Holtwood, PA

Holtwood is a borough in Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,527 at the 2010 census. It is part of the West Chester area.

The borough was founded in 1792 and named for General James Holt who fought in the American Revolution. The first settler in Holtwood was John Hays who built a mill on the Little Conestoga River. In 1811, John Hays' grandson, George Washington Hays built a gristmill on the same site and these mills became major employers in Holtwood for many years.

In 1851, Samuel Wetherill purchased of land along the Little Conestoga River and began developing what would become known as Wetherill Park. This large estate included a lake, several hundred acres of forested land and numerous buildings including an opera house, ballroom and stables. Wetherill Park remained in the Wetherill family until it was sold to developers in 1967.

Today Holtwood is home to several businesses including a bank (The First National Bank of West Chester), two churches (First Presbyterian Church and Christ Episcopal Church), two schools ( West Chester East High School and West Chester Middle School), three convenience stores (Wawa, Circle K and Exxon) as well as several restaurants including Pizzeria Uno, Subway and Dunkin' Donuts.

Real estate prices vary greatly throughout Holtwood due to its proximity to both Philadelphia as well as Lancaster County which has much more expensive real estate than Chester County does overall. However, there are still plenty of affordable homes available for purchase if you are looking to live in this borough or any other located within Chester County.