HSoF

A Womens' Month Tribute to Mabel Corson

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Speaker: Jerry Kolankiewicz

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Our president Jerry will revisit a lecture given in 1929 by Mabel Corson of the Society, in which she discussed the first Presbyterian church in Frankford, the immediate surrounding neighborhood, and the towering elms that once stood in front of the building.

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Frankford During the Colonial and Revolutionary Times

Speaker: Jerry Kolankiewicz

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Our president Jerry will present a reading of an original manuscript from the 1930's written by Horace Castor.

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A History of Frankford Arsenal   

Speaker: John Buffington

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John will present the history of Frankford Arsenal, a National Historic Register site, from the near-disaster of American military inadequacy during the War of 1812 through base closure in 1971 and privatization in 1977, to current status, threats and opportunities.

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Memories of Swimming at Hedge Street and More Summer Fun​

by Fred Prescott

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As summer approaches, Fred Prescott of our society takes us for a visit to the bath house on Hedge Street, an alternative to the outdoor swimming holes we discovered last year.

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The History of the Dummy Car
by John Buffington

Following a discussion of current activities at the Society, Director John Buffington will present Thomas Creighton's paper entitled "The History of the Dummy Car", first delivered to the Society on January 28, 1916. Join us to learn more of these one-time Frankford commodities.
 

The Lewis and Clark Expedition: a Tale of Two Cities
by Professor Stephen Medvec

President Thomas Jefferson commissioned fellow Virginians Meriwether Lewis and William Clark to explore the newly purchased western lands and to report on native tribes, wildlife and terrain encountered therein. Professor Medvec will discuss his findings from examination of the Journals of the Expedition found in the Special Collections  Library of the American Philosophical Society here in Philadelphia.

Underground Philadelphia
From Caves and Canals to Tunnels and Transit
      by Joel Spivak and Harry Kyriakodis

Joel Spivak, an architect, artist, author and community activist, leads us through some subterranean spaces that date back as far as colonial days.  We will hear about caves, vaults, utility conduits, transit tunnels and more. Some were never used and many remain under our streets and buildings. Renowned author Harry Kyriakodis will participate by telephone. Let's take a look underground!

Philadelphia Football History
by Brian Michael and Andrew Weicker


Explore the new book "The Philadelphia Eagles" by local authors Brian Michael and Andrew Weicker as they trace the history of football in Philadelphia using photos. Come see never-before-published photos from the archives of The Historical Society of Frankford and discuss local teams like the Frankford Yellow Jackets and Frankford High School. 

Note: This meeting is anticipated to be our first in-person lecture since the pandemic began, pending guidelines from local health authorities. We also anticipate streaming the lecture as we have done in the past two seasons.

For videos of past programs click