Learn local history from 24 sites & societies celebrating Beaver County History Weekend
Two dozen museums, historic sites and historical societies will team up for Beaver County History Weekend on May 4-5.
Each will offer special displays or programming, with this year's common theme celebrating "Our Ties to Old Economy Village," the Ambridge historic site celebrating its bicentennial in 2024.
Here's what's happening:
Air Heritage, Inc. Museum and Aircraft Restoration Facility, Beaver County Airport, Chippewa Township.
A small-scale Wright Brothers airplane will be highlighted, The Harmonists, founders of Old Economy Village, were always in the front of technology and probably were aware of the pioneering Wright Brothers first plane.
History Weekend Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 4.
B. F. Jones Memorial Library, 663 Franklin Ave., Aliquippa
Early books and photos will be available about the history of the Pittsburgh & Lake Erie Railroad, which The Harmonists helped fund, and was a factor in the building of the Jones & Laughlin Aliquippa steel plant.
History Weekend Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 4.
Beaver Area Heritage Museum, 1 River Road Extension, Beaver.
Several court cases that brought the Harmonists across the Beaver River into Beaver and the Beaver County Court House will be highlighted. These legal issues and court verdicts were sometimes for the good as well as the bad for the history of Old Economy.
The Sons of the American Revolution, Sons of Confederate Veterans, and Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War also will have displays at the heritage museum. Life as a soldier of the 1st American Regiment at Fort McIntosh in 1784 will be demonstrated by a Revolutionary soldier re-enactor throughout the day.
History Weekend Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday May 4, 1-4 p.m. May 5.
Beaver County Genealogy and History Center Beaver Station & Cultural Center, 250 East End Ave., Beaver.
An exhibit will feature the history of St Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in present day Monaca as well as the musical activities of Harmonists Trustee John S. Duss on national concert stages. The exhibit examines where did members of the flourishing Harmony Society go after the arrival of Count Leon and the ensuing secession of a third of the Society?
History Weekend Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 4, 1-4 p.m. May 5.
Beaver County Industrial Museum 801 Plumb St., Darlington.
The Harmonists were instrumental in bringing many industries to Beaver County and growing them, including: buying The Pittsburgh Cutlery Company in 1867 and developing it as Beaver Falls Cutlery for mass production; investing in the construction of the P&LE Railroad in 1877 in order to move steel throughout the county; and giving striking glass workers the means to open Cooperative Flint Glass Company in 1879. The Harmonists also brought higher education to Beaver County when they made it possible for Geneva College to relocate to Beaver Falls from Ohio in 1880. These examples are at the center of the Beaver County Industrial Museum’s special exhibit for 2024.
History Weekend Hours: 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. May 4, 1-4:30 p.m. May 5.
More: Beaver Heritage Museum opens exhibit honoring local World War II casualty
Beaver County Model Railroad and Historical Society, 416 Sixth Ave., Monaca.
The HO Train display typifies the railroads and communities of 20th-century Beaver County. Unlike many religious dissenters who came to America, the Harmony Society embraced technological advances believing they were a fulfillment of biblical prophecy. Being shrewd businessmen they invested in the new steam-powered trains and the coal that powered them to accumulate money to fund God’s Kingdom. Locally the Harmonists invested in the following Beaver County railroads: Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne and Chicago Railway, the Darlington and Cannel Coal Railroad, Beaver Valley Railroad and Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad.
History Weekend Hours: Noon to 5 p.m. May 5.
Enon Valley Community Historical Society, 1084 Main St., Enon Valley.
The society will display family trees and highlight contributions and connections Enon Valley settlers, many of German Ancestors, made when the railroad came through in the 1850s. From tavern keepers to harness makers, and from cobblers to storekeepers, the German citizens left their mark on the growth of Enon Valley.
History Weekend Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 4, 1-4 p.m. May 5.
Little Beaver Historical Society Complex 710 Market St., Darlington.
A display will teach visitors about Cannel Coal and Cannel Coal Railroad, which were early investments by the Economites, developing Cannelton as an early industrial town.
History Weekend Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 4, 1-4 p.m. May 5.
McKinley School, McKinley Road and 37th Street Extension, Chippewa Township.
The Harmonist children were taught by the Pestalozzi Method of teaching. Joham Heinrici Pestalozzi was a Swiss philosopher and educational reformer whose notable idea was the “Four Sphere Concept of Life.” Information will be shared about these “Four Spheres”, how the Harmonist children benefitted from this style of education, and what famous scientist was taught using the Petalozzi Method of education.
History Weekend Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 4, noon to 4 p.m. May 5.
Merrick Art Gallery and Museum, 1100 Fifth Ave., New Brighton.
Enjoy the collection of art, clothing, furniture, musical instruments and other artifacts of the latter 1880s, when founder Edward Dempster Merrick was busy gathering his impressive collection of Romantic Period Art, including many fine Hudson River School paintings. The Harmony Society at this time also collected paintings, mostly of a religious nature. Their business leader, Frederick Rapp, had a private art museum in his Economy home.
History Weekend Hours: Noon to 4 p.m. May 4, 1-4 p.m. May 5.
Monaca Hall of Fame, 1098 Pennsylvania Ave., Monaca.
A large collection of books, papers and other artifacts relating to Monaca's (then Phillipsburg’s) connection to the Harmony Society. Phillipsburg became a refuge for 241 Harmonists who left Old Economy Village in 1832. Their beliefs were similar to the Harmonists, but slightly more liberal. Two main differences were their opposition to celibacy and the use of tobacco.
History Weekend Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 4.
New Brighton Historical Society, New Brighton Public Library 1021 Third Ave., New Brighton.
Pictures and artifacts from the early to late 1800s will highlight what the Harmonists would have seen as they traveled through New Brighton to get to their Beaver Falls business investments. Additional information on the Underground Railroad also will be available.
History Weekend Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 4.
Old Economy Village, 270 16th Street, Ambridge.
Old Economy Village celebrates the bicentennial of the Harmony Society establishing the town of Economy in 1824. This influential and industrious group of people made a significant contribution to Beaver County, western Pennsylvania, and the United States. Visitors can take guided tours to learn more, experience the gardens and see demonstrators.
History Weekend Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 4-5.
Richmond Little Red School House, 245 Park Road, Brighton Township.
The focus of a one-room schoolhouse is education. During bygone days the educational system prepared local youth for the future. As a museum, the Richmond school enlightens our knowledge of the past and will share handouts about the Harmony Society.
History Weekend Hours: 1-4 p.m. May 4-5.
Rochester Area Heritage Society Museum, Model Railroad and Fry Glass Rooms, 350 Adams St., second floor, Rochester.
Explore the 1830s maps of Rochester and compare the past to the present. The Harmonists' role in Rochester would have been limited to selling, buying, trading or transferring of some smaller parcels of riverfront land.
Also: The Beaver Falls Historical Society and Museum will be represented in the Rochester museum, examining how the quiet town of “Brighton” changed drastically when the Harmonists brought in a surveyor who transformed the land into new housing lots for future workers and designated lots for businesses, thus forming the new borough of Beaver Falls. Maps, photos and artifacts will showcase the largest manufacturing town in Beaver County in 1868.
And the H.C. Fry Glass Society will display over 1,000 pieces of Fry Glass from the world-renowned premium glass maker founded in 1872 in Rochester.
History Weekend Hours: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 4, noon to 4 p.m. May 5.
South Side Historical Village Association, Hookstown Fairgrounds 1198 State Route 168, Greene Township.
The village with its log house, barn, doctor’s office, blacksmith shop and schoolhouse reflects the rural community south of the Ohio River. Buy penny candy at the General Store.
Also at Hookstown Fairgrounds, the Ladies Grand Army of the Republic will teach patriotism and history preservation, highlighting the civic groups and their ceremonies and activities that occurred in 1916, when the state acquired the Old Economy Village site. Also discussed will be freedom of religion (also vital to the Harmonists).
History Weekend Hours: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 4, 1-4 p.m. May 5.
More: West Aliquippa's Henry Mancini to be celebrated with events for centenary of his birthday
Vicary Mansion, 1235 Third Ave., Freedom.
The mansion's namesake owner, Capt. William Vicary, formed a close friendship with George Rapp and other members of the Harmony Society following their return from Indiana. Not only did Vicary shop at the Economy store, but his son attended school there. Discover more about the Vicary family that has been researched from his journal.
Also: Logs Town Associates Historical Society will display a diorama of the historic village. Part of the 1750 Logs Town site became the property of the Harmonists in the early 1800s. Currently, it's a privately owned industrial site.
And the Colonial Dames XVII Century, Beaver Town Chapter, will provide membership information for qualified women whose ancestors must have been residing in the colonies by 1701.
Plus the Fort McIntosh Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution will provide membership information to applicants whose ancestors served during the American Revolutionary War.
History Weekend Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 4, 1-4 p.m. May 5.
Scott Tady is entertainment editor at The Times and easy to reach at stady@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: 19 Beaver County museums & historic sites team up for special weekend
