Our 3rd Saturday Programs are back this year! We will be offering these site-wide programs throughout the summer, May-September. Program begins at the White Horse Inn unless otherwise noted. Suggested donation $2/person. All proceeds benefit the Trust.
A Lenape Homecoming at Pennsbury Manor
July 15, 2023 • 11am
In the 17th century, with the stroke of a pen, William Penn became the largest single landholder in England. His vision was to have a colony anchored in religious toleration. He began his holy experiment in consultation with the Lenape. Today their descendants include the Delaware and reflect five communities, three in the US and two Canadian. Join Doug Miller and hear how these Federally recognized nations repatriated their ancestral remains and brought them home to the banks of the Delaware, their homeland before Penn. Mr. Miller is the Historic Site Administrator at Pennsbury Manor.
Pennsylvania German Gravestones
August 19, 2023 • 11am
We are excited to have Michael Emery, Cornwall Iron Furnace Site Administrator, join us for our August program. In his power-point program, Emery will discuss tombstones, mainly located in Lancaster, Berks and Lebanon counties from historical and architectural viewpoints. He will discuss how the material with which gravestones were fashioned has changed over time, and that the art of the early gravestones utilized Pennsylvania German folk art, using flowers and stars rather than Christian designs. Michael Emery has worked for 25 years for the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission and has studied and lectured about Pennsylvania German Gravestones for over 25 years. He graduated from Penn State University with a BA in history.
Basket Weavers of the Oley Valley
September 16, 2023 • 11am
Join HPTBC board member Vicky Heffner for an entertaining presentation on basket making in the Oley Valley. Vicky will discuss key basket makers in the Oley Valley including Rueben Reifsnyder, Milt Lorah, Ollie Strausser, and Freddie Beiber. In addition to her PowerPoint presentation, Vicky will have several examples of their baskets to show as well. Vicky Heffner is the Education Curator at the Berks History Center and has been a basket maker for over 15 years.