Eusebius Barnard

Eusebius Barnard was born in July of 1802 and educated in Chester County.   He attended Westtown School and devoted his energies to the farming interests in his community.

He is widely known as a strong abolitionist and an earnest advocate of womens rights and temperance reform.

He was also a strong community leader.  Eusebius signed the Petition for the Division of Pennsbury Township on November 3, 1848 which resulted in the creation of Pocopson Township.  He was described by Gilbert Cope as “a man of great force of character”

 In his later years, Eusebius was also a member of the Locust Grove Lyceum, which met at the nearby one room schoolhouse in the early 1850’s.  The lyceum members wrote on a variety of topics including:

  • Education
  • Science
  • Literature
  • slavery,
  • women’s rights and
  • temperance. 

The members often disagreed on such controversial topics.  However, for the papers that survive, it is very clear that the lyceum members including Mr. Barnard was very optimistic that with education and moral living, that things would be right.

  Personal responsibility in the national conflict over abolition was hotly disputed within Chester County.  Eusebius Barnard stood firm in his beliefs and was disowned by the Kennett Meeting of the Society of Friends for preaching active public opposition to the evils of slavery and support for woman’s suffrage.   Eusebius became a founding member of the Pennsylvania Meeting of Progressive Friends. 

 He married Sarah Painter in 1829 who was the daughter of Enos and Hannah (Minshall) Painter.  Eusebius and Sarah Painter had 8  children:

  Several years after the death of Sarah Painter Barnard in 1849, Eusebius married Sarah Marsh whose parents, Gravner and Hannah Marsh were fellow conductors on the Underground Railroad.   

  This house remained in the Barnard Family for the next 100 years.  In 1944, the family sold the property to the Dershimer's.  The Dershimers owned the property until 1957, when they sold the land to Chester County.  Chester County transferred ownership of this property to Pocopson Township in October 2008.

  Eusebius Barnard and his wives Sarah Painter Barnard and Sarah Marsh Barnard fought for an end to intolerance, proving their belief in the value of the individual regardless of race or sex.  This house was a station on the Underground Railroad as they assisted those fleeing enslavement and risked their lives for the freedom of others.