The Historical Society presents a variety of events and programs throughout the year. We invite you to join us - you'll always learn something new!
Upcoming Events
Saturday August 18, 6:30 PM - 8:00 PMSymbols in the Cemetery
The Historical Society of Montgomery County announces a special combination event on Saturday, August 18, 2018, that looks at the symbolic meanings of tombstones. The event will feature a walking tour of Historic Montgomery Cemetery that begins at 6:30 p.m. with stops that highlights some of the symbolic representations found on the cemetery’s gravestones. This walking tour will be followed by light refreshments inside the Cemetery’s gatehouse with a presentation from 7:15 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. The presentation will be provided by historian Tammy Schane who will discuss many of the symbols found on tombstones throughout the region. The early 19th century saw the birth of the rural garden cemetery, which began in Paris and spread to the United States by 1824. Tombstone memorials also experienced great change throughout the 19th century, as Americans thought about death in new, more emotional and evocative ways. Tombstone carvers were tasked with carving symbols that illustrated a softer, aesthetically pleasing, and more hopeful way of viewing death as not an endpoint, but rather a step on the path to a better and glorious afterlife where family would be reunited. Tammy Schane has photographed and studied 19th century tombstone carvings in Pennsylvania and surrounding states and will present the meanings behind them. These symbols were a language of sorts in their time and still speak to us today. Tammy E. Schane holds a B.S. from Syracuse University in Journalism and History, and is currently pursuing a M.A. in Public History from LaSalle University. She has worked for Heritage Conservancy in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, as the membership coordinator and lead docent of tours of historic Aldie Mansion. She currently volunteers as a tour guide at Doylestown Cemetery and has researched and written a tour about the site’s 19th-century tombstone symbols and their meanings. She lectures on her research of 18th- and 19th-century cemeteries to historical societies and other groups, and in 2016, she published a book called, “Engraved: The Meanings Behind 19th-Century Tombstone Symbols.” With almost 6,000 known burials, Historic Montgomery Cemetery holds the remains of some of the most prominent citizens, veterans and reformers in the county and nation. From five Civil War generals to many captains of industry, it tells the story of the nation through the lives it represents. The entrance to Montgomery Cemetery is at the end of Hartranft Avenue, off of West Main Street, Norristown. Parking during the event will be made available inside the Cemetery gates. |
Saturday September 1 - All DayCLOSEDWe will be closed on Saturday, September 1, 2018 and Monday, September 3, 2018 in order to celebrate the Labor Day weekend. |
Monday September 3 - All DayCLOSEDWe will be closed on Saturday, September 1, 2017 and Monday, September 3, 2017 in order to celebrate the Labor Day weekend. |
Tuesday September 4, 6:00 PM - 7:00 PMIntermediate Genealogy ClassesThe Historical Society of Montgomery County’s fall genealogy course will help you delve deeper into the past! Genealogist Rose Brown will present this four week workshop, Intermediate Genealogy, for those who want to go further into their genealogical research and learn more about the process of tracking down history. Cost for the series is $40 for non-members, $10 for members. Call (610)272-0297 to register. |
Tuesday September 11, 6:00 PM - 7:00 PMIntermediate Genealogy ClassesThe Historical Society of Montgomery County’s fall genealogy course will help you delve deeper into the past! Genealogist Rose Brown will present this four week workshop, Intermediate Genealogy, for those who want to go further into their genealogical research and learn more about the process of tracking down history. Cost for the series is $40 for non-members, $10 for members. Call (610)272-0297 to register. |
Tuesday September 18, 6:00 PM - 7:00 PMIntermediate Genealogy ClassesThe Historical Society of Montgomery County’s fall genealogy course will help you delve deeper into the past! Genealogist Rose Brown will present this four week workshop, Intermediate Genealogy, for those who want to go further into their genealogical research and learn more about the process of tracking down history. Cost for the series is $40 for non-members, $10 for members. Call (610)272-0297 to register. |
Saturday September 22, 5:00 PM - 8:00 PMThe Culture of DeathThe Historical Society of Montgomery County will present a walking tour and presentation that examines the changing cultural beliefs in America surrounding death and dying. Nothing is certain except death and taxes. Culturally, however, the American way of death is anything but certain. Over time, popular funeral and burial rituals of have changed dramatically as we have shifted our attitudes towards death. This special tour of Historic Montgomery Cemetery on September 22, 2018, from 5:00 pm to 6:30 pm, includes a walking tour of the cemetery followed by refreshments and a presentation in the Gatehouse that will examine how America’s attitudes towards death have changed since early European settlement. The Historical Society’s Executive Director, Barry Rauhauser, will illustrate how global patterns in culture affect the way we view aging and death and look at how some of America’s historical events helped to create a unique American view on death and dying With almost 6,000 known burials, Historic Montgomery Cemetery holds the remains of some of the most prominent citizens, veterans, and reformers in the county and nation. From five Civil War generals to many captains of industry, it tells the story of the nation through the lives it represents. The entrance to Montgomery Cemetery is at the end of Hartranft Avenue, off of West Main Street, Norristown. Parking during the event will be made available inside the Cemetery gates. Tickets for the event are $15 and include the walking tour, refreshments and presentation. Tickets are limited so call 610-272-0297 to purchase tickets for this event. |
Tuesday September 25, 6:00 PM - 7:00 PMIntermediate Genealogy ClassesThe Historical Society of Montgomery County’s fall genealogy course will help you delve deeper into the past! Genealogist Rose Brown will present this four week workshop, Intermediate Genealogy, for those who want to go further into their genealogical research and learn more about the process of tracking down history. Cost for the series is $40 for non-members, $10 for members. Call (610)272-0297 to register. |
Saturday October 6 - All DayCLOSEDWe will be closed on Saturday, October 6, 2018 and Monday, October 8, 2018 in order to celebrate the Columbus Day weekend. |
Monday October 8 - All DayCLOSEDWe will be closed on Saturday, October 6, 2017 and Monday, October 8, 2017 in order to celebrate the Columbus Day weekend. |
Thursday October 25, 7:00 PM - 8:00 PMBlack October: The 1918 Influenza Epidemic in Montgomery County and the Surrounding AreaJoin us for our next presentation in our Making History Greater Series when Charles Kelly presents Black October: The 1918 Influenza Epidemic in Montgomery County and the Surrounding Area.
The Making History Greater series features scholars, authors, and historians who are currently working on telling new stories about the complexity of our region’s history. Black October: The 1918 Influenza Epidemic in Montgomery County will take place on Thursday, October 25, 2018. The evening will begin at 6:30 with a social gathering and light refreshments. The presentation will begin at 7:00 pm and last for about an hour with time for questions at the end. This program is free and open to the public. |
Saturday November 10 - All DayCLOSEDWe will be closed on Saturday, November 10, 2018 and Monday, November 12, 2018 in honor of Veterans' Day. |
Monday November 12 - All DayCLOSEDWe will be closed on Saturday, November 10, 2018 and Monday, November 12, 2018 in honor of Veterans' Day. |
Thursday November 22 - All DayCLOSEDWe will be closed on Thursday, November 22, 2018 and Saturday, November 24, 2018 in order to celebrate the Thanksgiving Day weekend. |
Saturday November 24 - All DayCLOSEDWe will be closed on Thursday, November 22, 2018 and Saturday, November 24, 2018 in order to celebrate the Thanksgiving Day weekend. |
The 1918 flu pandemic affected over 500 million people around the world. Wonder why little was spoken about this worldwide plague? Join us for a discussion that will examine the effects of the 1918 Influenza Pandemic on the people of Southeastern Pennsylvania. The 1918 Flu Pandemic killed an estimated 74,000 Pennsylvanians, nearly 13,000 in Philadelphia alone. To prepare his lecture Kelly reviewed local newspaper accounts, numerous web sources, books, as well as publications and Pennsylvania Death Certificates for Montgomery, Philadelphia, Bucks, Berks, Delaware, Chester and Lehigh Counties.