What's New?
Note: starting in December, we are holding our monthly lectures on the 2nd Sunday of the month at 2:00 pm.
On April 11th, 2010, we launched the fourth of our ethnic heritage books: From the Slate (O'r Llechen): The Welsh and the Folk Art of Pennsylvania's Slate Belt by author John Reinhart.
It is available for sale at the Heritage Center and Merchants Bank.
We will have a new addition to the Welsh Display from the National Welsh Society and the Welsh Association of Wales. It is a traveling exhibit that will open at the Heritage Center on July 17 to Aug 1. A ribbon cutting will take place on July 23 at 11:00 a.m. by the Slate Belt Welsh Society.
Anyone planning to attend the Wheat Weaving program on Thursday Sept. 9 , 7:00 p.m. at the Heritage Center should email lgbray@hotmail.com or phone 610-588-3745. We need to know so that we have enough wheat for everyone in attendance.
Monthly Lecture Series
Summer lectures are the 2nd Thursday of the month from April to November at 7:00 pm.
Winter lectures are the 2nd Sunday of the month at 2:00 pm.
Check the schedule often as lectures may change.
Upcoming lectures feature:
Aug.12th, Walter Emery
Tour Around Portland
*SPECIAL DATE*
Aug. 28th, Cheryl Statham
Class: Preserving Tomatoes by Canning
Sep. 9th, Cheryl Statham
Wheat Weaving
Anyone planning to attend the Wheat Weaving program on Thursday Sept. 9 , 7:00 p.m. at the Heritage Center should email lgbray@hotmail.com or phone 610-588-3745. We need to know so that we have enough wheat for everyone in attendance.
Oct. 14th, Jodi Pysher
Bangor Then and Now
Nov. 14th, Russ Stout
Lewis and Clark Expedition
Current Collections
Our collections are constantly changing. The next collections include:
Mar. 28th - Jul. 31th
Welsh Display
We will have a new addition to the Welsh Display from the National Welsh Society and the Welsh Association of Wales. It is a traveling exhibit that will open at the Heritage Center on July 17 to Aug 1. A ribbon cutting will take place on July 23 at 11:00 a.m. by the Slate Belt Welsh Society.
Aug. 9th - Nov. 20th
"That's Entertainment"
The Story of Music and Entertainment in the Slate Belt.
See Photo Gallery of Past Exhibits
The Cornish Room honors the immigrants who came from the country of Cornwall and it's neighboring county of Devon, Great Britain. Most of these men were skilled in the quarrying of slate, having worked in the slate region of Cornwall. Many immigrants had worked in the Delabole Slate Quarry in Delabole, Cornwall, UK. The Delabole Quarry has been quarrying slate since the 13th Century and remains in operation today. The men, upon thier arrival in the mid to late 1800's, settled in Bangor, East Bangor, and Pen Argyl, having been offered jobs in our local quarries by agents in Cornwall. Once they were able to save enough money, they sent for families still in England which, at times, took several years. Eventually, East Bangor and Pen Argyl became towns with populations predominately Cornish.
The Cornish room, set in the early 1920’s, ventures back in time when the quarrymen returned home after a hard day of work. A slater’s blicky (lunch bucket) usually contained a pasty, a saffron nubbie, and tea. In the kitchen we find the makings of the pasties to go in the blicky and the nubbies have already come out of the oven. Many women spent their day maintaining the home though some women worked in textile mills or family businesses. Her hobbies included crocheting and tatting, making doilies, tablecloths, and other items used around the house. Many Cornish were devout Methodists due to John Wesley’s strong influence in Cornwall, making the family bible one of the most used items in their household. Music, as part of the Cornish soul, was also important in their lives and religion.