Ephrata’s Comet Book

Posted by Kyle Weaver on Jun 6, 2016 in | Comments Off on Ephrata’s Comet Book   In the late winter of 1744 a bright comet with six tails that spread out like a fan was visible in the sky. It was so brilliant at its perihelion – its point closest to the sun – that it could be seen even in the daytime. Known as the Great Comet of 1744, the astronomical object mystified the world and led to speculation about its meaning in both scientific and religious...
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Montgomery County: Cultural Microcosm of the Commonwealth

Posted by Judith Meier on Nov 30, 2013 in | Comments Off on Montgomery County: Cultural Microcosm of the Commonwealth The third most populous county in Pennsylvania, with ap­proximately 480 square miles of rolling hills criss-crossed by rivers, streams and superhighways, Montgom­ery County is a microcosm of the Com­monwealth, a reflection of its cultural development. Pan of Philadelphia County until 1784, Montgomery Coun­ty served as a sanctuary for numerous ethnic and religious groups seeking the freedom...
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A Treasure Trove of Books

Posted by Barbara Deibler on Nov 29, 2013 in | Comments Off on A Treasure Trove of Books Considered one of the finest repositories of rare books in the nation, the Rare Book Collection of the State Library of Pennsylvania was, at its conception, nothing more than an accumulation of law books necessary for the founding fathers to organize and govern the province. In­deed, for two more centuries, the collection of rarities and unique volumes, as it is known and safeguarded today, was...
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Dishing It Up with William Woys Weaver

Posted by Kyle Weaver on Nov 25, 2013 in | Comments Off on Dishing It Up with William Woys Weaver The Lamb Tavern, built in 1805 in Devon, Chester County, was restored in the early twentieth century by R. Brognard Okie (1875-1945), the historical architect responsible for the re-creation of Pennsbury Manor at Morrisville, Bucks County (see “Okie Speaks for Pennsbury,” Part I: Fall 1982 and Part II: Winter 1983). Entered in the National Register of Historic Places in 1984, the...
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Library of the Founding Fathers

Posted by Susan Solarczyk on Nov 24, 2013 in | Comments Off on Library of the Founding Fathers Three centuries after the birth of Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790), the world continues to be amazed by his overwhelming contributions, from the proprietary period in the early years of Pennsylvania through the birth of the United States of America. Of his many accomplishments, Franklin’s love of the printed word seems most obvious. In 1731, he and several friends founded the first...
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