Month: April 2026

2026 Chester County Town Tours & Village Walks

The Schuylkill River Heritage Center is honored and delighted to participate in the 2026 Chester County Town Tours & Village Walks, with the theme of 13 Tours for 13 Colonies. This series of free summer events — part of this year’s America250 celebration — shares our rich culture and heritage at historic sites throughout the County! This SRHC program is supported in part by the Chester County Community Foundation. Click here for program information and the full schedule of Town Tours and Village Walks.
As part of the series, the Schuylkill River Heritage Center presents:

Daniel A. Graham

on the topic of

Pennsylvania Ironmasters & The Revolution

Thursday, May 7, 5:30-7 PM

at the Foundry, 2 Main Street, Phoenixville
Attendance is free to the public. Light refreshments will be served.

In 1776, Chester County’s villages, farms, mills, and iron furnaces were the historic bedrock of our cultural and economic centers today.

Dan Graham explores the critical role of southeastern Pennsylvania iron furnaces in supplying George Washington’s troops with ammunition, cannons, and guns. He’ll focus on key manufacturers and people who played an invaluable role in our successful American Revolution!

Dan is a noted historian on early Pennsylvania iron making, and has written over 65 articles, papers, and several books about the state’s iron industry. See America250chesco.org for more information on the full slate of 2026 Chester County Town Tours and Village Walks!

Download a printable flyer for this event.

A Brief History of the Ferris Wheel and How It Sparked America’s Imagination

What is the enchantment of a Ferris Wheel? Do we anticipate lift-off, defying gravity in a smooth ascent? The view? The thrill of the ride itself?

Amusement wheels of simple design dated back to 1620 in Europe. Their popularity spread across countries and continents, delighting crowds at 19th century American agricultural fairs.

But in America, the age of technology and invention proved an invincible force. By 1849, the New York State Fair unveiled a 50’ wheel of oak and iron…and the sky was literally the limit!

Join us, as Dorothy Bedford Board President, Schuylkill River Heritage Center presents the history of this fascinating technology.

Tuesday, May 12, 7:30 PM

This event will be located at The Foundry, 2 Main Street, Phoenixville
SRHC members – free | Non-members – $5
Space is limited, registration encouraged at
https://givebutter.com/srhc-speaker-series-upjdpu

Early American Wheel image, not verifiable that this is actually the 1848 Syracuse Wheel, first 50’ wheel, made of oak and iron. Image credit: This drawing of the “first big wheel-type ride” appeared in the Aug. 23, 1990 edition of the Post-Standard (Syracuse)

Mr Ferris’s wheel at the Colombian Exposition, 1893. Image credit: University of Illinois (Urbana-Champagne) Archives

Increase overall brightness naturally

The Asbury Park Wheel, 1978. Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, photograph by John Margolies

Download a printable flyer for this event