Tag: historical society of frankford

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African American History at the Historical Society of Frankford

The Board of Directors of the Historical Society of Frankford are grateful to Leon Brantley for his offer to work with us to promote greater appreciation of African-American history in Frankford.  We accept the offer enthusiastically.

We invite anyone interested in African-American history and the history of other ethnic groups in Frankford or anywhere in Northeast Philadelphia to get in touch with us by e-mail to jvb9@comcast.net; by regular mail to:

The Historical Society of Frankford
P.O. Box 4888
Philadelphia, PA 19124;

or by telephone, at 215.743.6030.

We also encourage anyone so interested to visit our website, www.frankfordhistoricalsociety.org, and to attend our next meeting, on May 14 at 7:30, at the society, 1507 Orthodox Street, and subsequent ones, on the second Tuesday of June, September, October, November, December, March, and April.

We encourage anyone interested in history in Frankford to join the society and to work with us on the identification of sites of interest, documentation, and presentation of our neighborhood’s history.

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Today is Luther Holcomb Day

From John Buffington of the Historical Society of Frankford:

The Board of Directors of the Historical Society of Frankford, in the City of Philadelphia, wish to express our deep sorrow to the families of the three people murdered in the course of the assault on the Patriots’ Day celebration in Boston and the MIT security officer who apparently fell to the same killers.  We hope for healthy recoveries for all of those maimed or wounded, and send our best wishes to their families as well.

Patriots’ Day is a celebration of the devotion of the heroes of Lexington and Concord.  Because this year’s event was so tragically marred, and because we so admire the resilience of the citizens of Boston, and because there are plenty of American sacrifices for freedom to celebrate in addition to those particular skirmishes,

WE HEREBY DECLARE  April 26, 2013, to be LUTHER HOLCOMB DAY.

On April 26, 1777, Luther Holcomb spotted British troops advancing on Danbury, CT, to destroy a Continental ammunition cache.  Luther mounted his horse, rode to a hilltop, and when the enemy were just within earshot, shouted “Halt the whole universe!  Break off into kingdoms!”  Which he followed with gesticulations deploying phantom troops on the other side of the hill.  British General Tryon, somewhat confused, halted his troops long enough to allow the evacuation of Danbury.  (Thanks to Lt. Col. Horace S. Mazet, in Yankee Magazine, 1976.)

So we urge our fellow Frankfordians to raise a glass, a prayer, or a meditation, whichever suits, on the 26th of this sad month, in honor of Luther Holcomb, Benjamin Rush, Samuel Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Paul Revere, William Dawes, Jack Jouett, Lydia Darrah, Crispus Attucks, Nathan Hale, and everyone else before or since who has hazarded life, fortune, and/or sacred honor to secure American freedom; religious, racial, and ethnic tolerance; pluralism; female emancipation; universal education; a progressive tax structure, and all of the other values of the Enlightenment that our assailants hate.

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Frankford’s Oldest Building Nominated for Philadelphia Register of Historic Places

1548 Adams Avenue

1548 Adams Avenue

Through the work of the Historical Society of Frankford’s Preservation Committee, with the assistance of the Preservation Alliance of Greater Philadelphia funded intern, Kristin Hagar, the nomination of 1548 Adams Avenue for designation on the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places is being presented for a vote by the Philadelphia Historical Commission.  The nomination of 1548 Adams Avenue (believed to be the oldest house standing in Frankford) has been deemed “correct and complete”.  The Philadelphia Historical Commission will consider this nomination at two public meetings:
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Committee on Historic Designation
Wednesday, 29 May 2013 – 9:30am
Room 578 City Hall

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Regular Meeting
Friday, 14 June 2013 – 9:00am
Room 18-029, 1515 Arch Street (One Parkway Building)

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Both hearings are open to the public; the public is invited to speak (Philadelphia Historical Commission  215-686-7660).
Those interested in more background on this site – which appears in the Society’s latest publication (An Illustrated Walking Tour of Frankford) can purchase a copy of the booklet at the Society’s next program meeting on Tuesday, May 14th at 7:30pm.
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Preserving History and Restoring Ecology of Pennypack Park

Preserving and Presenting the History of Northeast Philadelphia Since 1905
HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF FRANKFORD
THE CENTER FOR NORTHEAST PHILADELPHIA HISTORY     


Tuesday, 09 April 2013   7:30pm
PENNYPACK PARK:
Preserving History and Restoring Ecology  
John Sloan, Landscape Architect/Designer
 
The beauty of Pennypack Park is well-known to Frankford and NE Philadelphia residents. But did you know about its historical and ecological significance?   John Sloan, a local landscape architect, will bring the 17 acres of public and privately owned park land adjacent to Pennypack Creek to life with a richly illustrated presentation.   Celebrate the rich industrial past of the site, with its 1697 Saunders Dale grist mill and dam and learn about the historical preservation and ecological restoration efforts underway to sustain this area as a historic NE Philadelphia resource.
John Sloan, a landscape architect and designer, has worked for the Water Department Office of Watersheds, familiarizing himself with the Pennypack Creek area, focusing on maintaining sustainable environments. Mr Sloan served as an archeologist at the 911 World Trade Center site and currently works as a landscape designer with Sci-Tek Consultants.
 1507 Orthodox Philadelphia, PA 19124
One block west of Frankford Ave between the Church and Margaret-Orthodox El Stops
Check out our Website for more information


Refreshments served. Members free; Others $5.00
 
HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF FRANKFORD
PO Box 4888, Philadelphia, PA 19124
215-743-6030
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Historical Society of Frankford March Meeting

March 12th at 7:00 PM
GLOBE DYE CONFIDENTIAL:
Divergent Paths of Two Founding Families
Cheryl Harper, Artist-Curator
 
While curating the dynamic art installations of “Catagenesis at Globe Dye Works” last fall, Ms Harper familiarized herself with the history of this 125 year old Frankford textile factory (1867) and the lives of the founding Greenwood and somewhat more colorful (scandalous even!) Bault families of Frankford. Globe Dye Works, which once got its water supply from the Little Tacony Creek, has now been repurposed for artists studios and light manufacturing. Join the Society as Ms Harper presents vintage photographs and a history of one of Frankford’s historic treasures.
As this is also the Society’s annual membership meeting and election, you are invited to meet the directors and learn what has been done this past year. Your ideas are important – so please come out and share them and how you plan to get involved to make these happen. Then, enjoy a rare, behind the scenes tour of our 1930’s building and vast museum and library collections by our president. Don’t miss it!
2013 memberships and Society publications (including the 2012 “Illustrated Frankford Walking Tour”) are available at the meeting.