Exhibit Opening And Lecture At Pottsgrove Manor Saturday, March 4, 2016 At 1:00 pm

Pottstown, PA – Visit historic Pottsgrove Manor on Saturday, March 4, 2016 at 1:00pm for a historical lecture to open the site’s new exhibit, “Rise and Shine at the Manor,” which is set to run through November 5th.

At 1:00pm, visitors will have a chance to meet founding father Benjamin Franklin, as portrayed by Bill Ochester. Learn about Franklin’s contributions to everyday life, including the idea of Daylight Savings time!

After the lecture, visitors can take a guided tour of Pottsgrove Manor and the new exhibit. As the first rays of the morning’s sun streamed through the windows of Pottsgrove Manor, the house would already be busy with a myriad of early morning household tasks and the rituals of starting another day. See how the humble activities of daily life differed from- or were often remarkably similar to- the activities we are familiar with today.

There is a suggested donation of $2.00 per person for the lecture and tour.

Visitors can also take a guided tour of Pottsgrove Manor and the “Rise and Shine at the Manor” exhibit during regular museum hours: Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00am to 4:00pm and Sunday from 1:00pm to 4:00pm. Tours begin on the hour. The last tour of the day begins at 3:00pm.

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, and 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 www.facebook.com/pottsgrovemanor.

Living History Sundays At Pottsgrove Manor August 7, 14, 21, And 28, 2016 From 1:00pm To 4:00pm

Needlework

Pottstown, PA – On August 7th, 14th, 21st, and 28th, 2016 from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm, Pottsgrove Manor’s living history volunteers, dressed in colonial period clothing, will be living life the 18th century way.

Come spend a casual summer Sunday afternoon at historic Pottsgrove Manor and enjoy the 18th century surroundings as volunteers demonstrate colonial trades and pastimes. Activities may include needlework, tape weaving, hornsmithing, cooking, and more. Visitors can watch, learn, and even join in! Activities will vary from week to week, so call ahead or check the site’s webpage at http://www.montcopa.org/PottsgroveManor to find out what will be offered each day.

A donation of $2.00 per person is suggested for this program. Guests can also tour the manor house, see the museum’s current exhibit, “Potts & Family: Colonial Consumers,” and shop in the museum store during their visit.

The “Colonial Consumers” exhibit can also be viewed during a guided tour of Pottsgrove Manor during regular museum hours now through November 6th. Regular museum hours are Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00am to 4:00pm and Sunday from 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 preregister 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, and Historic Sites Division of the Assets and Infrastructure Department. For more information, please call 610-326-4014, or visit the website at http://www.montcopa.org/pottsgrovemanor. Like Pottsgrove Manor on Facebook at

http://www.facebook.com/pottsgrovemanor.

It’s A Man’s World, June 12 Program At Pottsgrove Manor‏

March 5th – Exhibit & Programming At Pottsgrove Manor‏

2016 Exhibit poster

Valentine’s Day Cooking Demonstrations At Pottsgrove Manor Saturday, February 13, 2016 From 11:00am To 3:00pm

Pottstown, PA – Visit historic Pottsgrove Manor on Saturday, February 13, 2016 between 11:00 am and 3:00 pm for demonstrations of open-hearth cooking with the program “Valentine’s Day, the Colonial Way.”

In the colonial era, before the invention of the techniques that give chocolate the smooth consistency people know and love today, chocolate was usually consumed as either a hot beverage or as an ingredient in various “made” dishes. In this program, historic cook Connie Unangst will prepare a variety of 18th-century recipes using chocolate. Visitors can stop in the kitchen at any time during the hours of 11:00 am to 3:00 pm to see what’s cooking. Guided tours of the manor will also be offered on the hour throughout the day, and the site’s museum shop will also be open. There is a suggested donation of $2.00 per person for this program.

Visitors can also take a guided tour of Pottsgrove Manor during regular museum hours: Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm and Sunday from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm. Tours begin on the hour. The last tour of the day begins at 3:00 pm.

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, and Historic Sites Division of the Assets and Infrastructure Department. For more information, please call 610-326-4014, or visit the website at http://www.montcopa.org/pottsgrovemanor. Like Pottsgrove Manor on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pottsgrovemanor.

“The Potts Legacy” Lecture At Pottsgrove Manor – Saturday, November 7, 2015 At 1:00pm‏

Pottstown, PA – On Saturday, November 7, 2015 at 1:00pm Pottsgrove Manor will host a lecture by historian Dan Graham entitled, “The Potts Legacy.”

An expert on the early Pennsylvania iron industry and a genaeoligist of the Potts and Rutter families, speaker Dan Graham has done extensive research into the development of the region. In this program, Graham will talk about Pottstown’s founder, John Potts, his descendants, and the impact they had on the shaping of early Pottstown and the surrounding areas.

The talk serves as the closing event for the site’s current exhibit, “Pride of Place: The Local Legacy of the Potts Family,” which runs through November 8^th. The exhibit can be viewed on a guided tour of the manor house during regular museum hours: Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00am to 4:00pm and Sunday from 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 preregister 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, and 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.

Living History Sundays In August At Pottsgrove Manor‏

gunsmithing

hornsmithing

stictching

Pottstown, PA – Come spend a casual summer Sunday afternoon at historic Pottsgrove Manor and enjoy the 18th century surroundings as volunteers demonstrate colonial trades and pastimes.

On August 2, 9, 16, 23, and 30, from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm, Pottsgrove Manor’s living history volunteers, dressed in colonial period clothing, will be living life the 18th century way. Activities may include needlework, spinning, tape weaving, gunsmithing, hornsmithing, cooking, and more.  Visitors can watch, learn, and even join in!  Activities will vary from week to week, so call ahead or check the site’s webpage at http://www.montcopa.org/PottsgroveManor to find out what will be offered that day.

A donation of $2 per person is suggested for this program. Guests can also tour the manor house, see the museum’s current exhibit, “Pride of Place: The Local Legacy of the Potts Family,” and shop in the museum store on their visit.

The “Pride of Place” exhibit can also be viewed during a guided tour of Pottsgrove Manor during regular museum hours now through November 8th. Regular museum hours are Tuesday to Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Sunday, 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Tours are given on the hour. The last tour of the day begins at 3:00 p.m. The site is closed Mondays and major holidays. Groups of then 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, and Historic Sites Division of the Assets and Infrastructure Department. For more information, please call 610-326-4014, or visit the website at  http://www.montcopa.org/pottsgrovemanor. Like Pottsgrove Manor on Facebook at
http://www.facebook.com/pottsgrovemanor.

Colonial Cosmetics Lecture At Pottsgrove Manor Saturday, July 18, 2015 At 1:00 p.m.

Pottstown, PA  – Learn how colonial women beautified themselves with “In the Eye of the Beholder,” a lecture and demonstration taking place at historic Pottsgrove Manor on Saturday, July 18, 2015 at 1:00 p.m.

Standards of beauty have varied over the years, and just as clothing can mask problems and call attention to more desirable attributes, make-up can do the same. People in the 18th century did not have the cosmetic technologies of today, but they did have various lotions, salves, and other treatments to renew and enhance beauty. In this program, historian Dr. Clarissa F. Dillon will discuss and display colonial cosmetics, and attendees will even get to try some themselves.

A former teacher, Dillon was a founding member of the Past Masters in Early American Domestic Arts and has spent the past four decades researching everyday life of the 17th and 18th centuries. An expert on historic foodways, gardens, and other aspects of colonial domesticity, Dr. Dillon uses her vast
knowledge to make the past come alive.

After the presentation, visitors will have an opportunity to take a guided tour of the mansion at Pottsgrove Manor. They can also shop in the site’s museum store, which carries several of Dr. Dillon’s publications, as well as some of the soaps, salves, and scents of the 18th century.

There is a $2.00 per person suggested donation for this program.

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, and Historic Sites Division of the Assets and Infrastructure Department. For more information, please call 610-326-4014, or visit the website at http://www.montcopa.org/pottsgrovemanor. Like Pottsgrove Manor on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pottsgrovemanor.

Steeples And Steel Tours Returning To Bethlehem

Bethlehem’s Steeples and Steel Tours are returning this summer.

Put on by the South Bethlehem Historical Society and the Steelworkers’ Archives, the guided tours include visits to both the former Bethlehem Steel Corp. site and historic South Side churches.

The two groups jointly debuted the tours last year and they were very successful, organizers said.

This year’s tours are scheduled for June 27, July 25, Aug. 22, Sept. 26 and Oct. 31. The tours are two hours and include one hour at Steel and one hour at a specific South Side church. There are 9:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. tour sessions.

Read more:

http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/bethlehem/index.ssf/2015/06/steeples_and_steel_tours_retur.html

Historical Pottstown Walking Tour, June 17, 2015, 6-8pm‏

‘Distilling The Past’ At Pottsgrove Manor With Manatawny Still Works

Colonial May Fair On May 2 At Pottsgrove Manor‏

Pottsgrove Manor To Host Tape Loom Weaving Workshop Saturday, April 18, 2015

Pottstown, PA – On Saturday, April 18, 2015 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., Pottsgrove Manor will host a workshop on the basics of weaving linen tape on a box loom.

The class will be taught by Eleanor Bittle, who has been active in preserving local history for many years and continues to participate in the Goschenhoppen Folk Festival each year.  She has researched colonial-era tape making for nearly four decades, earning her the nickname of “The Tape Lady.”  In this hands-on workshop, Ms. Bittle will explain the history and uses of woven tape and teach the fundamentals of the tape loom: pattern design, warping the loom, and weaving.

This workshop is open to adults and children ages 12 and up.  There is a materials fee of $30 per person for the workshop that includes threads, instructions, and lunch.  Participants may bring their own (unwarped) tape loom or purchase a cardboard loom for an additional $15 per person.  Class size is limited to 10 to ensure individual instruction.  Registration and payment are required by March 27, 2015.  Please note: Cancellations given before March 27, 2015 will receive a full refund. Cancellations given after March 27, 2015 will not be refunded.

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, and Historic Sites Division of the Assets and Infrastructure Department.  Regular museum hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Sunday from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.  Tours begin on the hour.  The last tour of the day begins at 3:00 p.m. For more information, please call 610-326-4014, or visit the website at http://www.montcopa.org/pottsgrovemanor.

Like Pottsgrove Manor on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pottsgrovemanor

Hotels, Money, David Cohen Helped Philly Snag 2016 Democratic National Convention

WASHINGTON – Hotels, money, Comcast executive David L. Cohen, and maybe some special treatment at the Liberty Bell all helped Philadelphia get over the top to win the right to host the 2016 Democratic National Convention, city and party leaders said Thursday afternoon.

“The role of Philadelphia in shaping our nation’s history is unmatched,” said U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D., Fla.), chair of the Democratic National Committee. “But what’s also unmatched is the comprehensive proposal” the city put together.

The three finalists to host the convention — Philadelphia, New York and Columbus, Ohio — were judged on logistics, security and resources to host the gathering that Democrats hope will serve as an energizing springboard to the 2016 presidential race, Wasserman Schultz said on an afternoon conference call with reporters.

Philadelphia presented the best combination of all three – though the proximity of thousands of hotel rooms to the Wells Fargo Center and sports complex were among its biggest draws, she said.

Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/capitolinq/Hotels-money-David-Cohen-boosted-Philly-convention-bid.html#BvsKUxkxJvvgDLfi.99

Holiday Tours At Pottsgrove Manor

 

Pottsgrove Manor Tto Host “A Visit From The Mantuamaker”

Pottstown, PA – On Saturday, June 14, 2014 from 11:00am to 3:00pm, historic Pottsgrove Manor will host a living history program, “A Visit from the Mantuamaker.”

As a wealthy family, the Pottses would have likely hired a professional “mantuamaker”—that is a dressmaker—to cut out, fit, and sew gowns for Mrs. Potts and her daughters. In this program, the Manor’s staff and volunteers will demonstrate the process of creating a gown from scratch, as well as other aspects of sewing and tailoring colonial garments. They will also be dressed in reproduction 18th-century clothing, giving visitors an up-close look at the fashion of the era. Visitors of all ages can try their hand at some of the needlework techniques and play dress-up in replica 18th-century clothing.

This program is being held in conjunction with the Manor’s current exhibit of both reproduction and original 18th-century garments, “To the Manor Worn: Clothing the 18th-Century Household,” which can be toured on the hour during the program. There is a suggested donation of $2 per person for this program. The museum shop will also be open throughout the event and will be having a special one-day-only sale—10% off all sewing-related items!

The clothing exhibit can also be toured during regular museum hours through November 2, 2014: Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00am to 4:00pm and Sunday from 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, and 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.

Tragedy And Danger Discovered In Pottstown’s Mining Heritage

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

Jefferson M. Rightnour left his wife and six children at their home in Fruitville, a small collection of houses in Limerick Township, Montgomery County, on Sept. 1, 1880, and walked to his job in what is now Pottstown.

The 6-mile trek must have been a hardship, but it was nothing compared to what was waiting for him. Rightnour was the boss of a copper mine; he worked underground with a pick, shovel, and wheelbarrow, busting through sandstone to get to copper ore.

The mine was located on a 40-acre farm owned by James Gilbert in what was then Pottsgrove Township. An 1877 atlas of Montgomery County shows that Gilbert’s farmhouse was probably what is now the business office for Highland Memorial Park at 701 Farmington Ave. The precise location of the mine isn’t known, but it was probably somewhere along the slope of the hill in that area.

Copper had been mined there in the mid-1850s, but the endeavor was unprofitable and was soon abandoned. In July of 1874, a group of investors from Phoenixville took a crack it. The Daily Pottstown Ledger reported that excavators reopening the shaft found, at a depth of 18 feet, a wheelbarrow and box of potatoes — reportedly still “in good condition” — relics entombed in the 1850s workings.

Read more: http://www.pottsmerc.com/lifestyle/20140504/tragedy-and-danger-discovered-in-pottstowns-mining-heritage

Pottstown To Host Native American Pow Wow In Memorial Park

“Death By Petticoat” Lectures To Open New Exhibit At Pottsgrove Manor

Pottstown, PA – On Saturday, March 8, 2014 at 10:00am and 12:00pm, historic Pottsgrove Manor will host Mary Miley Theobald for her lecture, “Death by Petticoat: American History Myths Debunked.”

Theobald is a Virginia-based author and historian who holds a BA and MA in history from the College of William and Mary and taught American history and museum studies at Virginia Commonwealth University for thirteen years. The author of numerous magazine articles, ten nonfiction books, a mystery series, and four podcasts, Theobald also runs the “History Myths Debunked” blog. In her lecture at Pottsgrove Manor, Theobald will speak about common American history myths, including several pertaining to the clothing worn by Americans’ ancestors. Theobald will also be signing copies of her book, “Death by Petticoat,” which will be for sale at the site.

The 12:00pm session will be a repeat of the 10:00am session. Seating for each session is limited. Please call the site at 610-326-4014 to make reservations. There is a $2.00 per person suggested donation for this event.

This program kicks off a new exhibit at Pottsgrove Manor, entitled, “To the Manor Worn: Clothing the Eighteenth-Century Household.” To modern sensibilities, the clothing people wore in the past can seem strange, uncomfortable, or even unhealthy. This exhibit will give visitors a better understanding of clothing and fashion in colonial America, through displays of reproduction clothing as well as a number of original pieces, including items on loan from the collections of Cliveden, Stenton, Wyck House, the Landis Valley Museum, and the Chester County Historical Society. Not only will the exhibit showcase mid-eighteenth century fashion, it will also place what people wore in a broader historical context. How were clothes made, and who made them? What materials were used, and where did they come from? Who wore what, and why? The exhibit will be open through November 2, 2014 and can be viewed on a guided tour of Pottsgrove Manor during regular museum hours.

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, and Historic Sites Division of the Assets and Infrastructure Department. Regular museum hours are Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00am to 4:00pm and Sunday from 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 holidays. Groups of ten or more should preregister by calling 610-326-4014. 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.

Book Chronicles ‘Legendary Locals Of Pottstown’

Editor’s note:  Congratulations to fellow blogger Sue Repko!

POTTSTOWN, PA — From intrepid industrialists like John Potts to culinary artists like Amanda Smith of Mrs. Smith’s Pies, Pottstown has produced its fair share of legends.

Those local celebrities, both past and present, are the subject of a new book, “Legendary Locals of Pottstown,” co-authored by Sue Repko and Ed Berger, who served as the photographer.

The 127-page trade paperback includes chapters on church leaders, community builders, athletes, the arts and more. Released in October by Arcadia Publishing as part of its Legendary Locals series, the work recounts the stories of Pottstown’s many fascinating people through images and captions.

It culls from the past, beginning with the Potts family who first settled the town in 1752, and incorporates people from all eras up to the present day. Even lifelong Pottstown natives are likely to encounter in its pages a few legends they’d never before known about.

Read more: http://www.pottsmerc.com/general-news/20131130/book-chronicles-legendary-locals-of-pottstown