Historic
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Ken Burns’ Delaware Valley Roots: How His Mother’s Battle with Cancer Forged a Passion for Storytelling
Before Ken Burns became the United States’ most admired documentary filmmaker, he was a quiet boy growing up in Newark, Delaware, the son of a University of Delaware professor and a mother whose long struggle with breast cancer defined his childhood. Long before The Civil War, Brooklyn Bridge, Vietnam War, or Mark Twain cemented his…
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This Philadelphia Landmark is the Second-Best Attraction in the Nation, According to New Study
A new national study ranks the best-value landmarks in North America and a Philadelphia landmark ranked second on the list, reports The Keystone. Philadelphia’s historic Independence Hall was recognized as the second best attraction in all the United States, finishing with a score of 9.77 out of 10. It just barely missed out on topping…
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Fort Mifflin is Being Threatened By Extreme Rain and Rising Tides
The survival of Fort Mifflin in Philadelphia, which played a pivotal role in the Revolutionary War and our nation’s founding, is now being threatened by climate change, writes Sophia Schmidt for WHYY. The military installation on the Delaware River was one of the local strongholds during the Revolutionary War. “Fort Mifflin was instrumental in forcing…
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Family Members Hope Remains Uncovered in Old City Will Solve Mystery of Former Philly Mayor Samuel Miles’ Grave
Andrea Miles and her father, Floyd, had been looking for the grave of their ancestor Col. Samuel Miles, a Revolutionary War officer and former Mayor of Philadelphia, for years when they heard about the remains uncovered in a 310-year-old cemetery in Old City in 2017, writes Valerie Russ for The Philadelphia Inquirer. Almost 400 people…
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Revolutionary November: PBS Docuseries Brings The Revolution Home to Philadelphia and the Delaware Valley
Before the world called it the American Revolution, the fight for independence began right here, in the fields, taverns, meeting houses, and muddy crossroads of Philadelphia and the Delaware Valley. The ideas that lit the world on fire were born on our streets, debated in our pubs, and signed in our halls. This month, as…
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Untangling a Revolution: How Ken Burns and His Team Brought America’s Revolution to Life
Everyone thinks they know the story of the American Revolution including the midnight rides, the musket smoke, George Washington at Valley Forge. But filmmaker Ken Burns saw something deeper waiting beneath the marble myths. In his new documentary series The American Revolution, premiering this month on WHYY, Burns and longtime collaborators Sarah Botstein and David…
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How George Washington’s Favorite Cocktail Was Inspired by a Quaker Social Club in 1732 Andalusia, Bensalem
A social club formed by a group of Quakers in 1732 in the modern-day Andalusia neighborhood of Bensalem inspired George Washington’s favorite cocktail, writes Jen Peng for Tasting Table. On the land leased from the Lenni-Lenape tribe, the group of Quakers established the Colony in Schuylkill, otherwise known as the Fish House. The name spoke…
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Philadelphia’s Fort Mifflin Provides Unique Glimpse into Grit and Determination of American Revolution
Often overshadowed by its more famous Philadelphia neighbors, Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell, Fort Mifflin offers a truly unique glimpse into the American Revolution, writes Elwin Flatley for Where Philly. This stone fort, situated on Mud Island at the confluence of the Delaware and Schuylkill Rivers, played a vital role in securing American independence,…
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Revolutionary-Era Gunboat Built Near Philadelphia in 1770s Finds New Forever Home
A Revolutionary War-era gunboat, likely built near Philadelphia in the 1770s and later discovered buried beneath the World Trade Center wreckage, has found its permanent home at the New York State Museum in Albany, writes Sarah Kuta for the Smithsonian Magazine. The remains of the boat were first uncovered in 2010 by construction crews working…
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Roundhouse Reimagined Offers Ideas on Repurposing Former Police Administration Building
The Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia and Docomomo US/Greater Philadelphia recently partnered to host Roundhouse Reimagined, a half-day symposium showcasing responses to a call for concepts for the former Police Administration Building, known as the Roundhouse, writes Kimberly Haas for Hidden City. “The idea of the symposium is to shine a spotlight on the building,…
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Across All 6 Episodes, Philadelphia and the Delaware Valley Take Center Stage in Ken Burns’ The American Revolution
The Revolution that changed the world was born right here in the Delaware Valley, in the muddy crossroads of Chester County, the meeting houses of Germantown, and the narrow streets of Philadelphia. This month, PBS premieres The American Revolution, a sweeping six-part, 12-hour documentary directed by Ken Burns, Sarah Botstein, and David Schmidt, and written…
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SS United States Sinking Will Stream Live Online, Exact Date and Location Still To Be Announced
The SS United States, the legendary ocean liner that spent nearly three decades docked in Philadelphia, will be sunk during a live online stream, writes Heather Gann for The Virginian-Pilot. The ship’s conservancy group announced that, in addition to the live stream, a professional documentary will cover the tow-out and reefing of the famed Cold…
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How Secret Meetings at Carpenters’ Hall in Philadelphia Helped Secure America’s Independence
A secret meeting between Benjamin Franklin and French spy Julien-Alexandre Achard de Bonvouloir at Carpenters’ Hall in 1775 helped bolster America’s fight for independence, writes Michaela Althouse for PhillyVoice. At the time, American colonists wanting to break away from Great Britain were gathering resources and preparing to fight for freedom. A pressing question was whether…
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Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania Honors Service and History with Trains & Troops Weekend and 1940s Swing Dance
The Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania will once again celebrate American history, service, and song during its 25th annual Trains & Troops weekend, set for Saturday, Nov. 1, and Sunday, Nov. 2. The event will take place at the Museum (300 Gap Road, PA Route 741, Strasburg, Lancaster County). This year’s milestone event honors U.S. military…
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Philadelphia to Honor Late Black Philly Silhouette Artist With New Historical Marker Next Year
The name Moses Williams may not be familiar to many, but it likely will soon as the late Philadelphia artist will be getting a new historical marker in 2026, writes Isaac Avilucea for AXIOS Philadelphia. Born in slavery in the 1770s, Williams later became one of the greatest silhouette artists in the nation. In the…
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Philadelphia Command Center Honored As U.S. Navy, Marine Corps Prepare for 250th Birthday Celebration
The U.S. Navy and Marine Corps recognized the importance of the Philadelphia Command Center ahead of the 250th birthday celebration, according to a staff report from 6abc. Not only can both the Navy and Marine Corps trace their roots back to Philadelphia, but every aircraft, ship, and submarine in service still contains parts that can…
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Philadelphia Historical Commission Could Soon Designate LOVE Park’s Iconic ‘Flying Saucer’ Buildng
The Love Park Welcome Center, better known as the “flying saucer” is up to be voted as a potential addition to the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places, writes Aaron Moselle for WHYY. The structure is one of the most recognizable and iconic buildings in Center City, having been at the same location along John F.…
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Levittown’s First Black Family Recognized with Historic Highway Marker
Last week, the Pennsylvania State Historical and Museum Commission approved a special highway marker in honor of Levittown’s first Black family, the Myers, who faced intense discrimination, writes JD Mullane for the Bucks County Courier Times. In 1954, Bill and Daisy Myers moved to Bristol Township’s Bloomsdale-Fleetwing neighborhood. They were active members in the…
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