Founded in 1977, the mission of the Historical Society of the Phoenixville Area (Chester County, Pennsylvania) is "to identify, collect, preserve, interpret, and disseminate materials and information pertaining to Phoenixville area history in order to assist and educate the public in understanding and appreciating their Phoenixville area heritage and how it relates to their lives." The Society's archival holdings consist of over 175 linear feet of materials covering more than 200 years (from about 1800 to the present, with the bulk of materials dating from 1850 or later). Subject files, photographs, genealogical materials, business and organizational records, scrapbooks, family papers, and other materials document the residents, organizations, businesses, and buildings of the Phoenixville area. Significant holdings include funeral home registers, school attendance lists, church records, Phoenix Iron Company records, Phoenixville Borough records, and records from several local fraternal organizations.