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