DCHPN

BRANDYWINE AT HOME
Updated weekly with new content, “Brandywine at Home” is your one-stop shop for engaging virtual tours and curator-led gallery talks of our collection and special exhibitions; at-home art activities for all ages; calming nature videos from our trails and preserves; informative blogs and conservation resources (like invasive species spotlights); recipes from the Millstone Café; and more. Check back regularly for updates and new Brandywine content from our home to yours.

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Includes:

Virtual tours and Gallery Talks

Virtual Nature Moments

Crafts and Educational Projects

Conservation Resources

Votes for Women Interactive Tour

Online Collection

Recipes from the Millstone Cafe

Virtual Events

Online Shop

Virtual Museum Gallery while the collection is being inventoried. The building is still open for research by appointment.

Parallel Lives in the Fight for Suffrage: Frances Ellen Watkins Harper and Mary Grew

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In honor of the 100th Anniversary of the 19th Amendment giving women the right to vote, this digital tour features two women, and two cemeteries. Frances Ellen Watkins Harper and Mary Grew were both leaders in the abolitionist movement and the fight for women’s right to vote in the 19th century. Their lives overlapped as they were working towards the same goals, and this tour reflects that in their activist activities, organizational affiliations, conferences they attended, their careers in education, and even the churches they belonged to. This tour explores Frances Harper's and Mary Grew's contributions to the abolitionist and suffragist movements and will introduce you to Historic Eden Cemetery and to the Woodlands.

A video about the 2014 HTHS Heritage Festival. It is every year on the first Sunday in June.

Learn about historic sites in Marple Township, many of which still exist, through this Powerpoint presentation available as a PDF in the links below. 

The Thornbury Township Delaware County Oral History Project video compilation of interviews of present and past residents documenting our wonderful history.  The interviews took place from 2012 through 2016 and  provide a rich archive of the Township as its 20th century landscape transitioned from a rural agrarian setting dominated by dairy farms to the largely residential communities that emerged by mid-century. 

Videos about the Lazaretto and why it was built (a little appropriate pandemic viewing):

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Precious Places: The 1799 Lazaretto

Fever 1793: The Healthy City

Fever (1793-1820)- Philadelphia: The Great Experiment

Fever: 1793 - A Virtual Tour with Sam Katz

Lower Swedish Cabin is an historic Swedish-style log cabin on Creek Road in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania along Darby Creek. The cabin may be one of the oldest log cabins in the United States.

It was likely built sometime between 1640 and 1650 by Swedish immigrants who were part of the New Sweden colony. In the early 1900s film pioneer Siegmund Lubin filmed several movies at the site. The house served as a private residence until 1937, when it was recorded by the Historic American Buildings Survey and the Cabin became the property of the township of Upper Darby. After neglect and vandalism throughout the mid-1900s the house was restored in 1987.

Video Filmed & Edited: Joe Paciotti,  www.JPacProductions.com

Founded by Henry Francis du Pont, Winterthur (pronounced “winter-tour”) is an American Treasure. Regarded as one of America’s most beautiful historic homes and mansions, on par with Biltmore Estate, Monticello, and Hearst Castle, visitors marvel at du Pont’s elegantly-furnished 175-room former home. Winterthur’s 60-acre garden is considered one of this nation’s great gardens, and its research library serves scholars from around the world. We invite you to explore Winterthur’s beauty and history.​

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The Virtual Tour includes an interactive map where you can view photos of select rooms. 

Virtual tours of museums and exhibitions from around the world.

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Enjoy art at the Musee d'Orsay with accompanied music

Virtually tour the wonders of the world in Spain, Seoul, Italy and 

    India

Watch live shows

Recreate art using masterpieces as inspiration

Do activities at home

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and much more! 

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There is also an app available to play games associated with art

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Virtual Tours of Louvre Exhibitions and Collections

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Choices include:

Exhibition- The Advent of the Artist*

Egyptian Antiquities

Remains of the Louvre's Moat

Galerie d'Apollon

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*Note- tour pages are in French, but the navigation uses arrows which are easy to use and the displays are in French and English if you zoom in to read them. Some pop-ups are in French.

Things for Kids (and Adults) to do at Home

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Activities include: (recommended grade)

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Our Story (K-5)

Spark!Lab "Try" Activities (K-6)

Tracking the Buffalo (K-8)

Star Spangled Banner (K-12)

Build a Sod House (K-12)

American Enterprise Simulations and Exporations (3-12)

Preparing for the Oath (4-12)

Ripped Apart: A Civil War Mystery (5-12)

Museum YouTube Channel

Smithsonian 3D

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Online Exhibitions are also available from the main webpage.

National Trust for Historic Preservation has several lists of activities to do:

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15 Awesome Preservation-Themed Movies here

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10 Fun Historical Fiction Books to Add to Your Reading List here

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11 Great Podcasts for Historic Preservation Fans here

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Preservation-themed music list on Spotify here

The American Association for State and Local History (AASLH) has tons of resources for small museums throughout the year.  Many resources are free, some require membership.

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The AASLH Resource Center is a collection of resources designed to help you do good history. Here you can register for upcoming continuing education events and build your personal library from recent History News issues and Technical Leaflets, recorded webinars, and audio recordings. Keep track of your learning all in one place as you explore by category and resource type.

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You can view recorded webinars or join in future ones.

Choose between three walking tours of historic Lansdowne:

-Henry Albertson Historic District- Various styles of architecture  are represented in the 71 houses in the district including American Four-Square, Colonial Revival, Craftsman, Dutch Colonial, Prairie School, Queen Anne, Shingle and Tudor Revival.

-Lansdowne Park Historic District- The Lansdowne Park Historic District illustrates the transformation of a rural eighteenth-century farm into a late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century middle-class Philadelphia suburb.

-Churches and Parks Tour- Features two churches and two parks and goes through the Lansdowne Park Historic District.

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The tours are available on the Lansdowne Economic Development Corporation (LEDC) website as PDFs you can download or print (scroll down to the bottom of the LEDC page to see the links)

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This is the first iteration of an ongoing effort to research and highlight the history of the Underground Railroad and early American life in our community. Our local history is an important part of the struggle for equal rights.

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The guide contains 8 locations within the township with a brief background on each. An easy-to-follow map is included.

Clio is an educational website and mobile application that guides the public to thousands of historical and cultural sites throughout the United States. Built by scholars for public benefit, each entry includes a concise summary and useful information about a historical site, museum, monument, landmark, or other site of cultural or historical significance.. Each entry offers turn-by-turn directions as well as links to relevant books, articles, videos, primary sources, and credible websites.

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Individual sites in Delco include:

Thomas Garrett and the Underground Railroad, Eden Cemetery, Darby Free Library, Hilldale Park, Cheyney University, Rose Valley Museum, Benjamin West Birthplace, Merion Golf Club, Printzhof, DCHS, and more!

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Tours include: Philadelphia Women's History Tour, Historic Quaker Meeting Houses of Philadelphia, Wilmington Delaware Walking Tour, African American History of Philadelphia Heritage Trail, and many more!

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Anyone can add sites or tours, so get your site added!

Two video documentaries about the Yes We Can Center: 

Coming to Herself- Yes Center Story and Finding Home: The Ruth L. Bennett Story

The story of Green Lawn Cemetery in Chester, Pennsylvania, breathes the dark truth about racism in America. Blacks were not allowed to bury their loved ones within the city limits of Chester.

The history, abandonment and efforts to preservation of Green Lawn Cemetery comes into question and is explored in this documentary.

The Greenlawn Cemetery is located at: Across from Haven Memorial Cemetery at 2500 Concord Road, Chester Township, PA.

Video production and direction by Haverford Township resident, Jenna Miele.  An overview of our programs, historic buildings and collections.

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In a Spring 2022 presentation jointly sponsored by the Haverford Township Historical Society and the Haverford Township Free Library, HTHS History Researcher Rich Kerr thoroughly covers the many and varied railways in the township's past, and how they shaped its transformation into a residential suburb. He relates the many historic views to what is there today. One-hour talk plus 33 minutes of Q&A.

The Thomas Massey House is a monument to the American dream – the home of an indentured servant who became a landowner, and like the American dream the house has endured over 300 years. The Thomas Massey House is one of the oldest English Quaker homes in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.  It is on the National Register of Historical Places, and the Historical American Building Survey.

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The video is available on the website- the Video link goes to YouTube

The Thunderbird Lodge, built by architect William Price, is of historical and architectural significance in the utopian community of Rose Valley. Price, a founder of Rose Valley, attempted to create a community of artists and artisans working side by side under the principles of the Arts and Crafts Movement. These included truth in the use of materials, traditional craftsmanship using simple forms, and often medieval, romantic or folk styles of decoration.

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Videos (some of which require a $10 donation):

TROLLEYS of the Media, Rose Valley, Swarthmore Area

When Owen Painted the Sky

Frank Furness: Architect Of The Industrial Age

Rose Valley Rocks! From Plate Tectonics to Architecture of Place

A Rose Valley Story In Photographs

Nothing Can Be Beautiful Which Is Not True

You Are Welcome Hither

“News From Nowhere”

John Ruskin: Radical and Human Visionary

The  award winning documentary, HISTORIC THORNBURY TOWNSHIP, was produced by the Thornbury Historical Society for the purpose of promoting the depth and importance of our local and national history. 

The production not only stands as a fine overview of a wide variety of three centuries of locales, events, and people, but as a testimony to what can be accomplished when a dedicated  group of volunteers come together to support a valuable cause.  The generosity of time and effort was particularly demonstrated by the Director and resident, Richard Pyle.  The talent of amateur actors, musicians and behind the scenes "stage crew" was vital to the overall quality of this enjoyable learning experience. The credits, revealed at the end, highlight individuals and businesses that generously supported the project as well.  The roll call of numerous contributors at the end are those of our residents and THS members who backed us financially and documented their own family name for the future!

Visit the new website for the Lazaretto, the oldest quarantine station in America

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Learn about the people who were quarantined here and their stories. 

Visit the Lazaretto and use the new self-guided audio tour

Our Gardens Your Home is designed to keep you connected to your favorite garden (and ours) in a different way through stunning imagery and video of what’s in bloom, engaging online classes and activities for all ages, our legacy, and special moments expressing our mission of horticulture, education, and the arts. Our desire to create beauty and offer you a world apart has never been more important. Stay connected with us and make our Gardens your home.

Graveyard open 24/7. Check out the interactive map of the graveyard below.

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The Gloria Dei (Old Swedes’) churchyard has been in continuous use for over 340 years. Unfortunately, due to the ravages of time, some very old gravestones have been lost. This interactive map shows the locations where gravestones remain. Here you’ll find the final resting places for some early Swedish settlers and church founders including members of the Swanson, Keen, Rambo, Justis, Stille, Toy and Boon families. Our churchyard also has a number of war heroes who fought in the American Revolution, War of 1812, the Civil War, and more recent battles such as World War II. You’ll also find farmers, mariners, scientists, artists, merchants, bankers, composers, ministers, homemakers, students, and craftsmen — many people who lived and worked near this church.

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Website also includes links to their podcast- Great Talks at Gloria Dei and information about their exhibits which are open to the public in the church sanctuary for free, Tuesday-Sunday 9-4. It also includes links to videos about the church and its history. 

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Virtual Tours of the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History

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360 degree tour of museum:

Permanent Exhibits

Temporary Exhibits

Past Exhibits

Museum Support Center & Research Stations

Other Smithsonian Tours:

   Smithsonian Castle

   Hirshorn

Activities and articles from Atlas Obscura related to the pandemic:

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Around the World in Pandemic Street Art

Build Megaliths with marshmallows or foam

Get seeds for your Quarantine Garden

Hobbies to Hone when Hunkering Down (using public tv)

10 Cultural Craft Projects for Kids

Help Librarians, Archivists, and Scientists from your Home

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And lots more!

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Atlas Obscura also includes tons of sites and articles about the odd things around the world to visit/ read about. 

An original coloring book of our beloved Delaware County, created by Affinity Real Estate. Enjoy original sketches of sentimental landmarks and entities that we all hold dear to our hearts.

Please feel free to preview & download this PDF file, print it, copy it as needed, and share it with anyone, kids and adults, who likes to color. 

Also, please check their Facebook page for a fun coloring contest that they are running, including prizes from local businesses that have been affected by the stay-at-home order. 

Like their page and share the post to enter into a drawing to win an original “I ❤️ Delco” yard sign!!

Historian Jim Seagreave-Daly posts videos every day about different historic events. 

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Topics include:

Revolutionary Mothers and Fathers

American Revolution

Articles of Confederation

Presidencies

Civil War

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Step into history along a fourteen-mile loop trail on paths and existing roads, past many historic and recreational sites.

The Haverford Heritage Trail highlights many (though certainly not all!) historic sites in Haverford Township. Follow the trail loop on foot or on bicycle as it winds through the township and its history. Over thirty sites are numbered starting at the Grange Estate in the southeast part of Haverford, but you can start anywhere and cover as much or as little as you want. Fifteen parks are also included.

A detailed interactive trail map, including an individual webpage for each site with images and descriptions, has been created to help people navigate the Heritage Trail. It is designed to be accessible "in the field" using web-enabled smart phones, tablets or laptops. In this way, users can conduct their own personal, customized guided tours while out on the trail.

Swarthmore is a "green college town," with a beautiful campus in an arboretum setting and adjacent residential development that reflects a range of architectural styles from 18th century farmhouses, Victorian and early 20th century revival styles, to recent compatible development.

The walking tour can be picked up at any point along the way, but two of the best points of origin are the Swarthmore Business District, which has parking and restaurants, and the College Campus, with parking in the Benjamin West lot on Chester Road and snack bars on campus. Also of particular interest is the Scott Arboretum which encompasses the whole of the College campus and the Crum Woods. Walking tours of the Arboretum are available at their Office and in the College Visitor Center in the Benjamin West House.

Two walking tours are available for Yeadon, both in the northeast section of the borough:

1- Includes Interboro Park, Nile Swim Club, and Holy Cross Cemetery

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2- Includes Sister Marie Lenahan Mercy Wellness Center and homes on Lincoln Avenue

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The tours are available to download below.