Pottsgrove Manor To Host Open-Hearth Cooking Workshop

Pottstown, PA – On Saturday, October 19, 2013, from 10:00am to 3:00pm, historic Pottsgrove Manor will host an open-hearth cooking workshop entitled “Cast-Iron Chef” in the manor’s reconstructed colonial kitchen.

A common material for cooking equipment in past centuries, cast-iron is experiencing a resurgence in popularity among modern cooks for its durability and versatility. In this hands-on workshop, historic cook Deborah Peterson will teach participants how to cook with and care for cast iron cookware. Historically and seasonally appropriate dishes of the colonial period will be prepared and consumed by the participants.

The workshop is open to participants ages 12 and up, but those under 16 should be accompanied by an adult. There is a fee of $50.00 per person. To ensure one-on-one instruction, the class size is limited to eight. Registration forms may be picked up at Pottsgrove Manor or downloaded online at http://montcopa.org/DocumentCenter/View/4381.

The workshop is being held in conjunction with Pottsgrove Manor’s current exhibit “Forging a Lifestyle: Ironworking with the Potts Family,” which runs until November 3, 2013 and can be viewed during a guided tour of Pottsgrove Manor during regular museum hours: Tuesday to Saturday, 10:00am to 4:00pm and Sunday, 1:00pm to 4:00pm. Tours are given on the hour. The last tour of the day begins at 3:00pm. The site is closed Mondays and major holidays. Groups of ten or more should pre-register by calling 610-326-4014.

Pottsgrove Manor is located at 100 West King Street near the intersection of King Street and Route 100, just off Route 422, in Pottstown, Pennsylvania. Pottsgrove Manor is operated by Montgomery County under the direction of the Parks, Trails, & Historic Sites Division of the Assets and Infrastructure Department. For more information, please call 610-326-4014, or visit the website at www.montcopa.org/pottsgrovemanor. Like Pottsgrove Manor on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pottsgrovemanor.

Wilkes-Barre Mayor Has Heard From Potential Developers About Hotel Sterling Site

English: Hotel Sterling, Wilkes-Barre (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

WILKES-BARRE —Mayor Tom Leighton called it “a historic day” for the city, but also “a sad day” for the community.

As workers from Brdaric Construction Co. began to dismantle the former Hotel Sterling,  Leighton talked about the future and the potential for the historic site located at a gateway to the city’s downtown.

The mayor said he has heard from potential developers, but he declined to go further, saying it was premature to discuss what might happen once the building is down and the site cleared.

State Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski, D-Wilkes-Barre, called the site “the most valuable real estate in Luzerne County.”  He said he’s confident the city will find a quality developer.

Read more:  http://www.timesleader.com/news/local-news/703044/As-Sterling-falls-Leighton-keeps-future-in-mind

$2.3M Restoration Of Frick’s Lock Village Unveiled

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Chester County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

EAST COVENTRY TOWNSHIP, PA — In its heyday, Frick’s Lock Village was one of dozens of stops along the Schuylkill Navigation for coal making its way from the coal regions and the river’s headwaters to energy-starved industrial cities like Philadelphia.

But it lost its economic lustre when the railroads took over the job of carrying the coal and it slipped from public view entirely in 1969, when it was purchased by PECO as part of the construction of the Limerick nuclear plant.

But it never slipped entirely from memory, at least not for people like Bill Carl, who lived in the former locktender’s house in the late 1930s, when it had no electricity and no plumbing.

“We rented this from the Reading Railroad Co. for $5 a month,” he said.

Read more:  http://www.pottsmerc.com/article/20130512/NEWS01/130519819/-2-3m-restoration-of-frick-s-lock-village-unveiled#full_story

Deal Reached On John Updike Home Sale

John Updike giving the 2008 Jefferson Lecture for the National Endowment for the Humanities. Found via USAsearch.gov]. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The John Updike Society has signed an agreement to buy for $200,000 the late author’s childhood home in Shillington, Pa.

James Plath, president of the 250-member society, said in a press release Wednesday that the agreement is contingent upon receiving a zoning variance to operate the house as a historic site.

Updike lived in the two-story home at 117 Philadelphia Ave. for the first 13 years of his life before moving to a family homestead in Plowville.

The author, who died in 2009, was heralded for his literary style and prolific output, including the four “Rabbit” novels, which often evoked Berks County places and geography. The last two, “Rabbit is Rich” in 1981 and “Rabbit at Rest” a decade later, won Pulitzer Prizes for fiction.

Read more: http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=385289

“Come To The Fair!” – Annual Colonial May Fair At Pottsgrove Manor

Pottstown, Pennsylvania – Celebrate spring at the Annual Colonial May Fair held at historic Pottsgrove Manor on Saturday, May 5^th from 11:00am to 5:00pm.

This yearly event is a fun-filled day with activities for all ages—games, music, dancing, and crafts. New to the fair this year is colonial conjurer Levram the Great, who will perform colonial magic shows and entertain visitors with pocket magic tricks throughout the day. Tuckers’ Tales Puppet Theatre returns again this year to perform the puppet shows St. George and the Dragon and their brand-new adaptation of the classic Cinderella. They will also provide festive historic music around the grounds during the event. Members of the Tapestry Historic Dance Ensemble will demonstrate authentic country dances and will lead visitors in dances around the Maypole to open and close the fair. 

In addition to the entertainment, a variety of Early American crafters and demonstrators will be on hand to display historic skills and trades and sell their wares. Young visitors can compete in hoop races, play with colonial toys and games, help churn butter, and more! The first floor of colonial ironmaster John Potts’ 1752 manor house will be open for self-guided tours during the fair. Historic foodways expert Deborah Peterson of Deborah Peterson’s Pantry will be demonstrating open-hearth cooking in the Pottsgrove Manor kitchen. Visitors can also shop at the Manor’s museum shop for colonial games, books, and unique gifts. 

While visitors can’t try the food cooked in the colonial kitchen, they will be able to purchase food during the event, including a variety of tasty baked goods from the Milkman Lunch Co. and Cake Shoppe of Pottstown.

A donation of $2 per person is suggested for this event. Visitors are asked to park at the Carousel at Pottstown building, 30 West King Street. Visitors can also stop in to the Carousel and see the progress that is being made there. Pottstown’s restored trolley will be giving FREE rides during the fair between the “First Saturday” activities downtown, the Carousel at Pottstown, and Pottsgrove Manor. Handicapped parking is available in the museum’s parking lot.

Pottstown Manor is located at 100 West King Street near the intersection of King Street and Route 100, just off Route 422, in Pottstown, Pennsylvania. Pottsgrove Manor is operated by Montgomery County under the direction of the Parks and Heritage Services Department. For more information, call 610.326.4014, or visit us on the web at http://historicsites.montcopa.org/pottsgrovemanor.

Pottsgrove Manor River Walk Sept. 24‏th

Pottstown, Pennsylvania — On Saturday, September 24, Pottsgrove Manor’s historic site supervisor will offer an informative walking tour from the Manor to the Riverfront Park along the Schuylkill River. The walk will begin at Pottsgrove Manor at 11:00 a.m. and will conclude at the site at 2:00 p.m.

Along the way, we will discuss the history and importance of the Manatawny Creek and the Schuylkill River to the ironworking business of the Potts family.  A picnic lunch along the river will be provided before heading back to the Manor.  An optional guided tour of the house will be offered upon returning to Pottsgrove Manor.  Please bring water, wear sunscreen and/or a hat, and wear comfortable shoes.  The route is approximately 2 miles of paved trail and sidewalk.  The terrain is mostly flat, with one set of stairs.

There is a fee of $15 for this program.  Registration is required by September 20th.  Registrants will be given a choice of boxed lunches when they call to register.

Pottsgrove Manor, home of John Potts, colonial ironmaster and founder of Pottstown, is located at 100 West King Street near the intersection of King Street and Route 100, just off Route 422, in Pottstown, Pennsylvania.  Pottsgrove Manor is operated by Montgomery County under the direction of the Parks and Heritage Services Department.

Regular museum hours: Tuesday to Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. & Sunday, 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. Tours are given on the hour; last tour of the day begins as 3:00 p.m. Groups of 10 or more should pre-register by calling 610.326.4014. For more information and a full calendar of events, visit us on the web at

http://historicsites.montcopa.org/pottsgrovemanor or http://www.facebook.com/PottsgroveManor.

Pottsgrove Manor By Candlelight

Candlelight tours for Pottsgrove Manor 2010:

December 12, 2010 from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.       

Twelfth Night Holiday Tours begin Friday, November 26th at 10:00 a.m.  Pottsgrove Manor is festively decorated for the season.  Tours run until January 9th, 2011.  Experience what a colonial holiday season would have been like.

Pottsgrove Manor

100 W. King St

Pottstown, PA  19464

Voice: (610) 326-4014

Internet: http://historicsites.montcopa.org/historicsites/cwp/view,a,3,q,24487.asp