Mayday Mayday... incoming
Tomorrow begins a month filled with observations and commemorations. Obviously Mother’s Day for starters. And also Memorial Day. But did you know May is Historic Preservation Month and dedicated to the celebration of our nation’s heritage through historic places?
Exemplary heritage sites and cultural landmarks exist across the world. Many historic landmarks are right in our backyards or just a road trip away. Some, although impactful, are little-known or unknown.
These sites are important to our heritage and their history accounts for the how and why the areas in which we live evolved. The monumental events that took place at these places provided the foundation that began our way of life. In our hustling world that seems to primarily focus on chaos, people can easily lose sight of these places and forget about events that took place that represent the fiber of our heritage. We are basking in the glory of the actions of other people who sacrificed and made important moves in order for us to live the way we live today.
Not only is it important to remember the pivotal courageous events that occurred for us, but honoring and remembering by participating in preserving them is crucial in order to maintain them. Paid tours and entrance tickets support these spots by providing money to pay employees, funds to preserve the buildings and areas, and it increases tourism, which helps local economy. Some of them are free and rely on volunteers and donations.
SOME WAYS TO OBSERVE AND SUPPORT NATIONAL PRESERVATION MONTH:
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Visit different museums
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Visit heritage sites Take lots of pictures and post away on social media.
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If you want people to be more concerned about preserving the heritage of a country, talk about it.
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Share articles, stories and books about it
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Write about it or make videos and share
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Help out. There are volunteer opportunities for individuals or groups, recurring or single time volunteer positions, public service days, stewardship events, and special events.
Washington Crossing. A historic park located in Washington Crossing, Pennsylvania. The park’s history dates back to the early 19th century, when the property was purchased by the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in 1815 to preserve the site of Washington’s crossing. The park was officially dedicated in 1917, and a bridge was constructed to replace the original ferry crossing. Valley Forge National Park is home of the encampment site of the Continental Army during the winter of 1777-1778. The camp included more than 1,500 log huts and two miles of
fortifications, and essentially became the fourth largest city in America at the time. Today, the park features 3,500 acres of monuments, meadows, and woodlands commemorating the sacrifices and perseverance of the Revolutionary War generation and honoring the power of people to pull together and overcome adversity during extraordinary times. Take in the sights, visit buildings and monuments on a guided bus/trolley tour or on your own.
Brandywine Battlefield in Chadds Ford, PA is the historic site and landscape of the Battle of the Brandywine, the largest and longest single day land battle of the American Revolution.
Paoli Battlefield is the site of the Paoli Massacre of 1777. After losing the Battle of the Brandywine, General Washington and his rebel army retreated to protect Philadelphia from the British advance. He left a contingent of soldiers under General Anthony Wayne. The British learned of the hidden group and killed 53 soldiers under sneak attack. The remains of the soldiers are buried at nearby St Peter’s Church of the Great Valley.
Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia represents the founding ideals of the nation, and preserves national and international symbols of freedom, including
Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell. The Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution were both debated and signed inside Independence Hall. Hop on Hop off Tours available.
Meadowcroft Rockshelter and Historic Village is America’s oldest known archaeological site is only 27 miles southwest of Pittsburgh is an archaeological site which is located near Avella in Jefferson Township, Pennsylvania.
The site is a rock shelter in a bluff overlooking Cross Creek, and contains evidence that the area may have been continually inhabited for more than 19,000 year
French Azilum along the Susquehanna River in Bradford County, Towanda, PA. Once home to the French colony that was formed to protect the French aristocrats who helped the US during the American Revolution.
is a National Battlefield in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, where George Washington and his troops began the first battle of the French and Indian war.
Fort Mifflin is on the Delaware River hidden behind the Philadelphia International Airport.
Built and used during the Revolutionary War, used as a Civil War prison and used for artillery during World War II. Still owned by the Army Corps, it is the oldest known fort in the country.
Friendship Hill National Historic Site along the banks of the Monongahela River in Pittsburgh was the home of Albert Gallatin, one of our country’s Founding Fathers and the longest serving secretary in the entire history of the Treasury
Betsy Ross House is a landmark in Philadelphia purported to be the site
where the seamstress and flag-maker Betsy Ross (1752–1836) lived when she is said to have sewed the first American Flag
Many towns are rich with history themselves. To name a few:
Sugartown. Along Sugartown Road in Malvern stands the remarkably intact and lovingly restored, 19th-century village of Sugartown. In the early 1800s, with the American Revolution behind them, Sugartown’s early residents established a school, general store, businesses and meeting places, creating a vibrant crossroads that provided goods and services to its surrounding farming community. The village was soon known as Shugart’s Town, after tavern keeper Eli Shugart, and served as a vital stop for weary travelers hauling wagon loads of goods to the markets of Philadelphia and other parts of the county. Sugartown remained a social, educational, commercial and municipal center throughout the 1800s.
Today, Historic Sugartown offers a window into American life in an early 19th-century rural crossroads village. Through the preservation efforts of Historic Sugartown, Inc., visitors experience how people came together to conduct business, exchange news, and shared their lives as a community. You can explore the village, take in a workshop or enjoy scheduled events.
Rose Valley is a sprawling town with homes adorning stucco walls, stone buttresses colored tiles, and many red tile roofs and cottages that look like they came straight out of storybook illustration. This town was started by the vision of one man, William Lightfoot Price, who’s lineage traces back to Philadelphia Quaker families all the way to William Penn. The development of Rose Valley was birthed by the Arts and Crafts movement. “Will” Price, an architect, modeled Rose Valley on the utopian English village described by William Morris in News from Nowhere. Hedgerow Theatre resembles ancient structures. Legend says “If you believe in the bridge of desire that leads to Brigadoon and the knight who fought through thickets of thorns to rescue Briar Rose, you will be able to find Rose Valley, then and now”
The Village of Arden in the state of Delaware. Also founded by the famous architect Will Price- together with renowned sculptor, Frank Stephens, was founded in 1900 . Both men wanted to create a utopian, radical, Georgist single-tax community. The village spans about 160 acres, and more than half of the land is preserved open space. Arden is the home of historic structures such as Arden Gild Hall and many parks- including Bellevue State Park, Rockwood Park & Museum, and Brandywine Creek State Park. If you travel to the area you may want to visit the Labyrinth of the Ardens , a seven-circuit labyrinth and sanctuary for peace and a place to meditate.
Other places include:
The Masonic Library and Museum of Pennsylvania
Visiting places like these can have an emotional impact and/or a profound affect.. It may pull on your heartstrings, give you a sense of pride, awaken your curiosity, ignite a sense of awe, foster togetherness, and prompt feelings of gratitude. It can also spark wonder about what it was like for those involved and what it was like to live during those times. They are rich with fascinating facts about amazing triumphs and can send your imagination on a journey back through time as you take in the visual spaces, buildings and artifacts.
With these places in mind, take a trip to Dishfunctional and pick up your own piece of history. We preserve home goods of the past by buying and making them available to you.