March Madness?

There are lots of items here, Trailheads, so I’ll spare you my dazzling wit for this week. Remember that we’ll be celebrating Charter Day on March 11 with free admission to most sites on the Trails of History (specific listings are below). Several sites will be reopening after their winter hiatus or expanding their hours (as always, it’s best to check ahead if you can). Enjoy!

William Penn (Bill Kashatus) discusses Pennsylvania history
with State Museum visitors on Charter Day 2010

Anthracite Heritage Museum
March 11: “Neighborhood Women: Medical Caregivers in the Anthracite Region”—speaker is Karol Weaver, associate professor of history at Susquehanna University.
March 18: Lackawanna Audubon Society Program—Bill Speare, President of LAS, will present highlights of his recent trip to Alaska.
March 25: Making Maple Syrup—AHM curator and maple syrup maker John Fielding will talk about the art of turning tree sap into a delicious golden treat (sorry, John, I got a little carried away); snow date is April 1.

Brandywine Battlefield
March 11: Charter Day—The site will be open from noon to 4 p.m. and will feature a program (demos, lectures, book-signing) on Ferguson's Ordnance Rifle.

Bushy Run Battlefield
March 24-25: 16th Annual Ohio Country Conference—sessions the first day explore various topics around the French and Indian War and are held at Westmoreland County Community College; second day is a field trip to historic sites in southwestern PA. More details and a registration form here and here.

Conrad Weiser Homestead
March 11: Living History Program—members of the 1st and 3rd Battalion of the Pennsylvania Regiment and Regiment de la Reine will demonstrate French and Indian war period arms, uniforms, and equipment.
March 25: Spring Lecture—check the website for more information.

Cornwall Iron Furnace
March 11: Charter Day—the museum will be open free of charge from noon to 5 p.m.
March 13: “Thomas Rutter and the Founding of the Pennsylvania Iron Industry”—speaker Dan Graham will explore the origins of an industry that has become synonymous with American industrial history; part of the Friends of Cornwall Iron Furnace lecture series (lectures are free of charge and are held in Freeman Auditorium at Cornwall Manor retirement community).

Daniel Boone Homestead
March 4: Fireside Tales—this storytelling program is geared to children ages 4-8 and their families; enjoy a seat near the fireplace in the Wayside Lodge (it can still be chilly so you may want to bring a cozy blanket or two). Suggested donation, $2 per child.
March 11: Charter Day Open House and 1st PA Regiment Flintlock Shoot—there will be a full slate of activities, including open hearth cooking, blacksmithing demos, colonial dancers, stories of Native American heritage and culture, leatherworking and textile processing. Reenactors from the 1st PA Regiment will be on the rifle range to demonstrate flintlock shooting. Light refreshments will be served; admission is free for Charter Day, but donations are graciously accepted.
March 25: “Women’s Work on Pennsylvania Farms in the Colonial Period”—in honor of Women’s History Month, Dr. Barbara Corson will present a program focused on the types of work farm women were typically responsible for, including dairying, tending to poultry, and helping with field work and haymaking. Suggested donation, $2 per person (plus site admission fee if you wish to take a guided or self-guided tour of the Boone House and historic area).

PHMC/Drake Well Museum via Facebook

Drake Well Museum
March 11: Charter Day—site will be open free of charge from 2-4 p.m. and will feature a temporary exhibit on archaeology. The first 100 visitors through the door win fabulous Charter Day prizes!
March 29: Heritage Lecture Series—this evening program will celebrate Col. Edwin Drake’s 193rd birthday with cake and ice cream and feature a slide show by Earl Yingling; $2 per person (free to Friends of Drake Well members).

Eckley Miners’ Village
March 11: Charter Day—Bob Vybrenner will present a program on the Wyoming Valley and Sugarloaf Massacres, two Revolutionary War clashes involving British loyalists and Native Americans on one side and American militia and civilians on the other.

Ephrata Cloister
March 1, 8, 15, 22, 29: Winter History Class—sessions take place each Thursday morning, with March 29 as a day-long field trip to the Philadelphia area; call 717/733-6600 for class information and to see if space is still available.
March 11: Charter Day—The Ephrata Cloister Chorus will perform in the Saal at 2:00, 3:00, and 4:00 p.m., and there will be a bake sale to benefit the student historians program.

Erie Maritime Museum and US Brig Niagara
March 11: Charter Day—the museum will be open free of charge from noon to 5 p.m. (the ship will be in Cleveland for repairs).

Graeme Park
March 11: Charter Day—the site will be open free of charge from noon to 4 p.m.

Joseph Priestley House
March 11: Charter Day and Dr. Priestley’s Birthday—the site reopens for the season and will feature chemistry demonstrations by “Dr. Priestley” at 1:30 and 2:30.

PHMC/Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum

Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum
March 7, 14: Homeschool Classes—designed for students ages 6-17; call 717/569-0401 x228 or email Sheri Brown for details. 
March 10, 17, 24: Folk Art and Friendship Classes—the Weathervane Museum Store hosts this series of hands-on workshops (go here for individual class info). March 17 is also the Weathervane’s spring open house.
March 11: Charter Day and exhibit opening—be on hand for the unveiling of a new changing exhibit, “The Golden Age of an American Art Form: The Lancaster Long Rifle.” The exhibit brings together rifles and other firearms from the museum’s collection as well as a number of private collections and will be on view through Dec. 31.
March 24: Heirloom Seed Program Grafting Workshop—offered in partnership with Backyard Fruit Growers, this workshop is designed for novices to learn how to graft an applewood “scion” onto rootstock. Advance registration is required; call 717/569-0401 x204 or email Beth Leensvaart.

Old Economy Village
March 17: Opening Day—the site reopens for the season. Admission is free but please bring a non-perishable food item to benefit Center of Hope in Ambridge.

Pennsbury Manor
March 11: Charter Day—crafts demonstrations and Manor House tours are planned at the home of Pennsylvania’s founder (and the reason we celebrate Charter Day); admission is free but please bring a non-perishable food item to benefit Bucks County Housing Group’s Penndel Food Pantry.

Pennsylvania Military Museum
March 6: “Fort Sumter – First Blood in South Carolina”—Central PA Civil War Roundtable presents Joe Mieczkowski exploring the events of April 12, 1861.
March 7: “FDR-Dewey: The 1944 Wartime Presidential Campaign”—Dr. Stanley Weintraub, Evan Pugh Professor Emeritus at Penn State, will discuss his forthcoming book (due out this summer); part of the Friends of PMM Speaker Series.
March 11: Charter Day—the museum reopens for the season.

Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania
March 11: Charter Day—the museum will be open free of charge from noon to 5 p.m.

Somerset Historical Center
March 30-April 1: Annual School of Coopering—learn traditional coopering skills in this intensive workshop. Advance registration is required; an information flyer is here.

PHMC/State Museum of PA via Facebook

State Museum of Pennsylvania
March 3-11: 1681 Charter Exhibit—each year we display the original charter of Pennsylvania (which normally lives in the State Archives) along with special “guest” documents. This year’s special guests are historical maps of Pennsylvania, complementing the National Geographic Giant Map of North America (on display from Feb. 18-March 15).
March 11: Charter Day—in addition to the exhibit of important documents and the Giant Map, there will be numerous activities. Winners of the 2011 National History Day in Pennsylvania contest will be recognized and some will be displaying their work (through June 17); local genealogical and historical societies will be on hand to talk about their programs and services; students from Harrisburg Sci-Tech High School will serve as docents for the Giant Map; and there will be storytelling and William Penn himself.
March 16: 3rd in the Burg—this month’s program features a celebration of Women’s History Month.
March 17: Free admission day and Lights, Camera, Take Action! event—Harrisburg’s Parks and Recreation Dept. and 3Atrical Productions host a seminar on careers in the entertainment industry.

Washington Crossing Historic Park
March 11: Charter Day—the site will be open free of charge from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

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