Historic
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Five Bucks County Museums Make Philadelphia Inquirer List of ‘Essentials’
In an area-wide wrap-up of local museums for which The Philadelphia Inquirer calls “essential,” reporter Candis McLean cites five that are in our own backyards. They provide the perfect means of wiling away a chilly winter’s day peppered with culture, insight, and fun. Bucks County Civil War Museum, Doylestown Although its more common to think…
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Book Excerpt: History of The Main Line from The Rise: Kobe Bryant and the Pursuit of Immortality
The following is an excerpt from “The Rise: Kobe Bryant and the Pursuit of Immortality,” a new book authored by Mike Sielski, a sports columnist at The Philadelphia Inquirer and Inquirer.com. In The Rise, Sielski takes readers from the neighborhood streets of Southwest Philadelphia where Joe Bryant, Kobe’s father, became an all-city basketball standout―to the Bryant…
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Tu BiShvat, Jewish ‘New Year of the Trees,’ Recalls a Concentration Camp Sapling Saved in New Hope
Tu BiShvat, today’s Jewish “New Year of the Trees,” features a number of ecologically oriented celebrations. But it also recalls a significant silver maple tree steeped with meaning. Sasha Rogelberg covered the historic sapling for the Jewish Exponent. The tree is known as “The Theresienstadt Tree,” named for a concentration camp located in what is…
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What If MLK Had Social Audio for “I Have a Dream”?
If MLK had the social audio technology in 1963 that we have today, he would have reached so many more people than those who heard him from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. Listeners would be tapping on their clapping hands’ emoji from their smartphone’s social audio apps and would have heard the power and…
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Historical Marker in Paoli to Undergo Revision
The Anthony Wayne historical marker in Paoli is being revised as part of a statewide review by The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. The organization is reviewing all of its 2,500 markers, looking to correct factual errors, address inadequate historical contexts, and eliminate racist or other inappropriate references. Mark Scolforo covered the initiative for The…
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Here’s How Our Area Looked When the Lenape Lived in Philadelphia
Today’s Native American population in Philadelphia stands at a mere .36 percent, yet the region was once home to the Lenape (translated as “Original People”), a flourishing community, writes Amy Cohen for hiddencityphila.org. Now there’s a map on display at the Museum of Indian Culture in Allentown showing how the land looked before Europeans drove…
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Abington Home Builders Used Mercer Tile Work Accents to Recreate Classic Hollywood Architecture
Hollywood, Pa., located in Abington Township, is an architectural déjà vu that duplicates the Spanish Revival bungalows of early 20th century Los Angeles, writes Stacia Friedman for Hidden City. Built in 1928 by developer Gustav Weber, the neighborhood’s homes featured pastel-colored stucco exteriors along with red clay tile roofs, as well as arched windows and…
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Christmas Spiders? Jenkintown’s Manor College Explains This Ukrainian Holiday Tradition
Learn more about the Ukrainian Holiday Tradition involving Christmas spiders Have you ever wondered why some Ukrainian families place jeweled spiders on their Christmas trees? The tradition dates back centuries to a tale about a spider who, thankful for the warmth in the house provided by a poor family, spins beautiful Christmas decorations, saving Christmas…
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Pennsylvania Museums Reunited with Stolen Artifacts After 50 Years
This past Friday, six Pennsylvania museums were reunited with a variety of firearms that had been stolen by a man during heists that sometimes would go unnoticed for several years, writes Ximena Conde for The Philadelphia Inquirer. Thomas Gavin, the now 78-year-old man behind the thefts, admitted to targeting dozens of museums all along the…
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Perkasie Historical Society Restores Community Nativity Display to Its 1940s Glory
Although it may seem odd to cite a resurrection story at Christmastime, the Perkasie Historical Society is credited a very public rebirth. Fred R. Savana’s report in the Bucks County Herald covered the preservation group’s role in the community’s vintage nativity display. Two members of the historical society, Rick Doll and Matt Lynch, spent the…
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New Home for African American Museum of Bucks County Takes Shape; Public Support Needed
The ongoing mission of The African American Museum of Bucks County (AAMBC) took a significant step forward in February 2021 with a permanent home in Middletown. But as it prepares for a 2022 opening, its leadership team offers an opportunity for the community to take part in the effort. Julian Moore-Griffin covered the story for…
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December Fundraiser to Help African American Museum of Bucks County Into Permanent Home
The African American Museum of Bucks County (AAMBC), which existed as a travelling exhibit, is setting down roots. Samantha Bambino, in the Lower Bucks Times, reported its upcoming fundraiser to support the permanent spot. A “Build our Dream” cocktail reception on Dec. 2 at Parx will gather funds to turn Boone Farm in Middletown Township…
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Before Salem, Charges of Witchcraft Plagued the Area Back in the 1600s
Nine years before the infamous Salem Witch Trials took place, a Delaware County woman faced her own witch trial in Philadelphia, writes Kenny Cooper for WHYY. It was Pennsylvania’s only witch trial. Known as “The Witch of Ridley Creek,” the “witch” in question was a Swedish settler named Margaret Mattson. She lived with her husband,…
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After Bringing Smiles to Troops in Vietnam, This ‘Donut Dollie’ Served at Valley Forge Hospital
After serving in Vietnam from September 1969 until November 1970, former Donut Dollie Connie Dugan Popel joined Valley Forge General Hospital in Phoenixville as a Red Cross recreation aide, writes Skip Vaughn for the U.S. Department of Defense. Popel’s role at the hospital — which has since been closed and replaced by Valley Forge University…
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President Signs September 11th National Memorial Trail Legislation
President Biden has signed H.R. 2278, the bipartisan legislation to designate the September 11th National Memorial Trail. It will link: The National September 11th Memorial and Museum in New York City The Pentagon Memorial in Arlington, Virginia The Flight 93 National Memorial in Somerset County, Pennsylvania It was introduced by representatives that included Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA).…
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Public Unveiling of Restored Durham Grist Mill Grinds to a Halt in Deference to COVID-19 Concerns
The Durham Grist Mill, located in its eponymous Bucks County township, was set to reopen after state grants funded a $53,000 renovation. Ongoing pandemic concerns, however, have scotched the public reveal planned by Durham Township officials and the Durham Historical Society. Kathryn Finegan Clark sifted through the decision for the Bucks County Herald.. The site’s…
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Remains of Folcroft Sailor Killed at Pearl Harbor at Last Come Home to Delaware County
The remains of a Folcroft sailor, Charles Montgomery, killed at Pearl Harbor in 1941, have been identified and have been returned to Drexel Hill for burial, writes Deb Kiner for pennlive.com. Navy Radioman 3rd Class Charles A. Montgomery, 21, was accounted for on March 3, 2021, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency said Aug. 30. Montgomery…
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South Perkasie Bridge, Already a Little Doddery in Her Old Age, Takes it on the Chin from Hurricane Ida
The Perkasie Historical Society and the Bucks County Covered Bridge Society were already concerned about the status of the South Perkasie Bridge. The structure — the oldest of its kind in the county — had already been saved once, when the historical society moved it in 1958. But now, according to Jack Reinhard of WFMZ…
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