Joseph W. Thomas and Sons Company.

The Joseph W. Thomas and Sons Nursery in Chester County was one of the oldest and longest running horticultural enterprises in the state of Pennsylvania. It operated from 1853 to 1990 and was owned by three successive generations of the Thomas family.

The Thomas nursery actually began in 1828 as a small farm and orchard called “Maple Farm,” which was owned by Charles and Ruth Thomas. It was their son, Joseph Williams Thomas, who formally established the nursery on a small portion of the farm around 1853. He named his burgeoning business, Chester Valley Nursery. Later, he changed the company’s name to Joseph W. Thomas and Company. Around 1888, Joseph’s sons, Edwin and Charles Lincoln, joined him in business and the name of the firm was changed once more to Joseph W. Thomas and Sons, reflecting the new partnership. In 1904, just after Joseph’s death, his son-in-law, Frederic J. Smith joined Edwin and Charles Lincoln Thomas in partnership.

Though he married twice, Edwin had no children of his own. As such, management of the firm eventually passed to two of Charles Lincoln’s sons, Charles Edwin and Raymond. After Charles Edwin’s death in 1974, Raymond continued to manage the nursery until he decided to close its doors permanently in 1990. The land was sold to Bentley Developers of West Chester for the construction of a new residential development.

Throughout its history, the nursery was a more or less successful business. According to author Herb Fry, it “…was noted for a variety of black walnut [that was] discovered growing on the nursery land by Joseph sometime before 1884…The absence of hooks and grooves [made for] easy…extraction of the [walnut] meat,” (p. 88). However, other activities were incorporated to increase profits. For example, there was a working farm, orchard and dairy which operated well into the mid-twentieth century.

Bibliography:

Fry, Herb. “The Joseph W. Thomas and Sons Nursery.” Tredyffrin Easttown Historical Society History Quarterly, vol 32: 85-97. http://www.tehistory.org/hqda/html/v32/v32n3p085.html (Accessed April 21, 2010)

From the guide to the Joseph W. Thomas and Sons nursery records, 1884-1990, (Chester County Historical Society)