November 2010

The Hays House, as it is now preserved, is a frame home appearing as it would have during the period 1813-1825. It consists of two rooms on the ground floor with a center staircase leading to three rooms on the second floor. The Hays House is named for Thomas Archer Hays, a prominent attorney and merchant of the town of Bel Air, whose family lived in the house for one hundred and forty years.

The original part of the Hays House was build in 1788-1789 by John Bull. It consisted of one room with a stairway from the first floor to two rooms upstairs. Constructed with a gambrel roof, it afforded two floors of living space, but was taxed as one and a half stories. The house is one room deep with front and back doors and windows directly opposite each other. The ceilings on the first floor are high, and together with the placement of the windows and doors, the design allows maximum air movement and cooling on hot summer days.

Fireman's Hall Museum, located in a restored firehouse in the heart of Philadelphia's historic Old City district, is one of the nation's premier fire museums. At the Museum, the history and heroic moments of Philadelphia firefighting, both past and present, are celebrated through the museum's exhibits.

The Washington County Rural Heritage Museum is part of the Washington County Park System. Located at the Agricultural Education Center, the museum contains more than 2,500 artifacts. The museum enjoys the generous support of the community, with most items on display having been loaned or gifted by local residents and others. The Rural Heritage Museum currently houses over twenty-six exhibits depicting early rural life in Washington County including an early Conestoga wagon which traveled the National Road from Baltimore to Wheeling, horse-drawn plows and harvesters, and three rooms furnished in the manner of a Victorian era farm house.

Stenton's distinguished Georgian architecture, its outstanding collection, and its superb documentation combine to create one of the most authentic house museums in the region. As part of Philadelphia's Historic Northwest, Stenton now sits on three acres of the original 500-acre plantation. The site includes an elegant c. 1730 mansion, a kitchen wing, privy, icehouse, barn, and Colonial Revival garden.

Built and owned by James Logan, Secretary to Pennsylvania founder William Penn, Stenton is a house of learning, past and present. As Pennsylvania grew as a Colony, James Logan was one of the most important individuals in guiding that growth. During the last twenty years of his life when he lived at Stenton, Logan was a distinguished scholar and collected a tremendous library, which he left to the City of Philadelphia.

Through tours, educational programs and special events, Stenton continues to be an historic object lesson for visitors, giving them a sense of what life was like in the 18th Century.

The Alley is a place where you can learn about what life was like for the working people that built and maintained this city during the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries. Unlike many historic sites, these 32 houses are still privately owned and occupied, making this one of the oldest continuously inhabited residential streets in America. The Elfreth's Alley Museum is located in House 126 and is the only building accessible to the public.

The monument honors the fort which inspired Francis Scott Key to pen the National Anthem during the Battle of Baltimore in 1814.

The Visitor Center includes exhibits, a model of the fort, and a theater which features a film, "The Defense of Fort McHenry." Within 200 yards is the Star Fort, which serves as a museum that includes military memorabilia, an electric battle map, restored barracks and restored flag pole.

Part of Antietam National Battlefield, this historic house served as the headquarters for Union Commander George B. McClellan. President Lincoln visited the house two weeks following the battle. Exhibits here include information on the house, a re-creation of an operating theater, and interpretations relating to care of the wounded during the battle and the battle's effects on the civilian population.

It was at this battlefield that the Civil War saw its bloodiest single day battle. The Visitor Center here includes exhibits, an observation room, and a theater. The theater shows a 26-minute re-creation of the battle on the hour and an hour long documentary at 12 noon. Visitors can also hike the battlefield on the 1.6-mile Cornfield Trail.

Housed in a mansion overlooking the scenic Delaware River, this museum explores the local settlement, development, and history of Bristol, PA.

The Maryland Historical Society houses the most significant collection of Maryland cultural artifacts in the world. From 18th- and 19th-century paintings and silver to 20th- century objects of everyday life, the collection celebrates Maryland’s rich and diverse history.

The building also houses the Carey Center for Maryland Life, which showcases MHS collections through its core exhibitions, "Looking for Liberty: An Overview of Maryland History," "Maryland Through the Artist’s Eye," and "Furniture in Maryland Life."

Among its more than 350,000 objects are more then 2,000 paintings, including the largest collection of works of art by members of the Peale family.

The Historical Society also features a significant collection of maritime-related artifacts, as well as outstanding collections of 19th-century Maryland furniture, silver, quilts, costumes, ceramics, dolls, and toys.