My Genealogy Hound

THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY of Montgomery county was incorporated on Map 11, 1883. The object of this Society, as stated in its charter, is the study and preservation of the history of Montgomery county, Pennsylvania. The Society had its real start several years before a charter was obtained. A strong motive for forming the Society was to prepare for a proper celebration of the one hundredth anniversary of the formation of the county. The Act of Assembly for erecting part of the county of Philadelphia into a separate county, to be called Montgomery, was passed on September 10, 1784.

The first meeting for establishing the Historical Society was held at the court house in Norristown, on February 22, 1881. Among those who signed a call for this meeting, most of whom were present, were Dr. Hiram Corson, Major William H. Holstein, Colonel Theodore W. Bean, Robert Iredell, General William J. Bolton, Moses Auge, Isaac Chism, Reuben Krieble, Samuel M. Corson, F. G. Hobson, Prof. R. F. Hoffecker, Isaac Roberts, Nathaniel Jacoby, Jonas Detwiler, L. H. Davis, Dr. J. S. Shrawder, William M. Clift, A. K. Thomas, William J. Binder, William H. Bean, M. S. Longaker, William J. Nicholls, William Auchenbach. Colonel Theodore W. Bean was made chairman, and Samuel M. Corson secretary.

It brought about in 1884 the celebration of the centennial of Montgomery county. The public demonstration on that occasion lasted four days, and was a success in every way. That celebration was also made a financial success. After paying all expenses, a balance of $1,200 remained which was invested for the Society’s benefit. This sum has since been used in part payment for Historical Hall, now owned by the Society.

The Society is engaged in marking important historical places within the county limits with permanent monuments. Recently it erected at Barren Hill a monument indicating the location of Lafayette’s camp there in May, 1778. It also erected near the Perkiomen Creek, opposite Schwenksville, a monument commemorating Washington’s encampment there, at Pennypacker’s Mills, in 1777.

Prior to 1897 meetings of the Society at Norristown were mostly held in the court house. The county commissioners had granted the Society the exclusive use of a small room in that building, and permitted it to meet in one of the court rooms. But the growth of the Society demanded that it own a meeting place which should include an audience room and library rooms, with space for future expansion.

In 1896, the former borough hall of Norristown, with the lot belonging thereto on Penn street, was offered for sale, the authorities having erected a more commodious municipal building at DeKalb and Airy streets. The Historical Society decided to buy this property. Its deed therefore bears the date December 22, 1896, when it obtained possession of the property. The consideration was $5,500. The twelve hundred dollars remaining from the County Centennial celebration, and $300 of accumulations and life-membership fees, enabled the Society to raise $1,500, and it borrowed the balance of the purchase money and gave a mortgage for $4,000 on its new building. The building was erected in 1884. It is a large, substantial brick structure, situated on Penn street, adjoining the public square, and opposite the court house. When bought, it was found that the building needed considerable repairs, and material alterations were required to fit it for the needs of the Society. These were made at a cost of about one thousand dollars. The property is now admirably adapted to the Society’s uses.

The Society’s property is called “Historical Hall.” The first meeting was held there May 26, 1897. It occupies all the second story and part of the first story of the building, renting a portion for offices, from which it derives some revenue. The part used by the Society consists of a commodious hall and rooms for its library on the second floor, and a large permanent fire-proof vault on the first floor. During the construction of the new court house, the upper floor was rented to the county commissioners for occupancy by the judges and the law library. The fire-proof vault was also leased to the county, it being a suitable place to keep the jury wheel.

The annual suppers given by the ladies on Washington’s birthday for five years in succession, under the chairmanship of Mary R. Livezey, who was materially aided by Ellwood Roberts and others, yielded the Society altogether nearly $2,500. Part of this was devoted to alterations and repairs to the building, and the rest was used to cut down the mortgage to little more than half of its first amount.

Joseph Fornance and Ellwood Roberts have edited and published Volumes I and I1 of “Historical sketches,” containing papers prepared and read at the meetings of the Society, and other materials.