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 located at 1701 Morris Road in 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 located at 799 W. Skippack Pike in Blue Bell 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.
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WVHS BROWN BAG LUNCH!
Join your WVHS friends at our WVHS HQ/Museum for our first “Brown Bag Lunch” with WVHS Past President Frank Russo!
Bring your own lunch and WVHS will supply beverages.
Frank’s topic will be “Whatchamacallits and Thig-a-ma-jigs: Unusual Objects of the 18th Century and their Usage.”
Have lunch, learn history, and enjoy your day! Scheduled for Thursday, November 5, at 12 Noon.
A $5 fee will be collected at the door. Members wishing to lead a “Brown Bag Lunch” on any history topic should contact WVHS at: info@wvalleyhs.org.
Monday, November 9
7:00 at the 1895 School
Matthew Kalos Presents: The Archeology of the Paoli Battlefield
The location was the site of a Patriot encampment. Against the rules of battle, British soldiers used bayonets to stab the sleeping troops. As a result, “Remember Paoli” became the battle cry of the American Revolution.
The site of this “Paoli Massacre” has become an ongoing military memorial. Over the years, U.S. Veterans continue to meet at the site where the first Memorial Day Parade was held, and Kalos will examine the role of memory at battlefield sites.
Kalos earned his PhD in Anthropology from Temple University, led archaeological field work at Valley Forge, and is a tenured professor at Brookdale College in New Jersey. Kalos recently co-edited the book, The Archaeology of the American Revolution.
WVHS 2026 Luncheon: Thank you to the following businesses:
- Ambler Pizza
- Blue Bell Inn
- Cantina Feliz
- Chanticleer, a pleasure garden
- Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site
- Flirt, Women’s boutique
- From the Boot, Ambler
- Giant Food Market
- Giuseppe’s Italian Restaurant and Pizza
- Graze Craze
- Il Giardino Italian Cuisine
- Lei Barry Real Estate, Keller Williams
- Longwood Gardens
- Lucky’s Roadside Stand at Ridge Hall
- McCaffrey’s Food Store
- Museum of the American Revolution
- National Liberty Museum
- Normandy Farm
- J. Whelihan’s
- Panache
- Philadelphia Museum of Art
- Phil’s Tavern
- Quintessence Theatre
- Radice
- Reading Fightin Phils
- Sorelle Hair Studio
- Studio Ambler
- Tannery Run Brew Works
- Turning Point
- Wilma Theater
- Winterthur
List is incomplete
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!