Technical Workshop: Measuring and Recreating the Wm. Antes Swivel Rifle
This workshop focuses on the process of building and documenting early Kentucky rifles by studying the recreation of the William Antes swivel breech rifle owned by the Kansas State Museum of History. Dr. William Paton of the Kentucky Rifle Association, and Randy Steffy, master craftsman, will describe their collaboration in making the bench—or handmade—copy. (The bench copy along with another William Antes rifle will be on exhibit during the program.) This is a must-attend for early Longrifle and local Antes family enthusiasts. Seating is limited for this program. There is a $10 entrance fee. You can use the PayPal button below or call 215-679-3103 to register.
Longrifle Symposium
In collaboration with the Kentucky Rifle Foundation, the Heritage Center will host a symposium with four expert speakers on topics relating to 18th century Pennsylvania German Longrifles. The symposium, which includes lunch, is free of charge thanks to the partial support from the Institute of Museum & Library Services (IMLS).
The Caspar Wistar Papers & More
Harry Nowak, guest curator, Evolution of the Long Rifle—the Early Years
Mr. Nowak will consider questions about why this type of rifle proliferated in Pennsylvania, a proprietary colony. Who were the rifle customers? Why did early Pennsylvania immigrant cultures demand rifles?
German Immigrant Culture of Southeast Pennsylvania
Scott Paul Gordon, historian of early Pennsylvania Moravian communities
Dr. Gordon will discuss Moravian communal and non-communal production.
The Use of Baroque and Rococo Art on Early Rifles: Identifying the Regional Aspects
Tim Hodges, Director of the Kentucky Rifle Foundation
Southeastern Pennsylvania Powder Horns—The Early Years
Art DeCamp, collector and author of Pennsylvania "Horns of the Trade" Screw-tip Powder Horns and their Architecture
Mr. DeCamp will share regional techniques, design, and decorative styles of this functional companion of the Longrifle.
Brown Bag: Live Like the Founding Father: A Nostalgic Look at Early American Decoration in the 20th Century Home
How many of us grew up in homes with furniture and home accessories sold as “Colonial” or “Early American?” Join us for a trip down memory lane with Heritage Center curator Candace Perry as she explores the very popular 20th century Early American home decoration trends with a look at the good, the questionable, and the kitsch from the U.S. Centennial onward.
This program is free thanks to the support of the Institute of Museum & Library Services.
Program in-person or via Zoom. Register below or call 215-679-3103.
Jamee Pemberton's Quilt Exhibit Reception
Join us for an unforgettable evening of live music featuring local and international artists. Food and beverages will be available.
Southeastern PA Longrifle - The Early Years - Exhibit opening
Long-rifles were finely crafted works of art that developed from the European tradition and had beautiful relief and incised carving. On loan from collectors, the long-rifles will showcase the workmanship and origins of these firearms. Produced in collaboration with the Kentucky Rifle Foundation. The exhibit will be on display until October 18, 2026.
Brown Bag Lecture: Black Powder Industry in the Swamp (Unami) Creek Valley
Black powder (gunpowder) was a vital commodity two hundred years ago, used by hunters, sporting enthusiasts, the military, and industry. The Swamp Creek (today known as the Unami Creek) Valley was the center of black powder manufacturing in Montgomery County. Ed Johnson, retired teacher and president of the Goschenhoppen Historians, will provide background information on black powder, the various manufacturers involved in the industry, and the inherent dangers of producing the volatile substance.
This program is free thanks to the support of the Institute of Museum & Library Services.
Program in-person or via Zoom. Register below or call 215-679-3103.
Heritage Day
Wave a flag of independence at Heritage Day! We will host it here (hint: we have AC!) with our community partners. the flag theme will run through kid-friendly crafts, a brief presentation about the history of flag-making in our region by Curator Candace Perry, and a special visit from Betsy Ross.
4th of July Celebration
Start your Saturday, July 4th, early with many events sponsored by The Rotary of Upper Perkiomen. The parade leads you the New Goshenhoppen Park on 3rd Street in East Greenville where your family can enjoy crafts and activities for kids, and a variety of foods. Come at 6:30 to hear the Declaration of Independence read, just as citizens first heard it in 1776.
Sponsored by the Heritage Center as part of Montgomery County’s “Houses of Declaration” program, our reader Joshua Arthur Fink, will read part of the famous document in German as well as English—again as our Pennsylvania German forebears heard it. The interactive reading will be followed by patriotic tunes from the Brandywine Colonels Fife and Drum Corps as well as the Red Hill Band—all culminating in the ubiquitous fireworks.
Brown Bag Lecture: Revolutionary Women
While you may picture white men when you think of General George Washington and the Continental Army, even women were involved in the Revolutionary War – some as spies, some by continuing their husband’s professions at home while they were away, and some by actually fighting. Hear Dr. Susanne Johnston recount stories of some remarkable women who came to the aid of the Patriots in the Revolutionary War.
Sgraffito Redware Plate Workshop
Denise Wilz focuses on the sgraffito technique used by 18th and 19th century Pennsylvania German potters to make expressive designs in their folk-art pottery. The participants have the option to make sgraffito 7" or 10" redware plates coated with white clay slip; limit of 3 plates as time permits. All the sgraffito tools and books for ideas are provided though you may bring along a bag lunch. No experience required.
Fee: $60 workshop fee plus a material cost of $38 for a 7" plate or $50 for a 10" plate.
Limited to 12 participants.
The Story of Tacy Richardson: Pennsylvania Paul Revere or Imagined Revolution Volunteer?
Rev. Homer Royer recounts quasi-famous stories from the 18- and 1900s about his 18th century ancestor Tacy Richardson Vanderslice, and their potential application for the 21st century. But this story also includes stories about who told Tacy’s stories. Rev. Royer, a retired clergyperson, has collected stories in Southeastern Pennsylvania for fifty years.
Small Market Basket — America’s Original Paper Bag
Baskets were essential in the colonial period for gathering, marketing, and everyday household tasks—an indispensable tool both in town and farm life. Participants in this hands-on workshop taught by Karen Wychock will create a small market basket using traditional techniques. Working over a wooden mold, each basket will be woven from natural reed and finished with sturdy oak handles and pre-bent reed rims. All tools and materials will be supplied by the instructor. Please bring an apron or towel since we work wet!
Fee: $70 workshop fee plus $50 material cost, for a total of $120 per person.
Limited to 12 participants.
Seasonal Saturday: Day of Remembrance Crafts
Join us for a special Seasonal Saturday featuring Day of Remembrance crafts for all ages. Families and students are invited to participate in hands-on activities while enjoying a visit to the Heritage Center. Pre-registration is encouraged to ensure enough supplies are available.
Pennsylvania Dutch Performance
Presenter: Scott Reagan
Come hear Blobbarjyer perform a selection of original songs, traditional folk songs, and dialect poetry set to original music—sung entirely in Pennsylvania Dutch. Who or what is Blobbarjyer? It is Scott Reagan, a Northampton County native and Martin Guitar employee. The name that he uses for his Pennsylvania Dutch performances means “someone who lives by the Blue Mountain.” Reagan will accompany his singing with acoustic guitar and harmonica.
Effective Public History: Opportunities for Connecting Local History to America’s 250th
Presenter: Dr. David Young
Known as America’s most historic neighborhood, the Germantown section of Philadelphia (established in 1683) has distinguished itself by using public history initiatives to forge community. Dr. David Young, the author of The Battles of Germantown, considers what these efforts can tell us about public history’s practice and purpose in the United States. Young is the Executive Director of the Historical Society of Montgomery County, and his book won the 2020 Klein Prize by the Pennsylvania Historical Association for the book that best illuminates Pennsylvania history.
Educator Open House
Are you an educator in the greater Perkiomen area? These free Educator Open Houses are designed to showcase potential resources to support classroom instruction. While teachers may come and go throughout the evening enjoying self-guided access to the galleries and exhibits, at 5:00pm, a brief program with complimentary refreshments will be provided. Teachers can ask staff about our educational programs, learn about research materials in our library, and learn about resources.
Registration required by September 16. Free admission.
Seasonal Saturday: America 250 Crafts
Celebrate America’s 250th with a special Seasonal Saturday of hands-on crafts for all ages. Families and students are invited to enjoy creative activities inspired by American history. Pre-registration is encouraged to ensure enough supplies are available.
Longrifle Family Day with Amy & Larry Gular
Step back in time with Larry Gular, a Pennsylvania Longrifle enthusiast, to enjoy his personal display of muzzleloading firearms, parts, accouterments, and accessories. Learn how the Pennsylvania Longrifle was essential to living on the frontier in early America!
“the famous place Trenton, which I shall never forget”: Hessian Soldiers Before, During, and After the Battle of Trenton
Presenter: Jay Domalewski
Three Hessian regiments, about 1,000 soldiers, were supposed to spend the winter of 1776–1777 quietly in Trenton, New Jersey, safe from George Washington’s army. But less than twenty days after they arrived in December 1776, they were surprised and captured. Jay Domalewski of the Old Barracks Museum will share a look at how the Battle of Trenton was a life-changing experience for those Hessian soldiers, including those who returned to their regiments and Germany and those who stayed in America, melding with Pennsylvania German culture.
Educator Open House
Are you an educator in the greater Perkiomen area? These free Educator Open Houses are designed to showcase potential resources to support classroom instruction. While teachers may come and go throughout the evening enjoying self-guided access to the galleries and exhibits, at 5:00pm, a brief program with complimentary refreshments will be provided. Teachers can ask staff about our educational programs, learn about research materials in our library, and learn about resources.
Free admission. Registration required by October 7.
Early American Farming Seminar & Museum Tour of Tools
Presenter: Greg Geesaman
Dressed in period wear, Greg Geesaman, co-owner of Heritage Art and Craft Studio, will take you on a journey to experience practices of gardening and farming during the 17- and 1800's. With over 30 antique farming tools on display, he will demonstrate how they were used. Attendees will learn what was grown and harvested for trade, survival, and profit.
The Pennsylvania Germans in the American Revolution with Ed Johnson
In 1775 people of German extraction played vital roles in the Revolutionary War that began that year. From fighting in the battles to manufacturing weapons, from printing broadsides of the Declaration of Independence to baking bread for the army, from nursing the sick and wounded to following their husbands to Valley Forge, these contributions will be Ed Johnson’s subject.
Open to the public after the 2:00 PM Exiles Annual Meeting
For the Trouble of the House
Presenter: Marc Brier
In the fall of 1777, George Washington and the Continental Army marched into Montgomery County. Civilian accounts tell us some fascinating details about where he stayed, Washington’s expense accounts provide amazing details about the General’s room and board paid out to local civilians. These first-person narratives and original accounts will be brought alive by Marc Brier, a former park ranger/historian with the National Park Service.
Being German in An English-Speaking Land
Presenter: Peter Seibert
The German immigrants to Pennsylvania in 1700s faced many challenges, not the least of which were language barriers. Peter Seibert will explore the range of bilingualism that existed in Pennsylvania from the 1700s through the 1900s and the challenges of doing business and transacting legal matters when English was not your first language.
Seasonal Saturday: Knoll Craft Day
Enjoy a family-friendly Seasonal Saturday featuring Knoll-themed crafts and hands-on activities for all ages. Young children may need adult assistance. Pre-registration is encouraged to ensure enough supplies are available.
Dr. Bodo Otto: The Patriot Surgeon of Pennsylvania
Presenter: Bradley Smith
At the onset of the American Revolution, Dr. Bodo Otto, Sr. already had been serving patients for forty years. Nevertheless, he embraced a new role at the age of 65, volunteering his services as a surgeon to the Continental Army. Join Bradley Smith, Site Administrator at the Historic Ephrata Cloister, for a discussion of Bodo Otto’s extraordinary service and learn about the curious array of Dr. Otto’s surgical tools and personal effects that survive to this day.
Christmas Market LEGO® Giveaway
Visit the Christmas Market for a special LEGO® giveaway for children ages 4–12. LEGO® sets will be available while supplies last.
Christmas Market LEGO® Giveaway
Visit the Christmas Market for a special LEGO® giveaway for children ages 4–12. LEGO® sets will be available while supplies last.
African American Laborers in the Potts-Run Iron Industry
Presenter: Justin Clement
Researchers at Pottsgrove Manor are diligently working on the “Powering Production Project,” a herculean volunteer effort to gather, transcribe, and analyze Potts business papers, scattered across archives and institutions in multiple states. Site supervisor Justin Clement will share this research that provides insight into the private lives of the Potts family. The same records also have revealed information on the free and enslaved African Americans tied to the Potts family and their various ironworks.
The Caspar Wistar Papers & More
Harry Nowak, guest curator, Evolution of the Long Rifle—the Early Years
Mr. Nowak will consider questions about why this type of rifle proliferated in Pennsylvania, a proprietary colony. Who were the rifle customers? Why did early Pennsylvania immigrant cultures demand rifles?
German Immigrant Culture of Southeast Pennsylvania
Scott Paul Gordon, historian of early Pennsylvania Moravian communities
Dr. Gordon will discuss Moravian communal and non-communal production.
The Use of Baroque and Rococo Art on Early Rifles: Identifying the Regional Aspects
Tim Hodges, Director of the Kentucky Rifle Foundation
Southeastern Pennsylvania Powder Horns—The Early Years
Art DeCamp, collector and author of Pennsylvania "Horns of the Trade" Screw-tip Powder Horns and their Architecture
Mr. DeCamp will share regional techniques, design, and decorative styles of this functional companion of the Longrifle.
This program is free thanks to the support of the Institute of Museum & Library Services.
Program in-person or via Zoom. Register below or call 215-679-3103.
Black powder (gunpowder) was a vital commodity two hundred years ago, used by hunters, sporting enthusiasts, the military, and industry. The Swamp Creek (today known as the Unami Creek) Valley was the center of black powder manufacturing in Montgomery County. Ed Johnson, retired teacher and president of the Goschenhoppen Historians, will provide background information on black powder, the various manufacturers involved in the industry, and the inherent dangers of producing the volatile substance.
This program is free thanks to the support of the Institute of Museum & Library Services.
Program in-person or via Zoom. Register below or call 215-679-3103.
Wave a flag of independence at Heritage Day! We will host it here (hint: we have AC!) with our community partners. the flag theme will run through kid-friendly crafts, a brief presentation about the history of flag-making in our region by Curator Candace Perry, and a special visit from Betsy Ross.
Start your Saturday, July 4th, early with many events sponsored by The Rotary of Upper Perkiomen. The parade leads you the New Goshenhoppen Park on 3rd Street in East Greenville where your family can enjoy crafts and activities for kids, and a variety of foods. Come at 6:30 to hear the Declaration of Independence read, just as citizens first heard it in 1776.
Sponsored by the Heritage Center as part of Montgomery County’s “Houses of Declaration” program, our reader Joshua Arthur Fink, will read part of the famous document in German as well as English—again as our Pennsylvania German forebears heard it. The interactive reading will be followed by patriotic tunes from the Brandywine Colonels Fife and Drum Corps as well as the Red Hill Band—all culminating in the ubiquitous fireworks.
While you may picture white men when you think of General George Washington and the Continental Army, even women were involved in the Revolutionary War – some as spies, some by continuing their husband’s professions at home while they were away, and some by actually fighting. Hear Dr. Susanne Johnston recount stories of some remarkable women who came to the aid of the Patriots in the Revolutionary War.
Denise Wilz focuses on the sgraffito technique used by 18th and 19th century Pennsylvania German potters to make expressive designs in their folk-art pottery. The participants have the option to make sgraffito 7" or 10" redware plates coated with white clay slip; limit of 3 plates as time permits. All the sgraffito tools and books for ideas are provided though you may bring along a bag lunch. No experience required.
Fee: $60 workshop fee plus a material cost of $38 for a 7" plate or $50 for a 10" plate.
Limited to 12 participants.
Rev. Homer Royer recounts quasi-famous stories from the 18- and 1900s about his 18th century ancestor Tacy Richardson Vanderslice, and their potential application for the 21st century. But this story also includes stories about who told Tacy’s stories. Rev. Royer, a retired clergyperson, has collected stories in Southeastern Pennsylvania for fifty years.
Baskets were essential in the colonial period for gathering, marketing, and everyday household tasks—an indispensable tool both in town and farm life. Participants in this hands-on workshop taught by Karen Wychock will create a small market basket using traditional techniques. Working over a wooden mold, each basket will be woven from natural reed and finished with sturdy oak handles and pre-bent reed rims. All tools and materials will be supplied by the instructor. Please bring an apron or towel since we work wet!
Fee: $70 workshop fee plus $50 material cost, for a total of $120 per person.
Limited to 12 participants.
Join us for a special Seasonal Saturday featuring Day of Remembrance crafts for all ages. Families and students are invited to participate in hands-on activities while enjoying a visit to the Heritage Center. Pre-registration is encouraged to ensure enough supplies are available.
Presenter: Scott Reagan
Come hear Blobbarjyer perform a selection of original songs, traditional folk songs, and dialect poetry set to original music—sung entirely in Pennsylvania Dutch. Who or what is Blobbarjyer? It is Scott Reagan, a Northampton County native and Martin Guitar employee. The name that he uses for his Pennsylvania Dutch performances means “someone who lives by the Blue Mountain.” Reagan will accompany his singing with acoustic guitar and harmonica.
Presenter: Dr. David Young
Known as America’s most historic neighborhood, the Germantown section of Philadelphia (established in 1683) has distinguished itself by using public history initiatives to forge community. Dr. David Young, the author of The Battles of Germantown, considers what these efforts can tell us about public history’s practice and purpose in the United States. Young is the Executive Director of the Historical Society of Montgomery County, and his book won the 2020 Klein Prize by the Pennsylvania Historical Association for the book that best illuminates Pennsylvania history.
Are you an educator in the greater Perkiomen area? These free Educator Open Houses are designed to showcase potential resources to support classroom instruction. While teachers may come and go throughout the evening enjoying self-guided access to the galleries and exhibits, at 5:00pm, a brief program with complimentary refreshments will be provided. Teachers can ask staff about our educational programs, learn about research materials in our library, and learn about resources.
Registration required by September 16. Free admission.
Celebrate America’s 250th with a special Seasonal Saturday of hands-on crafts for all ages. Families and students are invited to enjoy creative activities inspired by American history. Pre-registration is encouraged to ensure enough supplies are available.
Step back in time with Larry Gular, a Pennsylvania Longrifle enthusiast, to enjoy his personal display of muzzleloading firearms, parts, accouterments, and accessories. Learn how the Pennsylvania Longrifle was essential to living on the frontier in early America!
Presenter: Jay Domalewski
Three Hessian regiments, about 1,000 soldiers, were supposed to spend the winter of 1776–1777 quietly in Trenton, New Jersey, safe from George Washington’s army. But less than twenty days after they arrived in December 1776, they were surprised and captured. Jay Domalewski of the Old Barracks Museum will share a look at how the Battle of Trenton was a life-changing experience for those Hessian soldiers, including those who returned to their regiments and Germany and those who stayed in America, melding with Pennsylvania German culture.
Are you an educator in the greater Perkiomen area? These free Educator Open Houses are designed to showcase potential resources to support classroom instruction. While teachers may come and go throughout the evening enjoying self-guided access to the galleries and exhibits, at 5:00pm, a brief program with complimentary refreshments will be provided. Teachers can ask staff about our educational programs, learn about research materials in our library, and learn about resources.
Free admission. Registration required by October 7.
Presenter: Greg Geesaman
Dressed in period wear, Greg Geesaman, co-owner of Heritage Art and Craft Studio, will take you on a journey to experience practices of gardening and farming during the 17- and 1800's. With over 30 antique farming tools on display, he will demonstrate how they were used. Attendees will learn what was grown and harvested for trade, survival, and profit.
In 1775 people of German extraction played vital roles in the Revolutionary War that began that year. From fighting in the battles to manufacturing weapons, from printing broadsides of the Declaration of Independence to baking bread for the army, from nursing the sick and wounded to following their husbands to Valley Forge, these contributions will be Ed Johnson’s subject.
Open to the public after the 2:00 PM Exiles Annual Meeting
Presenter: Marc Brier
In the fall of 1777, George Washington and the Continental Army marched into Montgomery County. Civilian accounts tell us some fascinating details about where he stayed, Washington’s expense accounts provide amazing details about the General’s room and board paid out to local civilians. These first-person narratives and original accounts will be brought alive by Marc Brier, a former park ranger/historian with the National Park Service.
Presenter: Peter Seibert
The German immigrants to Pennsylvania in 1700s faced many challenges, not the least of which were language barriers. Peter Seibert will explore the range of bilingualism that existed in Pennsylvania from the 1700s through the 1900s and the challenges of doing business and transacting legal matters when English was not your first language.
Enjoy a family-friendly Seasonal Saturday featuring Knoll-themed crafts and hands-on activities for all ages. Young children may need adult assistance. Pre-registration is encouraged to ensure enough supplies are available.
Presenter: Bradley Smith
At the onset of the American Revolution, Dr. Bodo Otto, Sr. already had been serving patients for forty years. Nevertheless, he embraced a new role at the age of 65, volunteering his services as a surgeon to the Continental Army. Join Bradley Smith, Site Administrator at the Historic Ephrata Cloister, for a discussion of Bodo Otto’s extraordinary service and learn about the curious array of Dr. Otto’s surgical tools and personal effects that survive to this day.
Visit the Christmas Market for a special LEGO® giveaway for children ages 4–12. LEGO® sets will be available while supplies last.
Visit the Christmas Market for a special LEGO® giveaway for children ages 4–12. LEGO® sets will be available while supplies last.
Presenter: Justin Clement
Researchers at Pottsgrove Manor are diligently working on the “Powering Production Project,” a herculean volunteer effort to gather, transcribe, and analyze Potts business papers, scattered across archives and institutions in multiple states. Site supervisor Justin Clement will share this research that provides insight into the private lives of the Potts family. The same records also have revealed information on the free and enslaved African Americans tied to the Potts family and their various ironworks.
No upcoming events at this time. Check back soon!