What's New?
Candlelight Tour of St. John's Cemetery
The ghosts of Slate Belt will tell their tales during a candlelight tour of St. John's Cemetery on Friday, October 14, starting at 7 p.m.
More info here.
On April 3rd, 2011, we launched the fifth of our ethnic heritage books: Pennsylvania Slate Beckons the Cornish Quarryman "to North Americay" by authors Carolyn Bray, Harry Bray, and Brad Landon.
It is available for sale at the Heritage Center and Merchants Bank.
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:
Jan. 8th, 2012 at 2:00pm
Marc Blau and Walter Cole
"The Oral History Project: In Their Own Words, WWII Stories." Marc Blau and Walter Cole will present segments from 6 interviews concerning WWII. Several of the interviewees will be present to answer questions.
Contact: Marc Blau 570-897-5459
Feb. 12, 2012 at 2:00 pm
Rev. Kenneth Klingborg
History of Chapman Quarries
Contact: 610-837-0935
March 11, 2012 at 2:00pm
Dr. Gary Williams
Dr. Willams will be portraying Joseph Kellow You can get information from the April issue of the Blue Valle Times or contact Gary at wmszzzpa@epix.net
April, 12, 2012
Angela Herrlinger
Italians of the Slate Belt Contact: 610-588-7329
May, 10,2012
TBD
June 14, 2012
Dennis Scholl
Tales of the Towpath Contact: 610-923-3548 Et. 225 or dennis@delawareandlehigh.org
Current Collections
Our collections are constantly changing. The next collections include:
September 24th, 2011 to March 2012
Summer Fun: Rides and Recreation
April 2012 to September 2012
Italian's of 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.