The National Society of The Colonial Dames of America- Pennsylvania

07/25/2024

We love it when a plan starts to come together...

Don't worry, we'll be sharing more details soon!

06/25/2024

Congrats to Stenton!

06/14/2024

Our PA Society 2024-2025 Board of Managers is already hard at work! We kicked things off with a productive board meeting and retreat on the beautiful grounds of Stenton, including a walk to visit the Dinah Mural in Stenton Park.

05/28/2024

East Meets West at the Point!

The Philly Dames had a great time being hosted by the Allegheny County Committee in Pittsburgh

From the view on Mt. Washington, a tour of the Neville House, Fort Pitt, the Heinz History Center, the Frick, Phipps Conservatory, dinner at the Duquesne Club, and lunch at Charters Country Club... we came, we saw, we over-indulged.

Getting to know our fellow Dames from across the state was wonderful. And Betsy Ruderfer's childhood stories of growing up in Pittsburgh made the trip.

Thanks to everyone who made this trip so special.

If you were on the trip and have photos to add, please do so in the comments! Thanks!

See the comments for Betsy Ruderfer's Dames serenade!

05/19/2024

04/25/2024

The Stenton Committee and The Board of Managers of The National Society of The Colonial Dames of America in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania request the pleasure of your company at the Stenton Garden Party on Thursday, May 9th, celebrating the Dinah Memorial. All proceeds benefit the preservation of Stenton, our award-winning History Hunters program, and community programming.

The last day to RSVP is April 30th. RSVP at https://stenton.ticketleap.com/the-stenton-garden-party/

***Please note: Ticketleap adds additional fees to online ticket purchases. If you would like to avoid the fees, you may purchase your tickets over the phone by calling Stenton at 215-329-7312 or you may mail a check made payable to NSCDA/PA to 1630 Latimer Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103.

04/21/2024

Today was the day. An incredible day. Dinah Day!

The day we unveiled The Dinah Memorial. The FIRST memorial in Philadelphia to honor a Black woman.

It was an emotional day for many, especially community members, Stenton staff, and several PA Dames, who have been working towards this day for years. There were tears. And a promise that this is only the beginning.

Thank you, Dinah, for bringing us all together AND for making sure it was a beautiful sunny day!

04/09/2024

Please join us at Stenton on April 20th for the unveiling of the Dinah Memorial, the first memorial in Philadelphia to honor a formerly enslaved Black Philadelphia woman. RSVP Here: https://stenton.ticketleap.com/dinah-memorial-unveiling/

And check out our recent press coverage for more info:

Hidden City - https://hiddencityphila.org/2024/03/dinah-memorial-at-stenton-to-be-unveiled/

Lancaster Online - https://lancasteronline.com/opinion/columnists/philly-memorial-to-honor-woman-enslaved-by-local-land-owner-the-scribbler/article_48e4b858-f379-11ee-9cbb-275a39c2d853.html

Join Stenton on April 20th for the unveiling of the Dinah Memorial. To learn more about Dinah, a once enslaved woman who lived and labored at Stenton in the 18th century, please visit www.stenton.org/dinah.

03/31/2024

Happy Easter from Stenton 🐣🐰💐

03/21/2024

Many thanks to Don Fennimore for last night’s fascinating presentation about his new book “David Rittenhouse: Philosopher-Mechanick of Colonial Philadelphia and His Famous Clocks”.

03/20/2024

Spring has sprung in Philadelphia

03/07/2024

What an inspirational two days we've had celebrating National History Day Philadelphia with all the amazing Philadelphia students, teachers, and partners.

A special shout out goes to Historical Society of Pennsylvania the "home" of NHD-Philly, along with the National Constitution Center, the location host.

PA Dames, History Hunter's teachers, and Stenton staff participated as judges. We are always amazed at the incredible projects these students choose to highlight with this year's theme being Turning Points in History.

Because the PA Dames helps to fund the NHD Fellow, we are given the honor to announce the honorees. Yesterday, during the Junior Division presentation, we did so with our co-funder, the Connelly Foundation. Today, Dame Mickey Herr had the honor of presenting awards with Joyce Abbott, *the* inspiration for Quinta Brunson's award-winning Abbott Elementary. Ms. Abbott was inspiring to us all!

02/16/2024

Your PA Dames were out last night in support of the Museum of the American Revolution to celebrate the opening of "Witness to Revolution: The Unlikely Travels of Washington's Tent."

We are most proud of Dame Gina Whelan--whose conservation work is an important focus in the exhibit, and Mary Johnson Brown Chew--an early Dame who played a critical role in the earliest preservation efforts.

PA Dames pictured: Kitten Klaus, Kelsey Skic, Peggy Shaver, Gina Whelan, Mickey Herr. Also in attendance, Peggy Duckett and Margot McGinley.

02/02/2024

Check out the The Decorative Arts Trust magazine article on the Stenton Grotto, by Kaila Temple, Stenton's Colonial Dames of America Chapter II Curatorial Assistant.
https://decorativeartstrust.org/stenton-grotto-article/

Select articles from the winter issue of 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘔𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘻𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘋𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘈𝘳𝘵𝘴 𝘛𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘵 are now online: https://decorativeartstrust.org/winter-23-24-magazine-post/. Enjoy stories about our France, Rhode Island, and Detroit programs as well as new books about Regency porcelain and Historic Odessa; an exhibition about needlework; and new research into Stenton’s shellwork grottos, Gilded Age design, imagery on Sèvres porcelain, and the Charlot House in Hawaii.

Pictured: The magazine cover features the front parlor of the Rhode Island Historical Society’s John Brown House, which contains a Providence-made nine-shell desk and bookcase (1760–80) flanked by variants of Providence-made Neoclassical side chairs (1785–1800). The wallpaper is a 1975 reproduction by the Birge Co. of Buffalo, NY, based on a 1790s French example.

01/19/2024

Snow day in the NSCDA/PA Headquarters’ garden ❄️❄️❄️

01/15/2024

A productive MLK Day of Service at Stenton!

11/14/2023

Philip D. Zimmerman brings to light an extraordinary array of 100 decorative & fine arts from the Historic Odessa Foundation’s collections.

Please join us on Wednesday, November 29th from 5pm to 7pm, at the Colonial Dames’ Headquarters Building, 1630 Latimer Street, for a book talk and signing by author Philip D. Zimmerman, Ph.D. Using rich archival and genealogical sources, Zimmerman, a noted independent scholar, will share highlights from the extraordinary array of 100 decorative and fine arts from the Historic Odessa Foundation’s collections covered in his book. Wine & refreshments will be offered at 5pm, followed by the presentation at 6pm. Books will be available for purchase at the event.

11/02/2023

Attention all High School Teachers and Students!

The Congressional Essay Contest is run by NSCDA Corporate Societies and Town Committees across the United States. Freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior year high school students submit essays that are then judged and awarded.

The essay topic changes annually. This year the NSCDA asks students to answer the prompt:

“Why did the nation’s founders choose a government with separated powers rather than a parliamentary system?”

Winners receive full tuition and travel to the Washington Workshops “Congressional Seminar,” a week-long civic-focused adventure in our nation’s capital. The seminar provides two meals daily and an additional per diem, university campus housing and access to world-class museums, government offices, and memorable tours.

To learn more and to complete the application, visit https://nscda.org/student-resources/congressional-essay-contest/

10/28/2023

Another exciting day at Stenton’s Halloween Harvest Festival! Thank you to all of the volunteers who made this day special.

10/26/2023

Several of your PA Dames traveled to St Louis for the first ever National Conference of the NSCDA.

We had a jam-packed few days, including a few tourist excursions. Here we are just off the tramcar that took us to the top of The Arch.

Stay tuned for the next edition of Connections newsletter for a full report!

06/15/2023

Philly Proud!

The skills of fellow PA Dame, Gina Whelan, textile conservator extraordinaire, were a featured part of the Flag Day Festivities at the Museum of the American Revolution.

06/10/2023

NSCDA/PA Board Retreat PART 2:

A specific example of the type of item cherished in Stenton’s collections is this diminutive child’s cap, which represents the Quaker focus on education, AND the value placed on children in the mid-18th century.

Thought to have been made by a Logan/Norris family member (and donated by a descendent), this cap illustrates a delicate and difficult technique of needlework. The motif is thought to be influenced by Elizabeth Marsh, a premier school mistress who taught James Logan’s daughters, including Sarah Logan Norris (who's portrait is featured here). In fact, it was in Logan’s ledger that a record of payment to Elizabeth Marsh was found, helping to prove these important connections.

This information ALSO allowed the NSCDA/PA to add Elizabeth Marsh to our Register of Ancestors as a “Woman of Distinction” which means any of her female direct descendants now qualify for membership into the NSCDA!

We love it when all this history comes together in such a powerful way! And here in Stenton’s Yellow Lodging Room, you can certainly have a “viscerally authentic” experience as the PA Dames dedicated themselves to creating back in 1928!

(Note: needlework sampler shown here was created by Marsh's daughter Ann c. 1730 under her mother's direction, included as an example of motif)

06/10/2023

NSCDA/PA Board Retreat PART 1:

Our annual NSCDA/PA board retreat featured an enlightening presentation by Stenton curator, Laura Keim, and curatorial assistant, Kaila Temple. While Laura presented an overview of Stenton’s collections, Kaila updated us on her detailed work evaluating potential deaccession items.

While Stenton is *the* primary artifact, the story of its interior spaces, containing a collection of artifacts amassed through the past one hundred years, is a fascinating one.

In 1928, the PA Dames became official “collectors” stating in writing their intention to furnish Stenton “as far as possible with Logan things…” and their wish to create a “viscerally authentic” experience, utilizing fine, decorative, and useful arts, focusing from 1700 (the time of James Logan) to 1830 (the time of Deborah Norris Logan.)

Today, an astounding 95% of the items on display (including loans) represent objects owned by the Logan and Norris families. Deaccessioning or the “lawful removal” of items from Stenton’s collections, is an ongoing process, which ensures that the remaining objects represent the best interpretative value and can be cared for with current resources.

The PA Dames are proud of this work and their 120 years of successful stewardship of Stenton.

06/01/2023

The memorial stone pictured here is found in Krefeld, Germany. It commemorates the 13 families who left Krefeld and headed to Philadelphia aboard the ship Concord, thanks to an invitation from William Penn.

The passengers of the Concord, sometimes referred to as the "German Mayflower," arrived in 1683 and established the first German Settlement in America. This area, of course, is known today as the Germantown section of Philadelphia.

In May 2023, the PA Dames added the German ships America and Concord to its Eligibilty List. This means any direct female descendents of passengers aboard these ships (male AND female) are eligible to join the National Society of Colonial Dames.

05/31/2023

Thanks to Jonathan Burton of the Independence Historical Trust, members of the NSCDA/PA Lineage Committee were treated to a behind-the-scenes tour of the ongoing plans for the restoration of the First National Bank.

We looked for money in the basement... alas, no luck!

05/17/2023

Led by Madame President Sally Wirts, the PA Dames celebrated a successful year at today's Annual Meeting.

We also enjoyed a stellar presentation from our fellow Dame, Gina Whelan, who spoke about her fascinating conservation work on the Markoe Standard, owned by the First Troop here in Philadelphia.

Cheers to a great year!

04/26/2023

The Garden Party is next week! Join us on Thursday, May 4th to celebrate the conservation of Stenton's shellwork grotto. All proceeds benefit the preservation of Stenton and educational programs like History Hunters.

Friday is the final day to RSVP at www.stenton.org/programs

***Please note: Eventbrite adds additional fees to online ticket purchases. If you would like to avoid the fees, you may purchase your tickets over the phone by calling Stenton at 215-329-7312 or you may mail a check made payable to NSCDA/PA to 1630 Latimer Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103.

04/07/2023

We are thrilled to announce that the NSCDA/PA and Stenton received one of Pennsylvania Federation of Museums and Historical Organizations’ prestigious S.K. Stevens Awards for the Virtual History Hunters program!

PA Museums is happy to announce our 2023 Special Achievement Awards. https://conta.cc/3GciBUD

04/01/2023

A lovely day full of crafts, snacks, and natural egg dyeing at Stenton’s Annual Easter Egg Hunt! Thank you to to our NSCDA/PA volunteers for making this event a success!

03/16/2023

National History Day Philly!