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Program: The Architecture of Frank Furness

Posted on October 3, 2015 by nphistory

Frank FurnessFrank Heyling Furness (1839 – 1912) designed more than 600 buildings, most in the Philadelphia area. Toward the end of his life, his bold, eclectic, idiosyncratic buildings fell out of fashion and many of his most significant works were demolished.

Join us for a lecture about the magnificent buildings designed by Furness. Our lecturer, James Tevebaugh, is President of Tevebaugh Associates architects and a member of the executive committee of Friends of Furness Railroad District, a group dedicated to preserving the Wilmington train station and its associated buildings.

Wednesday, October 21st at 7:30 pm
The Helen Kate Furness Free Library
100 N. Providence Road in Wallingford

How are Helen Kate and Frank related?  The son of prominent Unitarian minister William Henry Furness, Frank Furness was the brother of Horace Howard Furness, a Shakespeare scholar, for whom our Library was originally named. Dr. Furness made a large donation to the Library with the stipulation that the name be changed to honor his late wife, Helen Kate Rogers, who also studied the works of William Shakespeare. The Library sits on ground that was originally part of Dr. and Mrs. Furness’ estate, Lindenshade. Dr. Furness’ brother, Frank Furness designed his brother’s summer house and nearby Idlewild, the house at the intersection of Gayley Street and Idlewild Lane in Upper Providence where Frank Furness spent summers with his family.

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Program: The Fort That Saved America

Posted on May 20, 2015 by nphistory

Elizabeth Beatty, Executive Director of National Historic Landmark Fort Mifflin will talk about the fort; one of the only intact Revolutionary War battlefields and the only fort in Philadelphia.

In the fall of 1777 approximately 200 men were garrisoned at what is now known as Fort Mifflin, charged with the duty of holding the British off “to the last extremity” so that Washington and his exhausted army could successfully move into winter quarters.

During the Civil War, Ft. Mifflin served as a military prison. During WW I and II, it was pressed into duty as a Naval Ammunition Depot.

Come, learn about the interesting history of the Fort That Saved America.

Wednesday, June 10, 2015 at 7:30 pm  at The Helen Kate Furness Free Library, 100 North Providence Road in Wallingford.

The program, sponsored by Nether Providence Historical Society, is free and open to the public.

Questions? Email us.
FtMifflinBirdsEyeResize

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Program: The First World’s Fair in America

Posted on March 31, 2015 by nphistory

1876 CentennialHeld in Fairmount Park, along the Schuylkill, the International Exhibition of 1876 was the first official World’s Fair in the United States. Historical researcher Mary Anne Eves will share photos of Memorial Hall and the many other buildings constructed for the fair. She’ll talk about this celebration of the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence which also celebrated America’s growing industrial prowess.

Join us! The program is free and open to the public.

Thursday, April 23rd at 7:30 at
The Helen Kate Furness Free Library 
100 North Providence Road, Wallingford

To register, complete the contact form:

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Living History Program @HKF

Posted on February 27, 2015 by nphistory

EarlyIrishImmigrants“The New American,” a Living Voices program, combines dynamic solo performance with archival film to turn history into a moving personal journey.

The show stars Wallingford’s Gabrielle Miller as Bridget Rose Fitzgerald. Set in 1910, her immigrant journey from Ireland includes steamship passage through Ellis Island to lower Manhattan and the sweatshop known as the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory. “The New American” reveals a timeless immigrant experience and the meaning of liberty and opportunity.

The performance is suitable for students in fourth grade through adults, and is made possible by a generous donation from the Rose Valley Borough Council and staff in honor of Lynn Kelley, a former council member and current volunteer at the library.

2 p.m., Sunday, March 8th in the Library’s Chadwick Auditorium.
The program is free and open to the public, but registration is recommended. Call 610-566-9331.

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You’re invited!

Posted on December 3, 2014 by nphistory

Join us at the Lieper House, 521 Avondale Road,
on Sunday, December 14, 2014 from 1 o’clock until 6 o’clock.

Christmas Open House

 

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Prez Wins Award

Posted on November 3, 2014 by nphistory

Angela HewettAt its annual meeting, the Delaware County Historical Society presented its A. Lewis Smith Award to Angela Hewett, president of the Nether Providence Historical Society and long-time president of The Friends of the Thomas Leiper House. The award is presented annually to an individual who has made “significant contributions to the preservation of the history of Delaware County.”

Angela has conducted extensive research into the Leiper family and has edited two booklets – a compilation of correspondence between Mr. Leiper and Thomas Jefferson and another of his correspondence with James Madison. She is also the curator of the Leiper House; organizing and training its volunteer docents and coordinating the many events and programs hosted there.

She was on the steering committee for our township’s tricentennial celebration in 1987 and helped found our historical society soon after. She is also a board member of the Delaware County Historic Preservation Network.

The honor bestowed is well deserved.

 

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Program: WWI Lecture at Helen Kate

Posted on November 2, 2014 by nphistory

One of a series of lectures commemorating the 100th anniversary of World War I – local historian Andrew Miller highlights the year of 1916-1917.

The lecture, sponsored by DCLS and the Nether Providence Historical Society is free and open to the public.

Please call to register: 610-566-9331.

—UPDATE—

ps – Sorry, all! Meant to post the link to the Library’s site. It’s Saturday, November 8th at 2:00. Hope to see you there!

 

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HSP Surveys Collection

Posted on July 28, 2014 by nphistory

Von Byre DiaryThe Historical Society of Pennsylvania’s “Hidden Collections Initiative for Pennsylvania Small Archival Repositories” seeks to ferret out the hidden, but often important, archival collections held by the many small, primarily volunteer-run historical organizations in the five county Philadelphia area.

Project Surveyors recently visited the Leiper House to view the Nether Providence Historical Society’s collection.

They posted an account of what they found on the HSP’s blog, Archival Adventures in Small Repositories.

Today is the anniversary of the beginning of World War I, so they focused their post on the collection of materials we hold related to the Byre family. Von Byre served in WWI and kept a journal of his June 1918 voyage to Europe on a troop ship.

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Friends of Thomas

Posted on May 25, 2014 by nphistory

FrontEntryBuilt by Philadelphia merchant Thomas Leiper (1745 – 1825) the mansion sits above Crum Creek on his summer estate, Strath Haven, named for Leiper’s birth place in Strathaven, Scotland.

The house was scheduled for demolition to make way for the Mid-County Expressway (I-476). Through the joint efforts of interested citizens and Nether Providence Township, the expressway was re-routed and the historic house was saved. The house is furnished with circa 1800 antiques, including some Leiper family pieces. Its four remaining outbuildings are restored. Displays reflect Mr. Leiper’s prominence in manufacture, transportation, and politics in the development of the area, the state, and the nation.

The 1785 house is a fine example of Federal Period architecture and is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Friends of the Thomas Leiper House, a separate organization from Nether Providence Historical Society, together with Nether Providence Township, maintain the house and its outbuildings.

The Friends recently sent out their annual appeal for donations. The Township covers the bulk of the maintenance, but it is up to the Friends to fund the maintenance of the collection, to maintain a staff of volunteers to open the house for tours and other programs, and to chip in on larger projects.

Attached is the Friends membership form. Will you help with the preservation of this community treasure? Download the membership form and send in your contribution.

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Where to Go for What You Want to Know

Posted on January 31, 2014 by nphistory

ICFA Archive Stacks

Researching your family history, your house, your hometown…? Bob Plowman, Delaware County archivist, will teach us all about the records and other treasures available to you at the Delaware County Archives, the Courthouse, Delaware County Historical Society, and our own Nether Providence Archives.

Sunday, February 23rd at 2:00 pm at the Helen Kate Furness Free Library

The program is free and open to the public.

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