Irish-Townsend House

Posted by on Jun 11, 2025 in | Comments Off on Irish-Townsend House In 2021, members of the New Brighton Historical Society (NBHS) learned that the asking price on the Irish-Townsend House had been slashed by 50 percent. The historic building had been sitting empty and deteriorating for years, and its out-of-state owner wanted to sell. Mike Spratt, president of NBHS, took the walkthrough with the realtor. “The [NBHS] leadership team was amazed how much of the...
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Anna Elizabeth Dickinson, Famed Orator of the Civil War Era

Posted by on Jun 11, 2025 in | Comments Off on Anna Elizabeth Dickinson, Famed Orator of the Civil War Era In the annals of 19th-century America, few figures burned as brightly — and as briefly — as Anna Elizabeth Dickinson (1842–1932). She was born into a Quaker family in Philadelphia, a background that shaped her deep commitment to abolitionism and women’s rights. Raised in a household that mingled with leading abolitionists, Dickinson became an activist at an early age. When she was just 13, she...
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The Arrest of Philip Skene

Posted by on Jun 11, 2025 in | Comments Off on The Arrest of Philip Skene The British ship Sally entered the port of Philadelphia on June 7, 1775, after leaving London weeks before. Aboard the ship was a British officer who was also a land speculator in the colony of New York and a soon to be suspected spy — Maj. Philip Wharton Skene (1725–1810). The Revolutionary War had just begun and already intrigue, speculation and suspicion were spreading wildly throughout...
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From the Executive Director

Posted by on Jun 11, 2025 in | Comments Off on From the Executive Director History is all around us. When you drive through one of the more than 2,500 cities, boroughs and townships across the commonwealth, history informs the character of each place. The local traditions, the appearance of the buildings, and the planned open space all reflect the people, their responses to the environment, and their choices — both conscious and unconscious. Pennsylvania bank barns,...
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The American Red Cross Uniform of Mary Sharp

Posted by on Feb 24, 2025 in | Comments Off on The American Red Cross Uniform of Mary Sharp Lock Haven native Mary Sharp (1912–89) was an elementary school teacher when the United States entered World War II. With a desire to make a direct contribution to the war effort and possessing a sense of adventure, she enrolled in the American Red Cross. After completing an extensive interview and testing process for overseas volunteers, she was assigned as a recreational worker with the U.S....
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Pennsylvania Heritage Foundation Newsletter – Winter 2025

Posted by on Feb 24, 2025 in | Comments Off on Pennsylvania Heritage Foundation Newsletter – Winter 2025 Topics in the Winter 2025 Newsletter: Winter Events on the Pennsylvania Trails of History PHF Welcomes Art of the State Winter-2025-PHF-Newsletter...
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Art of the State 2024

Posted by on Feb 24, 2025 in | Comments Off on Art of the State 2024   On September 8, 2024, The State Museum of Pennsylvania opened its 57th Art of the State. Established in 1968, the annual juried exhibition provides a glimpse into the rich artistic tapestry of the commonwealth. A panel of three jurors — Marc Jacobson (Herron School of Art + Design, Indiana University Indianapolis), Jennifer-Navva Milliken (Museum for Art in Wood), and Eric Sung...
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Autocar: Master of Load and Road

Posted by on Feb 24, 2025 in | Comments Off on Autocar: Master of Load and Road THE PENNZOIL AUTOCAR LORRY MADE HISTORY ON ITS FIRST TRIP <STOP> CARRIED 5964 GALLONS GROSS LOAD 65000 LBS OVER SIXTY MILES OF HILLS AND MOUNTAINS FROM ROUSEVILLE TO ERIE IN TWO HOURS FIFTY NINE MINUTES <STOP> ONE HOUR AND SIX MINUTES BETTER THAN PREVIOUS BEST RECORD TIME BY ANY BULK HAUL UNIT <STOP> RETURN TRIP IN ONE HOUR AND FIFTY THREE MINUTES In 1932 the Autocar Company of...
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Margaret Esherick House

Posted by on Feb 24, 2025 in | Comments Off on Margaret Esherick House Nestled to the east of Chestnut Hill’s Pastouris Park in Philadelphia, along a quiet cul-de-sac, sits an architectural masterpiece that exudes the International style, popular in the mid-20th century. Completed in 1962 by prolific architect Louis Kahn (1901–74), best known for his institutional works, in collaboration with prominent artist Wharton Esherick (1887–1970), this one-bedroom,...
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Allan Jaffe, the Man Who Saved New Orleans Jazz

Posted by on Feb 24, 2025 in | Comments Off on Allan Jaffe, the Man Who Saved New Orleans Jazz Allan P. Jaffe (1935–1987) was a pivotal figure in preserving and popularizing New Orleans jazz. Born and raised in Pottsville in Pennsylvania’s Schuylkill County, he was influenced by his father, Harry Jaffe, who played mandolin and taught music before running a wallpaper and paint store. “Pottsville was home to many immigrants who came to work in the anthracite mines, resulting in an...
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