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.
Featured
Monday, October 13
7:00 at the 1895 Schoolhouse
“The Battle of the Clouds” presented by Chris Reardon
Although overlooked, some say it may have been the turning point of the Revolutionary War!
Ambler Walking Tours are back for Fall 2025!
On the following Saturdays from 3 – 4:30:
Sept 20, Oct 4, Oct 18, Nov 1, Nov 22, Dec 6
Learn details about the architecture and history of Butler Avenue. Fun and unusual tales, guaranteed!
Groups of up to 12 guests
Tickets are $15 (Proceeds go to the restoration of the Ambler Freight House)
Participants receive a coupon from Tannery Run Brew Works
Registration Required in Advance:
Campaign to Preserve the Franklinville School
Donations are needed for the Franklinville School. In the past two years, WVHS has replaced the electrical panel, added drainage from the crawl space, replaced the front porch floor, repaired the porch roof, and replaced the roof. WVHS has done its best to find and use grant funding. However, water is still causing damage to the Franklinville School’s walls. We need to repair broken windowsills and paint and seal the outside walls.
Please consider a generous gift to WVHS, marked for the Franklinville School. You can make your check payable to “WVHS” and mail to: WVHS, P.O. Box 96, Ambler, PA 19002.
You can also donate using Venmo or PayPal at: https://www.wvalleyhs.org/donate/
Thank you!
Join WVHS for our next speaker series meeting on Monday, October 13!
7:00 at the 1895 Schoolhouse
In the September issue of The Valley Crier you will find news about WVHS – and about history in the news:
Read Part 2 of Whitpain Farm in the October issue of Stroll Blue Bell