The Guidebook to Historic Germantown [Pennsylvania]

The Guidebook to Historic Germantown [Pennsylvania]
Author: Charles Jenkins
Publisher: Heritage Books
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2024-07-26
Genre: Reference
ISBN: 9780788451294

According to Charles F. Jenkins, this guidebook is not a history; it presents the main historic facts arranged so that "the sightseer may have no trouble in finding and identifying each particular site." Germantown's "conception and settlement, the nationality and character of its early settlers, its architecture, its industrial life and enterprise - gave it marked individuality. It was the threshold over which entered the great German immigration which brought many modifications in language, manners and religion to the commonwealth and nation. It was the home, on two occasions, of the President of the United States and members of his cabinet - All these incidents and more make it an important spot in our country's history and growth." Opening with a chronology of Germantown, the author provides dates of significant events, beginning with the arrival of Francis Daniel Pastorius in Philadelphia in 1683, up to 1854, when Germantown was made part of Philadelphia. This timetable is followed by a partial bibliography, giving references to publications for those looking to dive deeper into the town's past. The author then discusses how pioneers traveled to Germantown using steam cars, the settlement of the town, the historical importance of Main Street and the buildings that occupied it, excursions through the East and West sides of Germantown, The Battle of Germantown, a biography of Francis Daniel Pastorius, and a list of the streets of Germantown. Several charming illustrations enhance the text. A full-name and place index concludes this work.

The Battles of Germantown

The Battles of Germantown
Author: David W. Young
Publisher: Temple University Press
Total Pages: 295
Release: 2019-09-13
Genre: History
ISBN: 1439915555

2020 Philip S. Klein Book Prize Winner, Pennsylvania Historical Association Known as America’s most historic neighborhood, the Germantown section of Philadelphia (established in 1683) has distinguished itself by using public history initiatives to forge community. Progressive programs about ethnic history, postwar urban planning, and civil rights have helped make historic preservation and public history meaningful. The Battles of Germantown considers what these efforts can tell us about public history’s practice and purpose in the United States. Author David Young, a neighborhood resident who worked at Germantown historic sites for decades, uses his practitioner’s perspective to give examples of what he calls “effective public history.” The Battles of Germantown shows how the region celebrated “Negro Achievement Week” in 1928 and, for example, how social history research proved that the neighborhood’s Johnson House was a station on the Underground Railroad. These encounters have useful implications for addressing questions of race, history, and memory, as well as issues of urban planning and economic revitalization. Germantown’s historic sites use public history and provide leadership to motivate residents in an area challenged by job loss, population change, and institutional inertia. The Battles of Germantown illustrates how understanding and engaging with the past can benefit communities today.