Chester County has long been known for the diversity of its cultural and histrical offerings. The Battle of Brandywine was fought here. The Wyeths, whose work is showcased in the Brandywine River Museum, were and remain giants of contemporary American art. Longwood Gardens, one of the world’s premiere horticultural display gardens, boasts a conservatory, 40 unique gardens, and spectacular fountains and holiday displays. Over the past few decades Chester County, whose charms seemed frozen in time for so long, has followed other counties in the region in the inexorable march toward suburbanization and development.