William Darlington
West Chester, Chester County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
Physician, Congressman, began a service of 33 years as president of Bank of Chester County in this building, 1830. Especially noted for his many contributions to the science and study of botany in the early 1800's. He died in 1863.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
William Darlington began his 33-year tenure as president of the Bank of Chester County in this building in 1830, capping a life that ranged across medicine, politics, and science. A physician and former congressman, he is best remembered as one of early America's most respected botanists, cataloging the plants of the region and corresponding with naturalists across the country. He died in 1863, having helped make West Chester a small hub of scientific learning.
Why it matters
Darlington embodied the civic-minded man of the early republic, when a single figure might serve in Congress, run a bank, and advance a natural science all in one lifetime.
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