First Troop Philadelphia City Cavalry: America’s Oldest Active Service Unit

Posted by on Aug 13, 2026 in | Comments Off on First Troop Philadelphia City Cavalry: America’s Oldest Active Service Unit On November 17, 1774, three members of Philadelphia’s Committee of Safety met with 28 citizens at Carpenters’ Hall to discuss forming a volunteer troop amid rising tensions with Great Britain. From that meeting emerged the Philadelphia Light Horse, later known as the First Troop Philadelphia City Cavalry (FTPCC), or simply the “First Troop.” Its founders pledged to equip and support themselves...
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Editor’s Letter

Posted by on Aug 13, 2026 in | Comments Off on Editor’s Letter Natural rights, individual liberties and the social contract — these Enlightenment ideals were at the core of the transformation of America in the second half of the 18th century. Such values would serve as not only the basis for the American Colonies to dissolve their “political bands” with Great Britain but also the catalyst for internal revolutions that were beginning to foment in the new...
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From the Executive Director

Posted by on Aug 13, 2026 in | Comments Off on From the Executive Director As we approach the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, we find ourselves not only celebrating a defining moment in our nation’s history, but also reflecting on the deeper, ongoing story of Pennsylvania. I will admit that when we first started planning for 2026, I wondered if the anniversary would resonate with people. Would they care about an anniversary year...
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Fort Pitt Block House

Posted by on Apr 17, 2026 in | Comments Off on Fort Pitt Block House The Fort Pitt Block House, a pentagonal-shaped structure of brick and stone, was built in 1764 as an outlying redoubt of Fort Pitt at the confluence of the Allegheny, Monongahela and Ohio rivers in what is today Pittsburgh. The British constructed Fort Pitt in 1759–61, after gaining control of the Ohio River valley from the French. The fort was built using the star-shaped, bastion trace design...
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Pennsylvania Heritage Foundation Newsletter – Spring 2026

Posted by on Apr 17, 2026 in | Comments Off on Pennsylvania Heritage Foundation Newsletter – Spring 2026 Topics in the Spring 2026 Newsletter: Spring Bus Trip to Historic Bethlehem PHF Essay Scholarships Now Open Motley Joins PHF Board In Remembrance: Lenwood “Leni” Sloan Spring-2026-PHF-Newsletter...
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Theatres of the Body: Dance and Discourse in Antebellum Philadelphia by Lynn Matluck Brooks

Posted by on Apr 17, 2026 in | Comments Off on Theatres of the Body: Dance and Discourse in Antebellum Philadelphia by Lynn Matluck Brooks Theatres of the Body Dance and Discourse in Antebellum Philadelphia by Lynn Matluck Brooks Temple University Press, 306 pages, hardcover $119.50, paperback $36.95 With Theatres of the Body, Lynn Matluck Brooks weaves together two seemingly disparate histories — blackface minstrelsy and the increasingly female art of ballet — to analyze embodied performance in 19th-century Philadelphia. Brooks, a...
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Lancaster Gunsmiths of the Early Republic

Posted by on Apr 17, 2026 in | Comments Off on Lancaster Gunsmiths of the Early Republic In August 2026, as the nation marks the 250th anniversary of American independence, Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum will open Lancaster Gunsmiths of the Early Republic, a major exhibition exploring the artistry, innovation and historical significance of Lancaster County firearms during the Revolutionary era and the early years of the United States. Presented as part of the national...
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Clayton-Frick Art Museum

Posted by on Apr 17, 2026 in | Comments Off on Clayton-Frick Art Museum   In 1882, Henry Clay Frick (1849–1919), the wealthy industrialist famed for his patronage of the arts and violent opposition to organized labor, purchased an Italianate-style house on Pittsburgh’s “Millionaire’s Row.” He christened the property “Clayton” and hired prominent Pittsburgh architect Frederick J. Osterling (1865–1934) to expand the building, converting it into a grand French...
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Sarah Mary Benjamin, Heroine of Yorktown

Posted by on Apr 17, 2026 in | Comments Off on Sarah Mary Benjamin, Heroine of Yorktown Histories of the American Revolution have traditionally focused on famous leaders and soldiers. Far less has been said about the everyday people, especially women, whose lives and labor shaped the struggle for independence. One such woman was Sarah Mary (Mathews Osborn) Benjamin. Sometimes compared to “Molly Pitcher,” Sarah left vivid accounts of her time accompanying her husband, Aaron Osborn,...
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Pennsylvania’s Bicentennial Time Capsule

Posted by on Apr 17, 2026 in | Comments Off on Pennsylvania’s Bicentennial Time Capsule In 1976, Reynolds Metals Co. created 56 aluminum time capsules as a gift to the United States. These identical capsules were given to the governors of the 50 states, as well as four territories, the National Archives, and the Bicentennial Wagon Train Pilgrimage. At that time, Reynolds was the world’s third largest aluminum and packaging company and the second largest in the United States. The...
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