SCHWENKSVILLE PA – Local historian and actor Bob Gleason will bring history to life Saturday (Aug. 16, 2025), with a portrayal of President Abraham Lincoln. It’s scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. on the porch of Pennypacker Mills, 5 Haldeman Rd.
The event is free to attend and open to the public, although a $2 donation is suggested. It’s sponsored by the Friends of Pennypacker Mills, and hosted by the Montgomery County Department of Parks, Trails, and Historic Sites.
As Lincoln, Gleason will discuss the politician’s formative years. They include his courtship and marriage to Mary Todd, the beginnings and development of his abolitionist viewpoint, and his first, though not very successful, trip to Congress.
Gleason will expand on how Lincoln raised himself from humble beginnings to become the man who passed the Emancipation Proclamation, united a splintered nation, and at Gettysburg reaffirmed its dedication to freedom, democracy, and equality.
Those who attend are encouraged to bring a chair or blanket for seating. The Pennypacker Mills mansion is open for tours before the performance. On Saturday, the last tour begins at 3 p.m.
Top photo by Travels With The Post
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From Poverty to President
Abraham Lincoln started life in poverty in New Salem IL. He worked as a rail-splitter while reading the law, and engaging in other studies. Through hard work and study, he raised himself to the position of a prairie lawyer and, ultimately, to the presidency of the United States.
He undertook the task of holding the Union together during the moral and constitutional crisis that was the American Civil War.
Lincoln’s commitment to the preservation of the Union matched his compassion for those who fought to save it, according to the Friends organization. “No stranger to hard work or to overcoming obstacles,” the Lincoln performance “enables audiences to experience the depth of his heart as well as his quick mind,” it adds.
Gleason As Lincoln, and Others
Since 1980, Bob Gleason has presented programs that feature nearly 150 historical figures, covering more than 2,000 years of history. They have taken him around the country.
His performance venues include the White House Visitors Center, The Smithsonian Institution, Constitution Hall, George Washington’s Mount Vernon, Ford’s Theatre, Independence Hall, The National Constitution Center, The Union League of Philadelphia, Valley Forge National Park, and New York’s Federal Hall.
Gleason and his wife live near Lansdale, with a large stock of costumes, props, and books.
A Documented Historic Site
Pennypacker Mills is a documented historic site, presenting what life was like in the early 1900s.
The Colonial revival mansion is furnished with unique, original antiques collected by former Pennsylvania Gov. Samuel W. Pennypacker. It reflects his interests in early Pennsylvania history, German and Dutch settlers, Native Americans, and the Revolutionary War and Civil wars.
The site is open year-round for free guided tours, seasonal events, craft workshops, special presentations, education programs, and changing exhibits. See its online calendar of events.
Above photo by Travels With The Post
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