Shorts

A two-part workshop, en­titled “Beginning Basketry,” will be sponsored by the Penn­sylvania Lumber Museum Associates (PLMA) at the Penn­sylvania Lumber Museum, Galeton, on Saturdays, Septem­ber 8 and 15 [1984], from 9:30 A.M. to 4 P. M. each day. Basketry, a pleasant and practical craft, will be presented by a juried member of the state’s Guild of Craftsmen and participants will be instructed in fashion­ing two baskets of round and flat splint-reed. On Saturday, November 17, the museum associates will sponsor a one-day workshop, “Holiday Decoration in the Williamsburg Manner,” from 10 A.M. to 4 P.M. The workshop will feature decorations made in the famous Williamsburg tradi­tion; designs include a door plaque, a mixed-fruit wreath and a “kissing ball” of natural materials and greens. Enroll­ment in either workshop is lim­ited. The museum is located on U.S. 6, midway between Galeton and Coudersport in Potter County. Registra­tion information is available by writing: 1984 Workshops, Pennsylvania Lumber Museum Associates, Box K, Galeton, PA 16922; or by telephoning (814) 435-2652.

Members of the Pennsylvania Historical Association will conduct their annual conven­tion in Pottstown on Friday and Saturday, October 12-13 [1984]. Session topics include Penn­sylvania’s smokestack industries – then and now; the Commonwealth’s antebellum politics; and Pennsylvania congressmen and Republican nationalism between 1815 and 1820. The conference also features special luncheon and dinner speakers, includ­ing Melvin B. Endy, author of William Penn and Quakerism, and David Voight, professor of sociology at Albright College, Reading, who is the author of the three volume American Baseball. For registration applications or agenda informa­tion, write: John 8. Frantz, Department of History, Penn­sylvania State University, 601 Liberal Arts Tower, Uni­versity Park, PA 16802; or telephone (814) 865-1367.

More than a dozen elegantly and imaginatively decorated trees comprise the seventh biennial “Trees of Christmas” on display during Thanks­giving week at the Baldwin­Reynolds House Museum, Meadville. The 1843 residence of U.S. Supreme Court Jus­tice Henry Baldwin will be adorned with festive holiday decorations which may be seen during a forty-minute tour of the 27-room mansion con­ducted by the Meadville Gar­den Club. The historic struc­ture is owned and administered by the Crawford County His­torical Society. Tours of the mansion, located at 639 Terrace Street, will be given No­vember 19, 20 and 23 [1984], 2 to 8 P.M.; and November 18, 24 and 25 [1984], noon to 8 P.M. Further information is available by writing: Crawford County His­torical Society, 848 North Main St., Meadville, PA 16335; or telephoning (814) 724-6080.

The Duquesne History Forum will conduct its eight­eenth annual meeting on Wed­nesday through Friday, No­vember 7-9 [1984], in Pittsburgh. Al­though a number of inter­national history topics will be discussed, sessions also deal with the American Revolution and the illusion of Irish empathies; blacks in the Chesa­peake Bay area; North Ameri­can Mennonites’ reaction to Hit­ler’s persecution of the Jews; and the development and significance of the Pennsylvania canal to the greater Pitts­burgh area. Registration forms are available by writing: Dr. Bernard J. Weiss, Duquesne History Forum, Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, PA 15282; or by telephoning (412) 434-6479.

“Local History Loves Tour­ism” will be the featured topic of the ninth annual con­ference of the North/Central Pennsylvania Historical Associ­ation which will be con­ducted in Muncy on Saturday, October 13 [1984]. The conference, hosted by the Muncy Historical Society, will feature work­shop sessions dealing with the promotion and marketing of local historic sites and proper­ties. Registrants will also dis­cuss the relationship be­tween history and tourism and travel development. The one-day event will also provide an overview of historic Muncy and tours of the town’s his­toric district. For more infor­mation or reservation forms, write: Thomas R. Deans, Presi­dent, North/Central Penn­sylvania Historical Association, 311 North Front St., Milton, PA 17847; or telephone (717) 742-9323.

The Schwenkfelder Library, Pennsburg, is hosting an intensive colloquium as part of the year-long celebration of the 250th anniversary of the arrival of the Schwenkfelders in America and the 100th anni­versary of the initiation of the Corpus Schwenckfeldianorum publication, out of which the Schwenkfelder Library de­veloped. A roster of distin­guished speakers and guest panelists will present a broad variety of subjects, including reformation history, theol­ogy, and early Pennsylvania history and culture. “Col­loquium on Schwenckfeld and the Schwenkfelders” will be conducted the week of Sep­tember 17-23 [1984]. For registration information, write: Schwenk­felder Library, Pennsburg, PA 18073; or telephone (215) 679-3103.

The Erie County Historical Society will exhibit a collec­tion of Commodore Perry and Battle of Lake Erie memora­bilia from September 9 through October 14 [1984]. The exhibition, “Don’t Give Up The Ship,” may be seen at the Cashiers House on the opening day from 2 to 5 P.M. The society will spon­sor “An Ethnic Evening” explor­ing Erie’s Italian community in words, food and song on Wednesday, October 17 [1984], at 7 P.M. in St. Paul’s Auditorium, 453 West Sixteenth Street. (Reservations are necessary.) Tours, music, refreshments and a “Recent Accessions” exhibit will be offered during the society’s Holiday Open House on Sunday, November 25 [1984], from 1 to 4 P.M. For more in­formation regarding these special activities, write: Erie County Historical Society, 417 State St., Erie, PA 16501; or telephone (814) 454-1813.

Visitors can enjoy the spec­tacular autumn hues of more than 3,500 uncommon trees and shrubs during the annual fall foliage celebration at the Morris Arboretum of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, on Saturday and Sunday, October 20-21 [1984]. The 90-acre Victorian era landscape garden, designed by noted American architect Theophilus P. Chandler in the city’s Chestnut Hill section, features trees and shrubbery from around the world. Tucked away in the landscape are several unusual mini-gardens, includ­ing an English park, the Swan Pond, the Rose Garden, Azalea Meadow, and a few Japanese gardens. Admission is $2 for adults, $1 for chil­dren and senior citizens; chil­dren under six are admitted free. Entrance to the arboretum is on Hillcrest A venue, be­tween Germantown and Sten­ton avenues. For more in­formation, write: Morris Ar­boretum, 9414 Meadowbrook Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19118; or telephone (215) 247-5777 or 242-3399.

Fort Hunter Day will be cele­brated at this historic man­sion and park overlooking the Susquehanna River, just north of Harrisburg, on Sunday, September 16 [1984], from noon to 5 P.M. The day’s festivities include a large outdoor arts and crafts show, Scottish dancing, strolling musicians, a farm animal exhibit, sheepshearing and beekeeping demonstra­tions, and old-fashioned games for children of all ages. Addi­tional information regarding Fort Hunter Day may be obtained by writing: Carl Dickson, Dauphin County Parks and Recreation Depart­ment, 17 North Front St., Harrisburg, PA 17101; or by telephoning (717) 599-5751.

Heritage Days will be cele­brated by the Warrior Run­Fort Freeland Heritage Society the weekend of October 6-7 [1984]. Hours are Saturday, 9 A.M. to 6 P.M., and Sunday, noon to 6 P.M. The festivities­ – including crafts demonstrations, butchering, cider pressing, butter churning, period music and a religious service – will take place at the Hower-Slote House located near the his­toric Warrior Run Church. For further information, write: Warrior Run-Fort Freeland Heri­tage Society, Hower-Slate House, Turbotville, PA 17772. Turbotville is located in North­umberland County.

“Savory Sampler,” hosted by the Mercer Museum on Fri­day, September 28 [1984], offers visi­tors gourmet delectable de­lights and elegant edibles pre­pared by Bucks County’s first inns and restaurants. Guests will enjoy the opportunity to sample many “specialities of the house” highlighted in the museum’s candle-lit alcoves, and music for dancing comple­ments the evening’s festive ambience. The event will be held from 7:30 to 11 P.M. Further information regarding reservations is available by writing: The Bucks County Historical Society, Pine St., Doylestown, PA 18901; or by telephoning (215) 345-0210.

“Folk Living – Like it Was” is the theme of the tenth an­nual Harvest Festival which will be offered the weekend of October 6-7 [1984] at the Quiet Val­ley Living Historical Farm near Stroudsburg, Monroe County. The farm complex, an example of an almost self­-sufficient colonial period home­stead, consists of fourteen structures, several of which are original. Situated in the picturesque foothills of the Pocono Mountains, the farm has been entered in the Na­tional Register of Historic Places. Harvest Festival activi­ties include spinning, weav­ing, meat smoking, gardening, cooking and baking, hand­crafting, animal husbandry, butter churning, basketry, forging and candle making. Further information and direc­tions are available by writing: Quiet Valley Living His­torical Farm, Box 2495, R.D. 2, Stroudsburg, PA 18360; or by telephoning (717) 992-6161. Admission is charged.

“The Way We Worked: Home Appliances from Flat­irons to Microwaves” is cur­rently on view, through Thanks­giving weekend, November 25 [1984], at the Hershey Museum of American Life in Hershey. Early appliances are supple­mented by period illustra­tions collected from magazines and advertisements to en­hance the memories of the way in which homemakers and householders worked through the early twentieth century. Visitors are invited to try their hands at using several of the “quaint” appliances such as a nineteenth century coffee grinder, scrub board and flatiron. Illustrated talks on domestic life in early America will be offered the weekend of September 30 – October 1. Exhibit and special programs information may be obtained by writing: Hershey Museum of American Life, P.O. Box 170, Hershey, PA 17033; or by telephoning (717) 534-3429.

The sixth annual conference of the Afro-American His­torical and Genealogical Soci­ety (AAHGS) will be held Thursday through Saturday, September 6-8 [1984], at the Na­tional Archives, Eighth and Pennsylvania avenues, N.W., Washington, D.C. The theme of this year’s conference, “Retrieve, Record and Refine: Your Historical and Genea­logical Past,” includes a wide variety of topics focused on research resources of library collections; Caribbean, African and British archives; the church; family studies and the courts. Speakers include noted scholars and experts. For more information, write: AAHGS Annual Confer­ence, P.O. Box 13086, Wash­ington, D.C. 20009.

The festivities of the 1984 Chadds Ford Days will take place in the tree-fringed meadow directly opposite the ca. 1725 John Chad House, located on route 100, one­-quarter mile north off U.S. 1. Chadds Ford Days, which will be celebrated Saturday and Sunday, September 8-9 [1984], is a country fair providing visi­tors an opportunity to ex­perience an unusual living his­tory program in a delightful setting. The John Chad House will be open free to the pub­lic. Additional information is available by writing: The Chadds Ford Historical Society, Box 27, Chadds Ford, PA 19317.

During the month of October candlelight tours will be given at the Nemacolin Castle in Brownsville and the an­nual Christmas show will be presented Friday through Sunday, November 16-18 [1984]. Christmas show hours are 1 to 5 P.M. and 6 to 9 P.M. Additional information is avail­able by writing: Brownsville Historical Society, P.O. Box 24, Front St., Browns­ville, PA 15417.

On exhibit through Septem­ber 27 [1984] at the Monroe County Historical Society’s headquar­ters, Stroudsburg, is “Samp­lers and Beyond,” featuring an­tique samplers and examples of work in which the stitches used in these textiles later proved useful. The exhibition emphasizes the importance of learning to stitch in a girl’s education as a reflection of the significance of textiles in a family’s property. In con­junction with the exhibit, a one­-day workshop on samplers will be held at the society’s headquarters in the Stroud Community House on Satur­day, September 15 [1984]. Following the sampler show, the soci­ety will mount an autumn exhibit, on view from October through December, depict­ing Monroe County’s role in the nation’s wars. The exhibit coincides with the opening of the society’s newly refur­bished tool and weaponry room. For additional informa­tion regarding the society’s exhibits and workshop, write: Monroe County Historical Society, Stroud Community House, Main and Ninth Sts., Stroudsburg, PA 18360; or telephone (717) 421-7703.

The Newtown Historic Asso­ciation will sponsor its sev­enth annual Market Day on Saturday, September 8 [1984], from 10 A.M. to 4 P.M. in the historic district of the Bucks County village. More than sixty craftsmen will demon­strate their skills and dis- play their handcrafted products, including hooked rugs, scrim­shaw, turned woodenware, scratched-carved eggs, quilts, pewter, fraktur and ship models. Entertainment includes a carriage parade, a cornhusking contest, wagon rides and an antiques auction. Refreshments will also be of­fered. Additional information is available by writing: Newtown Historic Association, P.O. Box 303, Centre Ave. and Court St., Newtown, PA 18940.

“Court Days,” featuring more than fifty participants in eighteenth century attire and the largest non-military living history program in western Pennsylvania, will be pre­sented by the Westmoreland County Historical Society on Sunday, September 30 [1984], at Old Hanna’s Town. The settle­ment was the first seat of English justice established west of the Allegheny Mountains. The unusual program will depict life at the county seat (1773-1787) during the ses­sion of the court when the entire town participated in the fes­tive atmosphere of an eight­eenth century fair. Activities will include the trial of a “wrong-doer,” erection of a whipping post, a gathering of singers at the old tavern, costumed street vendors and a raid on the fort by rangers. The audience will be invited to join in the activities as the role-players pass by. For more information, write: West­moreland County Historical Society, 221 North Main St., Greensburg, PA 15601.

More than 700 feet of track, 1,000 figures and 25 thou­sand individually painted trees and shrubs-not to mention more than 60 custom-crafted animations-make up the twenty-ninth annual Miniature Railroad and Village Exhibit staged at the Buhl Science Cen­ter in Pittsburgh. The exhibit, a popular holiday attraction, opens Thursday, November 8 [1984], and continues through Febru­ary 1985. For more information, write: Buhl Science Center, Allegheny Square, Pittsburgh, PA 15212; or telephone (412) 321-4302.

The seventy-fourth annual exhibit of the Associated Artists of Pittsburgh will be held in the galleries of the Museum of Art, Carnegie In­stitute, from September 7 through October 7 [1984]. Nearly 200 works, submitted by member artists, will be featured in the show. Additional informa­tion, including visiting hours and directions, may be ob­tained by writing: Associated Artists of Pittsburgh, 6300 Fifth Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15232; or by telephoning (412) 361-4235.

The well-preserved and au­thentically furnished eight­eenth century Lancaster resi­dence of Edward Hand, George Washington’s adjutant gen­eral, will conduct its annual Holiday Candlelight Tour on Thanksgiving Day and Fri­day, November 22-23 [1984]. Tour hours are 3 to 7 P.M. each day. The Georgian-style mansion, basically unaltered since its construction in 1792, will be decorated by area garden clubs for an eighteenth century Christmas. Special activities are also planned. More in­formation is available by writ­ing: Rock Ford Plantation, 881 Rockford Rd., Box 264, Lan­caster, PA 17603; or by tele­phoning (717) 392-7223. The historic structure is located in the city limits and borders Williamson Park.