Headquartered in the Whitpain 1895 Public School, the Wissahickon Valley Historical Society serves to educate the public about the heritage and history of the people, institutions and events that have influenced and shaped the communities of the Wissahickon School District which encompasses Whitpain Township, Lower Gwynedd Township and the Borough of Ambler.
Founded in 1975 as a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, the Wissahickon Valley Historical Society’s purpose is to preserve the local historical buildings, artifacts and folklore of the historic Wissahickon Valley.
The Franklinville School c.1858 is a white stucco one-room schoolhouse on an acre of ground, located at 1701 Morris Road, Blue Bell, between Normandy Farms Estates and the Windermere Community. It is the only one-room schoolhouse open to the public in Whitpain Township.
The two-story schoolhouse has a Library containing deeds, wills, photos, books, maps and genealogies, a 19th Century School Room and a Museum of local artifacts, focusing on items, pictures and records from the early farms and our industrial past.
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Hello May! In this issue of The Valley Crier you will find news about WVHS – and about history in the news:
Read about an outstanding neighborhood tree on Skippack Pike in April’s Stroll Blue Bell
Update on the Ambler Train Station Freight House:
Representatives from SEPTA and the Wissahickon Valley Historical Society met on Monday, April 15, 2024, to hear SEPTA’S plans for the Ambler Train Station’s Freight House.
- WVHS presented evidence that the Freight House is the original Wissahickon Station passenger depot, built in 1855, and moved to its present location in1889.
- WVHS quoted a SEPTA document regarding the offer of mitigation that established that “the Ambler Station is eligible as a contributing resource to the North Pennsylvania Railroad (Philadelphia to Bethlehem) Historic District (Resource #1995RE42969), under Criterion A in the area of Transportation. The station consists of three major components:” the present-day La Provence, the former Bussinger Model Train store, and the Freight House.
- SEPTA stated that it already had a demolition permit to take down the Freight House.
- SEPTA intends to tear down the Freight House in order to make repairs to the Tannery Run culvert.
- SEPTA stated that the Freight House should be moved by August 1, 2024. This is one week after the SEPTA Board meets on Thursday July 24, where they will choose a firm to repair the Tannery Run culvert.
For questions, please email info@wvalleyhs.org
You can find more news on the Freight House at Ambler Train Station in Committees
Monday, May 13th at 7 PM, at the 1895 Schoolhouse: Bernadette Dougherty will present “The Deck Family, 100+ Years of History in Ambler”
Bernadette has been promoting the history of Ambler for decades. She was the Ambler Main Street manager for many years, and you know her as the WVHS member who has worked the hardest to “Save the Freight House,” the 1855 passenger station, now threatened by demolition.
She has had experience with saving precious sites because she is credited with saving the historic Ambler Theatre. For this, Legendary Locals of Ambler calls her “Miss Persistence.”
For our May meeting, Bernadette will present on Ambler’s Deck Family, owners of Deck Hardware, which closed recently after serving the community for over 100 years! She has conducted interviews and looked for new information, so their story can be preserved.
In addition, the meeting will begin with an introduction of Roman Pronczak, Whitpain Township’s manager, who will retire soon. WVHS will offer a short tribute to Roman and the township in recognition for their contributions to WVHS.
During Roman’s administration, the township completed renovations to the 1895 School. Also in attendance will be several township officials: Scott Badami, Chair; Jeff Campolongo, Secretary; Joyce Keller, Treasurer; Sara Selverian, Assistant Secretary
Please click here to see our new video about the history of the Franklinville School, prepared by the Historical Society of Montgomery County to encourage donations to the renovations there. WVHS appreciates the assistance of the HSMC