TRAPPE PA – The properties of Historic Trappe will buzz with excitement beginning in late September. Collectively they will serve as locations for a variety of coming cultural events.
Some are ticketed. Others are free. All are intended to allow visitors to experience regional traditions of past centuries.
Here’s what’s on its schedule during September and October, according to Historic Trappe Educational Programs Manager Meg Stockton.
Scheduled in September
Tavern Night
- Sept. 24 (Thursday), “Tavern Night,” 5-8 p.m., ticketed; featuring a dinner including bratwurst, chicken pot pie, German potato salad, roasted vegetables, and apple strudel; held at the historic Dewees Tavern, 301 W. Main St., Trappe PA
Step back in time for a lively evening at historic Dewees Tavern. Savor a hearty German-themed buffet dinner followed by dessert. The meal will be paired with wine, hard cider, and locally crafted beer. “Gather with friends, raise a glass, and enjoy an unforgettable night of food, laughter, and old-world cheer,” organizers say.
Scheduled in October
American Revolution Symposium
- Oct. 2-3 (Friday and Saturday), “Experiencing Independence: Eyewitness Accounts of the American Revolution Symposium,” free to attend (advance online registration required); held at Ursinus College, 601 E. Main St., Collegeville PA
First-hand accounts of the American Revolution provide historians, museums, and historic sites with critical details to understand what it was like to experience independence. Historic Trappe, the McNeil Center for Early American Studies, and Ursinus College are partnering to convene the symposium. It marks the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
The free symposium will review diaries, journals, letters, and material culture made or used by people in the mid-Atlantic region from 1760–1790. Panels will explore family dynamics in the midst of political upheaval.
They also will examine wartime experiences of soldiers and civilians, and accounts from different religious perspectives. Additionally, participants will consider new approaches to non-English sources on the American Revolution.
Exploring Genealogy
- Oct. 6 (Tuesday), Lecture: “Turning Up the Volume: Using All Types of Lutheran Church Records in Your Genealogy,” starts at 7 p.m., free to attend; a discussion of expanding researchers’ access to vital church records; co-sponsored by the Lutheran Archives Center at Philadelphia; held at St. Luke’s Fellowship Church, 200 W. Main St. Trappe PA
Genealogists with German-speaking ancestry are familiar with using church registers as vital records substitutes. However, too many stop with the “low-hanging fruit” of the most common records such as baptisms.
Featured speaker Jim Beidler discusses new projects such as the Revolutionary City Portal, and the Lutheran Archives Center at Philadelphia’s digitization project with Ancestry.com. These efforts are making accessible a wider array of church documents than ever before. They add to what researchers can find about their forebears.
Harvest Fair
- Oct. 10 (Saturday), “Harvest Fair,” 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., ticketed (available online or at the sites, cost includes entrance to all three museums, children admitted free); a family-friendly event, with parking available at St. Luke’s Fellowship Church, 200 W. Main St.; held on the grounds of the Muhlenberg House and the Speaker’s House, both on West Main Street, Trappe PA
Celebrate fall in Trappe at the Harvest Fair. Enjoy live music, food, 18th century trade demonstrations, colonial kids’ games, and locally-made artisanal wares. Limited handicapped parking is also available on-site at the Speaker’s House and Dewees Tavern.
Redware Ornaments Workshop
- Oct. 17 (Saturday), “Redware Ornaments Workshop,” 1-4 p.m., ticketed (available online, limited seating for 10, intended for ages 13 and older); explore the fascinating history of Pennsylvania German redware pottery, featuring Emily Smucker-Beidler; held at the Visitor Center behind the Muhlenberg House, 201 W. Main St. Trappe PA
Learn how clay was dug and processed, to the role and life of the potter within local culture. Students will start with a prepared slab of red clay with white slip, and cut out at least 5 ornament shapes.
Then, using the sgraffito method, participants will scratch through the colored slip for fraktur designs. Patterns will be provided, based on historic Pennsylvania German redware. Take traditional images and make them your own through clay.
A similar workshop also is scheduled for Nov. 14.
Tombstone Tales
- Oct. 24 (Saturday), “Tombstone Tales,” starts at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. respectively, ticketed (limited to 10 participants, no walk-ins available); take a guided tour through nearby St. Luke’s Cemetery, learn about some of the historical figures resting there; parking available at Ranieri Flooring, 325 W. Main St., then walk to the Dewees Tavern to check in; begins at the tavern, 301 W. Main St. Trappe PA
Tour highlights include the graves of and stories of Ludwig and Agnes Ewald, some of Trappe’s earliest residents; Jonas and Christiana Longabough, grandparents of the Sundance Kid; and Civil War soldier Benjamin Simons, killed in action.
Tickets also include admission to the Dewees Tavern museum, which is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
A similar workshop also is scheduled for Oct. 31.
Party for Preservation
- Oct. 25 (Sunday), “Party for Preservation Gala,” 5-9 p.m., ticketed (available online); a special evening of dinner and events, proceeds benefit the Historic Trappe mission; held at RiverCrest Golf Club & Preserve, Phoenixville PA
This special evening begins with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, followed by a seated dinner and presentation of the Speaker’s Choice award. In a silent auction, participants can bid on unique experiences and works of art by local craftspeople.
All proceeds from this event will directly support Historic Trappe’s mission of preservation and education.
Terrifying Tales
- Oct. 31 (Saturday), “Terrifying Tales at St. Luke’s Cemetery,” starts at 6 p.m., ticketed (limited to 15 people, limited to those age 18 and older); featuring “spooky tales just waiting to be told;” held at St. Luke’s Cemetery, next to Dewees Tavern, 301 W. Main St., Trappe PA
St. Luke’s Cemetery has many spooky tales. Come to the very first Terrifying Tales and hear stories of the 1793 yellow fever epidemic and a poisoned pumpkin pie, the legend of the Sundance Kid, and Civil War soldiers who lost their lives on the battlefield.
Additional programs are planned during November and beyond. For more information on any of the above events, or those yet to come, send an e-mail to Historic Trappe at info@historictrappe.org.
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