Durham Historical Society

Philosophy and Reality of Architectural Preservation
2019-09-22 14:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York) | Durham Mill, 215 Old Furnace Road, Durham, PA, 18039, United States
Have you ever wondered what makes an old house or other building worth preserving? Join the Durham Historical Society as it welcomes Michael Margulies as a speaker in its continuing lecture series. The presentation will be held this Sunday, September 22 nd at 2:00 in the Durham Mill. Mr. Margulies is a well-respected local architect who specializes in architectural preservation. Michael is a consultant to several municipalities and sits on the Board of Directors for Preservation New Jersey. His topic will be “Philosophy and Reality of Architectural Preservation”. A question and answer session as well as light refreshments follow the presentation. Members free. Non-members $5.00

Historic Deed Book Restoration Project
2019-08-25 14:00 - 16:00
Durham Historical Society is proud to announce that our guest speaker on Sunday, August 25th will be Robin Robinson, Bucks County Recorder of Deeds. Robin took office in January, 2018, and soon discovered over 500 historic deed books deteriorating in a county warehouse. She created the Historic Deed Book Restoration Project, attracted contributions from local businesses and individuals and proceeded to get the books restored to their former condition. Samples of the books have been on display in various locations in the county and Robin will be bringing several volumes to Durham on the 25th. An accomplished presenter, Robin will be explaining how and why the deeds were formatted and will bring some specific samples of deeds relating to the immediate Durham area. The presentation will begin at 2:00 p.m. in the Durham Mill. Members free. Non-members $5.00. Light refreshments will be served following the presentation and you will have a chance to ask questions of the presenter.
Example of handwritten deed entry

The Return of the Fire Dragon
2019-07-28 14:00 - 16:00
Please join the Durham Historical Society as it presents “Durham Furnace II, 1848-1908 – The Return of the Fire Dragon”, the story of the second Durham Furnace. Jim Walter, a Society Board member and local expert on the Durham Furnace will tell the story of what happened after the original furnace (on which foundation the current mill was built) was no longer in service. Many historians have indicated that Durham played an important role in the start of the American Industrial Revolution and Jim’s remarks buttress that idea by relating how influential industrialists took control of the furnace operations and confronted the many problems and opportunities of the time when coal, iron and steel were kings.
The presentation will be made on July 28th at 2:00 in the Durham Mill. Members are free. Non-members $5.00. Light refreshments will be served following the presentation and questions from the audience are welcome.

History of Letterpress
2019-07-27 11:00 - 13:00
It’s hard to imagine with the technology we have available today, but not so many years ago the printing of books, notices, newspapers etc., were all accomplished through the art of letterpress. This involved setting metal or wood type in a frame, coating it with a thin film of ink and applying it to a sheet of paper with the help of a mechanical press. 30 years ago the art was considered dead but it was brought back to life by people like Rebecca Kutys of Riegelsville. Rebecca lovingly restored some old presses (some dating back to the 1800’s) and now has a successful business, Moontree Letterpress in Riegelsville where she designs and produces exquisite wedding invitations and the like.
Join Rebecca on July 27th at the Durham Mill from 11:00 to 1:00 as she presents a program, demonstration and mini-workshop on the History of Letterpress. Participants will be able to (with Rebecca’s assistance) prepare and print a bookmark of their own featuring the Durham Boat. All proceeds of the program will go to the Mill’s restoration fund. Cost of the program is a $25.00 donation per person with a limit of 20 participants. The first 20 people to submit their registration form and donation will have a spot reserved for them. Payment can be made online through PayPal or credit card at the Historical Society’s website (durhamhistoricalsociety.org/membership) or by sending a check with the form below to Durham Historical Society, P.O. Box 52, Durham, PA 18039. Please include a comment referencing the Letterpress Workshop with either mode of payment. For online payments please fill in the amount of $25 in the Mill Restoration Contribution field.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
History of Letterpress
Name: ____________________________________________
Address: ________________________________________________________________
Phone: _______________________ email: ___________________________________

Paper Crafting Workshop
2019-06-22 11:00 - 13:00
The Durham Historical Society is sponsoring the first in a series of craft workshops for the community. Valerie M. mARTz a local artist will be conducting a hands-on workshop at the Durham Mill on June 22nd from 11:00 to 1:00. She will demonstrate and assist attendees in making paper boxes to store personal treasures. The boxes will be embellished with an image of a Durham Boat and will give participants a sense of satisfaction that they have mastered a craft used in the 18th and 19th centuries when all containers were made by hand. In addition, two simple origami figures will be demonstrated and presented. Ms. mARTz is an accomplished craftsman belonging to the PA Guild of Craftsmen and its Bucks and Lehigh Valley chapters. Her work has been featured in publications citing America’s 200 best traditional Craftsmen and she has received a White House Holiday commission. An accomplished presenter, she has conducted sessions in Pennsylvania and Delaware venues.
All supplies and equipment will be provided. The cost of the program is $40.00 per participant and the program is being provided as both a service to the community and as a fundraiser for the renovation of the mill. A minimum of 5 participants will be needed for the program to be offered and a maximum of 16 participants will be allowed to ensure that participants receive enough individual attention. This will be the only time that this particular session will be offered and the first 16 individuals to send in their registration fee will have their allotted places reserved. Payment can be made online through PayPal or credit card at the Historical Society’s website (durhamhistoricalsociety.org/membership) or by sending a check to Durham Historical Society, P.O. Box 52, Durham, PA 18039. Please include a comment referencing the Paper Crafting Workshop with either mode of payment. For online payments please fill in the amount of $40 in the Mill Restoration Contribution field.

Village Beneath the Waves
2019-06-09 14:00 - 16:00
On June 9th we will be hosting a program featuring Carl LaVo, a local author and newspaper feature writer. His topic will be: VILLAGE BENEATH THE WAVES: The sad saga of a pristine, historic Bucks County village destroyed for a boating paradise in Nockamixon. Presentation will take place in the Durham Mill at 2:00 Sunday, June 9th. Light refreshments will be served. Free to members; $5.00 for non-members.
Carl LaVO, a graduate of the University of Florida in Gainesville, is a weekly history columnist for the Intelligencer and the Bucks County Courier Times. His newly-published coffee-table book is “Bucks County Adventures.” He retired as assistant managing editor of the Courier Times where he continues to serve on the newspaper’s editorial board. An award-winning journalist and photographer, he’s written extensively for Philadelphia magazine, National Wildlife, Down East, Naval History and other publications. He’s also the author of four books published by the Naval Institute Press in Annapolis. His TV appearances include The History Channel series Silent Service and Man, Moment and Machine. A native of California, he’s an experienced scuba diver and led pioneering explorations of water-filled caverns and subterranean rivers of Florida to depths of 200 feet. He’s a longtime resident of Bucks County where he, his wife Mary Anne, daughter Genevieve, son-in-law Michael and two grandchildren Dashiell and Margaux enjoy exploring the history and sights of the county.

Greater Lehigh Valley's Passport to History
2019-04-27 12:00 - 16:00
On April 27th the Durham Historical Society will be participating in the Greater Lehigh Valley’s Passport to History event. The Society’s contribution will be to offer tours of the historic Durham Mill to visitors. If you haven’t had the opportunity to see the mill lately, you might want to stop by between noon and 4:00. In addition, there will be over 20 historical groups offering programs throughout the Lehigh Valley that day. Go to https://lvhistory.org for more details about what is available. Hope to see you on the 27th.

Jeff Donat - Expert on Historic Mills
2019-03-31 14:00 - 16:00
DHS will be sponsoring a presentation by Jeff Donat, a local expert on mills. Jeff has been intimately involved with the restoration of mills in the Lehigh Valley and he will share his learned opinion about restoration efforts on our mill. Members free. Non-members $5.00. Light refreshments will be served.

Durham Mill Tour
2018-10-13 12:00 - 15:00
This Saturday at Durham Community Day, the Society will be offering tours of the Mill to those people who are interested. Ron Fox, the last person who worked at the mill will be conducting the tours with his comments on what the work was like during the last few years of operation.

Presentation: The Great Grasshopper War
2018-09-23 14:00 - 16:00
Durham Historical Society announces that Dr. Ned Heindel will be presenting a program “The Great Grasshopper War: an Indian Civil Conflict in Durham Township” on September 23d in the Durham Mill. The program will begin at 2:00 p.m. Light refreshments will be served following the program. Members free. Non-members $5.00.

Panel Discussion: Life in Durham during the 50's and 60's
2018-08-26 14:00 - 16:00

July Speaker Event: Durham, the Delaware Canal and the Industrial Revolution
2018-07-22 14:00 - 16:00
Martha Capwell Fox | Historian & Archives Coordinator
National Canal Museum/Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor, Inc.
