HISTORY OF THE PASSTOWN SCHOOL

The Passtown School was built in 1923 in the Hayti neighborhood, a Black community that emerged after the Civil War. Originally a two-room school house, it was enlarged in 1950 with an addition that doubled the size of the building. In addition to its educational use, the school functioned as a community center, where civic meetings, social activities and Hayti community celebrations took place. When public schools in Chester County were reorganized, the Passtown School was ultimately assigned to Coatesville Area School District. First integrated in 1957, the Passtown School was later transferred to Valley Township in 1967, where it was used as a municipal building from 1967 to 2020.