|
ABOUT COLONIAL PENNSYLVANIA PLANTATION:
 Astride Ridley Creek in Edgemont, PA., the 112 acres of the Colonial Pennsylvania Plantation provide the context of early American history, the setting where the impact of King George's taxes was felt, the American melting pot began to simmer, and American ingenuity took root.
While the decisions of military and political leaders may set the course of history, it is left to the average people, the footsoldiers of history, to carry themselves and their nation to the future.
As much as the conflict and debate of the Revolution, it was the daily conquest of the land that shaped the character and growth of America. Using their resourcefulness to survive and prosper, the colonists helped establish the foundation of the American way. Much of the familiarity with colonial times is based on history's memorialized few. Accounts of the clothing, homes and style of living of the likes of Washington, Franklin and Jefferson have implied an elite standard beyond the reality of the typical southeastern Pennsylvanian, a rural farmer. The Colonial Pennsylvania Plantation's modest role - as a working farm operating with the methods and implements of colonial America - belies its significance as a living example of that period.
The people and activities of the Plantation represent more than the one 18th century family who owned the property. The way of life that exists at the Plantation is a tribute not simply to the Pratt family, who lived on this farm from 1720-1820, but to the efforts and achievements of the typical colonial resident of this area. Consistent with the findings of local research into religious and tax records, wills and letters of the 1760-90 period, the Plantation represents a broader view of early American life, an authentic demonstration of how most people in this area lived during colonial times.
Back to Top 
BOARD OF DIRECTORS - 2008
Officers:
President: Patricia A. Theodore
Vice President: James Adams
Secretary: Mary Jean Lavery
Treasurer: David Stitely
Board Members: Anthony Cavaliere
Richard Clark
Peggy Levesque
Keith Lockhart
Glenn Mon
June Palomba
Denise Reilly
Ellen Sosangelis
Back to Top
A BRIEF HISTORY:
In the mid-1960s, the state of Pennsylvania purchased 2,490 acres of farmland in Edgemont Township, Delaware County, to create Ridley Creek State Park. At the same time, a group of people interested in historic sites and the American Revolutionary period joined together to preserve, protect and register the old houses within the new park. They called themselves the Bishop's Mill Historical Society, after a nearby mill village known in the 20th century as Sycamore Mills.
Nearly eight years later, in January of 1973, the Society gave birth to the Bishop's Mill Historical Society Institute (BMHI) with a more ambitious goal. It would establish a colonial farm or "plantation" as a museum of Pennsylvania folklife and as a tribute to the hard-working colonial families who built America. Through the museum/farm, BMHI could demonstrate how local colonial farm and mill people lived, what they learned and how that has been applied 200 years later.
The abandoned Lower Rawle farm in Ridley Creek State Park was and ideal site for the museum, with an 18th century farmhouse, stone cabin, springhouse and two barns. Significantly, the property had been a working farm for well over 250 years and was within a community of other 18th century farms, as well as near the mill village.
- By November 1973, a long-term lease with the Bureau of State Parks for 112 acres, including the Lower Rawle farm, provided BMHI with its plantation. The large stone farmhouse and outbuildings were intact, although modified over the years and in deteriorating condition.
- Financial support for the Colonial Pennsylvania Plantation project came from the Bicentennial Commissions of Pennsylvania and Delaware County, in addition to funding from the private sector.
- With this support, stabilization of the buildings and actual restoration began, 30 acres of farm land was cleared, livestock was procured, and extensive archaeological, research and educational programs went into operation.
- Each act of restoration and reconstruction was supported by accurate historical records, research and documentation:
- By the spring of 1974, the farmhouse kitchen had been made operational.
- Restoration of the springhouse was also underway and its dedication took place in April 1975
- The, work begun on the wagon barn, with its dedication in April 1976
- From 1976-78, work was concentrated on restoring the farmhouse interior.
- In 1978, the existing 19th century animal barn with 20th century improvements was demolished. In its place rose a reconstructed 18th century version.
- A new roof was installed on the farmhouse in 1980.
- The privy was constructed in 1991.
As work progressed, visitors were invited to witness this "museum in the making". The concept of creating a facility dedicated to the "ordinary people" of the Revolutionary era - and at the same time allowing visitors to observe and even participate in the process of creation - was unique.
The process of furnishing the farmhouse continues. Guidelines established with the help of Chester County estate inventories from the late 18th century are used to determine appropriate furnishings. The collection consists of antiques, reproductions and replicas of Chester County pieces.
The Colonial Pennsylvania Plantation is open to visitors on weekends from mid-April to early November. Volunteers, dressed in period clothing, perform tasks dictated by custom and the season. For women, that includes open hearth cooking, cheese and butter making, spinning, weaving and sewing. The men saw and split wood, mend fences, plant and harvest the crops and do wood and metal working.
On weekdays, pre-arranged tours and workshops conducted by the Education staff provide opportunities to experience colonial life first hand.
Back to Top
Plan Your Visit Today -->
|
