Historic
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Fate of Century-Old West Goshen House in Judge’s Hands Amid Preservation Fight
A privately owned West Goshen house that has remained vacant and been deteriorating for more than 20 years is now at the center of a preservation fight, writes Brooke Schultz for The Philadelphia Inquirer. Built more than a century ago and once regarded as impressive, the three-story fieldstone house, unofficially called Forsythe Farm, with its private bridge and stone mason…
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National Park Service Restores Slavery Exhibit at President’s House Site in Old City
Just under a month after they were taken down, the National Park Service has restored the slavery exhibit panels located at the President’s House site at Independence National Historical Park, write Mike D’Onofrio and Isaac Avilucea for AXIOS Philadelphia. The exhibition was installed to tell the story of the nine enslaved individuals who lived in…
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This Black History Month, Get to Know Some of Philadelphia’s Black Founding Fathers
During the colonial-era United States, a number of Black leaders were fighting for the freedoms they were being denied. While the names George Washington and Thomas Jefferson often get mentioned when Americans talk about “Founding Fathers,” Black Founding Fathers in Philadelphia were playing just as crucial a role, writes Kalena Thomhave for The Keystone. There’s…
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The Greatest Event Since the Birth of Christ? Ken Burns Says It Began in the Delaware Valley
When Ken Burns, the celebrated documentary filmmaker behind The Civil War and The Vietnam War, calls the American Revolution “the most important event in world history since the birth of Christ,” even seasoned historians blink. It’s a breathtaking claim, but look around the Delaware Valley, and suddenly it doesn’t feel far-fetched. From Philadelphia’s Independence Hall,…
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Philadelphia Historical Commission Designates Former Movie Theater in Frankford As Newest Historic Place
The Philadelphia Register of Historic Places has a new entry in the Circle Theater, writes Aaron Moselle for WHYY. The Circle Theater in Frankford is a former movie theater that was once home to a 3,000-seat auditorium. Built in 1929 by Philadelphia-based architects William Hoffman and Paul Henon, it was one of the hundreds of…
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1834 Benjamin Franklin Portrait Painted By Philadelphia Artist, Other Memorabilia Put Up For Auction By Founding Father’s Descendants
Benjamin Franklin’s portrait painted by Philadelphia portrait artist Thomas Sully and his daughter Jane Cooper Sully in 1834 has been put up for auction by the founding father’s descendants, writes Stephanie Farr for The Philadelphia Inquirer. Siblings Benjamin Franklin Pepper Jr. and Holly White both recall when the painting of their great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather arrived at their…
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When Washington’s Army Ran Out of Food at Valley Forge, Polly Cooper of Oneida Indian Nation Fed Them
When General George Washington’s army ran out of food while taking refuge in Valley Forge during the winter of 1777, Polly Cooper of Oneida Indian Nation helped save them from starving, writes David Streater for The McDowell News. Washington chose to settle in Valley Forge for the winter after a battle against the British military…
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A Philadelphia Family is a Part of History, as Photo Shows Them in Attendance During a 1965 Speech Martin Luther King Jr. Gave at Girard College
The McAllister family knew they had a front-row ticket to history when Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his speech in front of then-segregated Girard College in Philadelphia in 1965, but they did not know there was a photograph of that day, writes Tom Kretschmer for 6abc. Along with their mother, nine-year-old Curtis McAllister, his…
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How a 1775 Meeting At a Philadelphia Tavern Launched America’s First Antislavery Society
The first meeting of an antislavery society in the United States was held in a Philadelphia tavern in 1775 and was recently commemorated at the African American Museum in Philadelphia, writes Elizabeth Wellington for The Philadelphia Inquirer. Quakers Israel Pemberton Jr. and Thomas Harrison filed a lawsuit against the slave trader who transported Dinah Nevil.…
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Who Are Some of the Most Notable Black Philadelphians Throughout History?
Philadelphia has a rich and vast Black history with many influential names who are not often included in school textbooks, writes Charles Barkley for Philadelphia Magazine. Julian Francis Abele, the first Black graduate of Penn’s architecture school, designed more than 400 buildings in the city, including the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Free Library of…
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SS United States Projected for Spring 2026 Move and Sinking, But Opposition Isn’t Slowing Down
Talks of sinking the historic SS United States has been ongoing for well over a year, and while that end remains on track, the fight to stop it from happening isn’t dead, writes Lawrence Specker for AL.com. Last year, the New York Coalition to Save the SS United States took legal action in an attempt…
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Remembering the Legacy of Philadelphia Judge and Civil Rights Icon A. Leon Higginbotham
When it comes to historical Black icons in Philadelphia, the name A. Leon Higginbotham is often forgotten, but his legacy is a strong one, writes Malcolm Burnley for Philadelphia Magazine. Born in Trenton, New Jersey, Higginbotham was a Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient, federal judge, civil rights pioneer, and former adviser to Nelson Mandela and…
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VIPs Gather for Kickoff of America250 PA Celebration in West Chester
Former Pennsylvania Gov. Mark Schweiker joined VIPs in West Chester for the kickoff of the America250 PA Chester County celebration, writes Bill Rettew for The Daily Local News. “We can’t miss a birthday party,” said Schweiker. “This is a unique one. It’s not just July 4th, but a buildup to July 4th, and it’s open to all Americans.” The event attracted a standing-room-only…
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Washington Post: Oldest Surviving U.S. Warship, the Philadelphia, Receives 250th-Birthday Makeover
Philadelphia, the oldest United States surviving intact warship, which was sunk by the British in battle in 1776, is undergoing a makeover ahead of the nation’s 250th birthday, writes Michael E. Ruane for The Washington Post. The warship was launched on July 30, 1776, just weeks after the Declaration of Independence was signed. Now with…
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Why Benjamin Franklin Chose Philadelphia: How a Boston Childhood Led Him to America’s Greatest Colonial City
Benjamin Franklin’s story usually begins with the famous scenes: the lightning rod, the Pennsylvania Gazette, the founding of the American Philosophical Society, or the long table at the Second Continental Congress where he sparred with John Adams and later helped shape the Declaration of Independence. But the story really starts much earlier, in a cramped…
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Rocky Statue Set for Move After Philadelphia Art Commission Approval Vote
The Philadelphia Art Commission has voted in favor of moving the iconic Rocky Statue to its original home, writes Ross DiMattei for CBS News Philadelphia. It will be moved from the foot of the Philadelphia Art Museum steps back permanently to the top of the steps, after the commission voted 4-1 in favor of the…
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Philadelphia Played a Significant Role in Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Life. Here’s How.
Though he was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, the Philadelphia area played a significant role in Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s life and legacy, writes Ashley Adams for The Keystone. After graduating from Morehouse College in Atlanta, Dr. King enrolled at Crozer Theological Seminary in Delaware County, where he graduated first in his class…
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Philadelphia’s Iconic Rocky Statue to Remain in Place After Public Outcry
The Rocky statue will reportedly remain in Philadelphia after actor Sylvester Stallone, who starred as the main character in the movie series, changed his mind about wanting it back following a public outcry, writes Sarah Kuta for Smithsonian Magazine. The city has decided to give Stallone a replacement version of the sculpture while moving the…
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