Headquartered in the Whitpain 1895 Public School, the Wissahickon Valley Historical Society serves to educate the public about the heritage and history of the people, institutions and events that have influenced and shaped the communities of the Wissahickon School District which encompasses Whitpain Township, Lower Gwynedd Township and the Borough of Ambler.
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Monday, April 14 at 7:00 at the 1895 School
The Battle of Germantown
Presented by Michael Jesberger
Let’s pack the room for our speaker on Monday, April 14, at 7 PM, for a special presentation by Michael Jesberger on the Battle of Germantown.
Jesberger is an independent military historian who specializes in the American Revolution and Civil War time periods, known for his knowledge and passion. He describes himself as a reenactor, tour guide, and historical lecturer. He is a member of numerous history-based organizations and active in the reenactment community. A lifelong resident of the Philadelphia region, (presently Montgomery County), Jesberger is a native of Northeast Philadelphia.
His topic is the events leading up to and including the Battle of Germantown. In September, at the WVHS 50th Anniversary Celebration, Jesberger will continue his narrative, discussing the troops who moved up Skippack Road after the battle. Following the American defeat at the Battle of Brandywine in September of 1777, the British occupied Philadelphia when British General Sir William Howe positioned two brigades in a small village outside Philadelphia, called Germantown to protect the city. George Washington, commanding an army of 11,000, sensed an opportunity and decided to attack and destroy the enemy detachment at Germantown. As events unfolded, Washington’s troops passed the site of the WVHS 1895 School six times!
Campaign to Preserve the Franklinville School!
Donations are needed for the Franklinville School. In the past two years, WVHS has replaced the electrical panel, added drainage from the crawl space, replaced the front porch floor, repaired the porch roof, and replaced the roof. WVHS has done its best to find and use grant funding. However, water is still causing damage to the Franklinville School’s walls. We need to repair broken windowsills and paint and seal the outside walls.
Please consider a generous gift to WVHS, marked for the Franklinville School. You can make your check payable to “WVHS” and mail to: WVHS, P.O. Box 96, Ambler, PA 19002.
You can also donate using Venmo or PayPal at: https://www.wvalleyhs.org/donate/
Thank you!
Ambler Storytellers Walking Tours are Back!
WVHS and its Ambler Storytellers have announced the dates for the spring tours of the Ambler Business District: April 5, April 19, May 3, May 17, June 7, and June 21. All tours (Saturdays) begin at the train station at 3 PM.
To avoid no-shows, a $15 registration is required, and all proceeds will be used for the preservation of the Ambler Freight House. (Work there has halted temporarily so SEPTA can remediate for asbestos.) Tours in groups of twelve take about an hour and learn more about the history and architecture of a “must-see” small town. Guests are sure to have fun and learn much! Click here to register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ambler-downtown-walking-tour-spring-2025-tickets-1230870559979?aff=oddtdtcreator
The Storytellers meet on most Wednesdays at the Ambler Library at 6 PM. In addition to planning the tours, they are working on ways to preserve the history of Ambler, including a National Register of Historic Places nomination. WVHS members and history lovers are welcome! For details, please send an email to amblerstorytellers@gmail.com.
At the WVHS meeting on May 12, members will vote on several small changes to the Bylaws- clarification of wording. The Bylaws state that any proposed changes have to be sent to members 30 days in advance. Click on our Committees page to read the proposed changes.
In the April issue of The Valley Crier you will find news about WVHS – and about history in the news:
Read about Whitpain’s oldest tree in the April issue of Stroll Blue Bell
Founded in 1975 as a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, the Wissahickon Valley Historical Society’s purpose is to preserve the local historical buildings, artifacts and folklore of the historic Wissahickon Valley.
The Franklinville School c.1858 is a white stucco one-room schoolhouse on an acre of ground, located at 1701 Morris Road, Blue Bell, between Normandy Farms Estates and the Windermere Community. It is the only one-room schoolhouse open to the public in Whitpain Township.
The two-story schoolhouse has a Library containing deeds, wills, photos, books, maps and genealogies, a 19th Century School Room and a Museum of local artifacts, focusing on items, pictures and records from the early farms and our industrial past.