Preserving Philadelphia: A Conversation with Charles E. Peterson, F.A.I.A.

Posted by William Kashatus on Nov 26, 2013 in | Comments Off on Preserving Philadelphia: A Conversation with Charles E. Peterson, F.A.I.A. Those who know Philadelphia realize that it is an enormously important city with an illustrious, prestigious past. By many it is called the birthplace of a nation, by others the cra­dle of liberty. The United States was cre­ated in Philadelphia on July 4, 1776, when the Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Indepen­dence. The principles of the American Revolution were...
read more

Letters to the Editor

Posted by PA Heritage Staff on Nov 26, 2013 in | Comments Off on Letters to the Editor Loved Lizzie! I just loved your article on Lizzie Stride [“A Champion for All Seasons” by Barbara Gregorich, Summer 1998]! I see Pennsylva­nia Heritage only occasionally (when I return home to visit family in Pennsylva­nia) but each time I do, I’m extremely impressed. The photographs in this article were great. It made one feel – as Walter Cronkite used to say on...
read more

Letters to the Editor

Posted by PA Heritage Staff on Nov 26, 2013 in | Comments Off on Letters to the Editor New World Plaudits! I was captivated by the detailed article entitled “New Sweden and the New World – History Lessons from the Morton Homestead” by Sharon Hernes Silverman in the Winter 1999 edition. It treated one of my primary subjects of interest, John Morton (1725-1777). I have an observation about this founding father. Morton is among several signers of the Declaration of...
read more

In Franklin’s Footsteps: An Interview with Ralph Archbold

Posted by William Kashatus on Nov 25, 2013 in | Comments Off on In Franklin’s Footsteps: An Interview with Ralph Archbold Greater hero worship may be accorded to other historical figures, but Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) has, for better or worse, been more commonly identified with the American national character. His remarkable success as a printer, as well as the popularity of his essays, aphorisms, and almanacs, allowed him to spread his notions of industry and frugality among the common people. In the process,...
read more

Chester Heights Camp Meeting

Posted by PA Heritage Staff on Nov 25, 2013 in | Comments Off on Chester Heights Camp Meeting By the outbreak of the Civil War, Methodism had become the largest Christian denomination in the country, tracing its dramatic rise from a reform movement in the Episcopal Church to successful camp meetings. Methodist circuit riders visited local communities and conducted large public religious meetings, some of which lasted many days, with a succession of commanding speakers, spirited singing,...
read more

The Value of Pennsylvania History

Posted by Brent Glass on Nov 25, 2013 in | Comments Off on The Value of Pennsylvania History George W. Bush won the presidential election of 2000 because the fifty states cast more electoral votes for him, even though more people actually voted for his opponent, Albert A. Gore Jr. The election reminded Americans about a curious institution called the Electoral College, and an equally peculiar system known as federalism in which each state conducts elections according to distinct laws...
read more

Slaves at the President’s House

Posted by William Kashatus on Nov 25, 2013 in | Comments Off on Slaves at the President’s House President George Washington arrived in Philadelphia on the morning of Sunday, November 21, 1790, exhausted and depressed. The journey north from Mount Vernon, his beloved Virginia plantation, had not been pleasant. Heavy rain made the roads impassable at various points along the route, extending the journey from two to three days. A drunken coachman overturned the president’s baggage wagon...
read more

A Modest Fountain on the Square

Posted by Bill Double on Nov 20, 2013 in | Comments Off on A Modest Fountain on the Square The modest appearance of a squat granite fountain hunkered along the curb on the south side of Philadelphia’s Washington Square belies its noble history. The fountain, which began in a much grander form on the opposite side of the square in 1869, was the first project of a sweeping movement that would adorn the city’s streets and quench the thirst of its residents, both man and beast. It was the...
read more

A Trio of Philadelphia Maritime Painters

Posted by Jim McClelland on Nov 20, 2013 in | Comments Off on A Trio of Philadelphia Maritime Painters Oceans and seas have long challenged civilization’s adventurous spirit. Sailors and their ships have struggled against billowing winds and sweeping tides, as well as fires, piracy, collisions, and warfare. All of this has been celebrated in story and song — and in works of art. Artists of the day captured both the beauty and the rigors of those wonderful ships in their coveted canvases. Three of...
read more