Coatesville

Coatesville may refer to:

Coatesville, Pennsylvania

Coatesville is a city in Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 13,100 at the 2010 census. Coatesville is approximately 39 miles west of Philadelphia. It developed along Lancaster Turnpike, beginning in the late 18th century. It spans Rte 30, the "Main Line" turnpike that runs west of Philadelphia.

Coatesville developed in the early 20th century with the growth of the Lukens Steel Company and other industry. Its population declined after industrial restructuring, which reduced these jobs. Lukens was bought by the Bethlehem Steel Corporation in 1997. In 2002, Bethlehem was bought by the then Ohio-based International Steel Group (ISG). Later, Mittal Steel bought ISG and merged with Arcelor Steel to form the ArcelorMittal company.

History

Beginnings

Varying cultures of Native Americans lived in this area. The first known settlement in the area which would be known as Coatesville was a historic Lenape village built along the West Branch of the Brandywine River. This settlement was a post for fur trading with the earliest American settlers. The Brandywine River has featured prominently in the history of Coatesville.

Coatesville station

Coatesville is an Amtrak rail station located in the far western suburbs of Philadelphia at Third Avenue and Fleetwood Street in Coatesville, Pennsylvania. It is served by most Amtrak Keystone Service trains. An old railroad station building exists at the stop, but is not currently used. There is no ticket office at this station. Coatesville is one of the least-used stations on the Keystone Corridor east of Harrisburg. This may be due to a lack of parking as well as its proximity to Thorndale Station on the SEPTA Paoli/Thorndale Line. SEPTA once served this station until 1996 when the agency was forced to close a $75 million gap and has since truncated its service.

In summer 2013, the Chester County Economic Development Council announced the selection of a developer for a project to revitalize the Coatesville station area. Total costs will be dependent on final design and engineering estimates, but the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) has pledged approximately $20 million to the project. Under the plan, a new station with parking would be built just east of the historic depot, along the tracks between Third and Fourth Avenues.