In April, the Chester County Library System's board packet carried a hopeful line from the Chester Springs Library. Once the shelves were back up and the collection reshelved, the library expected "to welcome patrons back in the Library by June 1, 2026." That date passed. As of mid-November, the library's homepage still says the building "will be closed until further notice" while repairs continue.
The library is still holding programs. Its storytime, music, crafts and book club have spread out to township meeting rooms, a park pavilion and a church on Route 401. Its returns and holds go through a branch on Windgate Drive. If you plan a December week around the library, you are planning around several addresses.
Why the Yeaworth House is still closed
The library rents its building from Historic Yellow Springs. The building is the Yeaworth House, once the Orphan School infirmary, and the library moved there from the Lincoln Building in 2016. Under the lease, Historic Yellow Springs handles exterior repairs and the library handles the interior.
The April 2026 CCLS report gives the timeline:
- February 17, 2025. A large sycamore fell against the building, and branches came through the roof on the west side.
- July 2025. A severe summer storm brought more branches through the roof on the east side.
- Late November 2025. After insurance delays, exterior repairs began. Everything inside the library went into storage.
- Mid-March 2026. Exterior repairs were finished, township approvals were in place, and the HVAC, electrical and alarm systems were working again.
- Late April 2026. Bello Remakes, LLC, the contractor chosen for interior painting, a full floor replacement and reinstalling the bookshelves, was expected to start work.
By the August 2026 CCLS board packet, the exterior work by Historic Yellow Springs was done and the interior repairs were "in process." The September 2026 report said the same and noted that the building was still closed to the public. In October, the library's Board of Trustees wrote in its annual appeal letter that it is "fighting to reopen as soon as possible, but unforeseen problems with the historic building have delayed progress."
So the library is in its second holiday season out of the building, and its December schedule was built for that.
Five rooms, one library
The library describes its strategy as keeping programs going "through partnerships with local townships and community organizations." On the Chester Springs Library calendar, each program now has a regular venue:
| Where | Address | What happens there |
|---|---|---|
| West Pikeland Township Building | 1645 Art School Road | Storytime and the Crochet & Knit Group |
| Pine Creek Park | 1488 Yellow Springs Road | Play Dough Morning and the Thanksgiving Centerpiece Workshop |
| St. Matthew's Church | 2440 Conestoga Road, on Route 401 | Makin'Music |
| West Vincent Township Building | 729 St. Matthews Road | Friday Afternoon Book Club |
| Henrietta Hankin Branch Library | 215 Windgate Drive | Returns, holds and the library staff's work base |
The West Pikeland Township Building holds the most programs. Storytime meets there on Monday and Wednesday mornings at 10:30, and the Crochet & Knit Group uses its meeting room on Thursday afternoons from 1:30 to 3. The library's appeal also credits the West Pikeland Township Parks and Recreation Committee as a programming partner.
The dates between now and December 22
Thanksgiving week is the busiest stretch of the season, and the library is closed on November 26 and 27. Here is the calendar from this week through the last program before Christmas:
- Friday, November 20, 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Play Dough Morning at Pine Creek Park.
- Friday, November 20, 1 to 2:30 p.m. Thanksgiving Centerpiece Workshop at the Pine Creek Park Pavilion.
- Monday, November 23, and Wednesday, November 25, 10:30 a.m. Storytime at the West Pikeland Township Building.
- Tuesday, November 24, 10:30 a.m. Makin'Music at St. Matthew's Church.
- Monday, November 30, and Wednesday, December 2, 10:30 a.m. Storytime at the West Pikeland Township Building.
- Friday, December 18, 2 to 3 p.m. Friday Afternoon Book Club at the West Vincent Township Building.
- Tuesday, December 22, 10:30 to 11 a.m. Makin'Music at St. Matthew's Church, 2440 Conestoga Road.
The library's home village has one event of its own in the middle of December. Historic Yellow Springs holds its free Holiday Stroll on Sunday, December 13, from 2 to 5 p.m. It takes place in the same village as the Yeaworth House, which has been closed for repairs since February 2025.
Your books go to Windgate Drive
The library has the least room to work with when it comes to books. During the repairs, its collection of nearly 16,000 physical items went into storage. The trustees' letter says the physical collection is "unavailable" for now, so the library is buying e-books and e-audiobooks that patrons can borrow through the Chester County Library System.
Here is what that means for borrowing:
- Returns. The homepage asks patrons to return books "to any other Chester County Library."
- Holds and the staff. The April CCLS report says the library's returns and holds were redirected to the Henrietta Hankin Branch Library at 215 Windgate Drive in Chester Springs. Chester Springs staff have been working from a small conference room there.
- The bigger option. The Chester County Library & District Center is at 450 Exton Square Parkway in Exton.
Check the Chester County Libraries site for current hours at Hankin and the Exton building before you go.
Hankin is also the library's meeting place. The homepage lists the Chester Springs Library Board of Trustees meetings in the Henrietta Hankin Branch Library Annex, with a Zoom link for anyone who wants to join remotely.
What the $25,000 is for
This is the library's second year in a row asking the community to help it reopen. The 2026 Annual Appeal aims to raise $25,000. The money would replace children's toys, craft supplies, bookshelves, storytime equipment and a water cooler. It would also pay for new flooring, storytime rugs, and storage for the book collection beyond what insurance covers.
The books stay in storage until the building reopens, so the longer repairs run, the more storage time the library has to pay for beyond what insurance covers.
The appeal posts also describe a different library when it reopens. The trustees write that the rebuild is creating "a fresh new look and a more welcoming, accessible layout designed to enhance everyone's library experience." The November 7 post says the library has "mapped out the route and just need[s] the fuel to get across the finish line." The library's calendar marks the appeal on Saturdays through the end of December: November 21 and 28, and December 5, 12, 19 and 26.
Until the Yeaworth House reopens, the Chester Springs Library calendar is the best place to check which address a program is using.
The Kathy Gagnon Team at Dennis Hartley has worked in Chester County for three decades, and we follow community updates like this one along with the market. If you are thinking about a move in or around Chester Springs and want a clear picture of where your home stands, start with a free home valuation from our team.
