Zebulon Thomas operated a boarding school at this location from 1837 to 1877. He and his family provided shelter and protection here for the slaves seeking freedom. The family also helped to guide the former slaves to their next safe place in Lionville, along this northward path to freedom. Zebulon Thomas’s home later became Downingtown’s Public Library. The building image shown here, dating from 1917, has a banner with a cross on the front of the building; since during World War I the Downingtown branch of the American Red Cross used the library building to make bandages and other supplies needed to support the war effort. This building has a long history of providing help for people in Chester County in so many ways.
This property is a private residence and is not open to the public.