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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To Be Determined

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Suggestions for future programs can be submitted on our contact form below.

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Dark Run University- a presentation of papers read from 1951 on Facebook Live

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Speaker: Vanessa Couvreur

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In June we presented our first ever virtual lecture via Facebook Live with a piece entitled "Swimmin' Holes I know". In that paper, writer W. Hepworth mentions Dark Run University saying, "It ain’t any college- Just where the gang spends a lotta time an has plenty of fun". In this follow up piece we'll explore what Dark Run University was in the 1890's and the area around it.

A Park Lost and Found

Speaker: Fred Prescott

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Join us for the Historical Society of Frankford’s next live streaming event on Tuesday evening at 7:30 PM, when board member Fred Prescott will discuss the history of Wistar Park, the first official ballfield in this part of town.  Fred’s lecture will be drawn from our archival resources but will also be flavored by his own personal recollections of growing up in Frankford.  The growth and development of amateur and semi-professional sports locally will be shown in the context of the rise of professional sports leagues throughout the United States in the years following the Civil War.  And learn the story of the found lost park.

The Frankford Camera Club

Hosts: Susan and Vanessa Couvreur

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Our November presentation will be a slideshow of images from the Frankford Camera Club with some brief tidbits of history on the club. This will be a great presentation to interact with, so post comments, start a conversation in the comments, and ask any questions. We also have a list of the club members so stick around until the end to see if there are any names you recognize! Hosted by Susan (who curated our current Camera Club exhibit in our building) and Vanessa.

The Holmesburg Prison Murders

by Allen Hornblum

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Philadelphia author Allen Hornblum presents his most recent book about the story of Holmesburg Prison inmates who were baked alive in their punishment cells in 1938. While this is a rather somber topic, we will certainly lighten the mood after the main presentation with some lovely memories of the year that has passed and will attempt to virtually recreate some of the holiday cheer of our traditional December presentations with some music and a collection of photos.

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