West Chester, you’re sure full of surprises! Last Wednesday, as contractors were preparing to replace sidewalks on part of Church Street, a round manhole with a glass cover was discovered. It sat over a small brick room.
In this article on the Downtown West Chester website, BID Director Malcolm Johnstone describes what happened next. A West Chester Public Works crew began examining the inside of the room with a robotic camera, which will allow them to determine any safety concerns and perhaps uncover some information about its function.
As you can see in the photo, debris in the room includes an old chair and a bottle.
The room is located in front of the old Mansion House Hotel, which was built in 1833 and demolished in the early 1970s. During its heyday, it served as a gathering place, and word has it that tunnels that ran beneath the streets connected the hotel to other buildings.
We look forward to hearing more about this look into West Chester’s history as the story unfolds!
Photo credits: Downtown West Chester website.
