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.
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.
Featured
WVHS Special Projects for Society Year 2026-2027:
- Celebrate America 250
- In 2027, create unique programs to mark the 250th anniversary of the 1777 Battle of Germantown, when Washington’s troops camped in our neighborhood
- With Whitpain Township, restore the historic Skippack Pike Toll Booth
- In Ambler, continue the Storytellers’ Historic Walking Tours and investigate NRHP status
- In Lower Gwynedd Township, support the historical committee’s program to place historic markers
- Prepare themed Open House events at the 1895 School and the Franklinville School
- Continue restoration at the Franklinville School
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!
Join us for our monthly speaker series on Monday, March 9 at 7pm at the 1895 Schoolhouse
In the February issue of The Valley Crier you will find news about WVHS – and about history in the news:
Read about the Historic Harley Home in the December issue of Stroll Blue Bell