Works in Progress

Please be sure to check the PHMC Events Calendar for information on upcoming programs (in-person and virtual). I've included highlights below. The Trailheads Rec Room pages to the right of your screen offer an array of online content generated by Trails of History sites.

Front view of restored artillery carriage and reproduction tube (photo courtesy PA Military Museum)

The Pennsylvania Military Museum has been working on a multi-year project to complete the restoration of several Civil War-era artillery pieces. These are reproductions manufactured after the war, under contract to the War Department, to be used for military history education. In its collection, the museum has an artillery carriage, limber, and caisson. As site administrator Tyler Gum explains, "Between 1895 and 1913, a Civil War veteran, Calvin Gilbert, who served in the 87th Pennsylvania Infantry, manufactured several hundred of these artillery pieces at his metal foundry in Gettysburg, PA. The surviving artillery pieces are referred to as 'Gilberts,' which is what we have in our collection."

Last Friday, the restored carriage was returned to the site, along with a brand new cannon tube. The Friends of the Pennsylvania Military Museum raised the funds to support the manufacturing of a 6 lb. tube. The new cannon is non-firing. In coming weeks, Tyler reports, the restored limber and caisson will complete the project. Exhibited outdoors with artillery pieces from different eras, this Civil War-era cannon will be used to teach about the evolution of artillery from muzzle loading to breach loading, along with the associated math knowledge needed to aim and fire.

Taking delivery of the restored carriage (photo courtesy PA Military Museum)

Throughout the pandemic, and even now that the site has reopened to the public, Old Economy Village has undergone a major restoration and construction project that has added new pathways, ramps, and new roofs to buildings in the historic area. Staff have done a wonderful job of documenting the project with photos and sharing them on Facebook. This past week, they updated the progress on window repair and replacement in the Feast Hall, used by the Harmony Society as a museum and as a gathering place for music performances and communal meals. It looks a little scary with boarded-up spaces right now, but it will have many healthy years ahead when its windows are back in shape.

Work continues to replace windows in the Feast Hall at Old Economy Village (photo via Facebook)

Upcoming Events (in-person and virtual)

Today, July 9

• Learn at Lunchtime (virtual), PA Fish and Boat Commission biologist Geoffrey Smith will talk about fish that live in the Susquehanna River, 12:15-12:45 pm, The State Museum of PA (SMP link for registration)

Saturday, July 10

• Virtual Tour of M1917 Tractor (Tank), Mike Siggins and Tyler Gum will be your guides, 2-4 pm, PA Military Museum (PMM Facebook to register)

Sunday, July 11

• Living History Sunday (in-person), Darius Puff will share knowledge of Native American culture and Greg Geiger will demonstrate 18th-century shoemaking, Noon-4 pm, Conrad Weiser Homestead (CWH Facebook page for details)
• Tonight's Sky: Live Chat with the Planetarium Director (virtual), Linda Powell will help you discover what you can see for yourself in the night sky, 2-3 pm, The State Museum of PA (registration info on SMP website)

Tuesday, July 13

• Education in Lebanon County - 1700s to Present (virtual), Jared Blouch and Michael Blouch will share their research on the transition from one-room schoolhouses to today's education landscape, 7-8 pm, Cornwall Iron Furnace (CIF Facebook page to register)

Wednesday, July 14

• Explore! (in-person), kids in grades 3-5 are invited to Nature Lab to learn about identifying organisms, 11:30 am-12:30 pm, included in regular admission, The State Museum of PA (link for Explore! details)
• Pittsburgh's Last Outpost: Captain Trent's Fort (virtual), Jason Cherry will talk about the strategic significance of the Forks of the Ohio, 7-8 pm, $7.50 per ticket, Bushy Run Battlefield (Eventbrite link for tickets)

Thursday, July 15

• Curiosity Kids (in-person), kids in grades K-2 can learn about the Great-horned Owl, 11:30 am-12:30 pm, included in regular admission, The State Museum of PA (Curiosity Kids link for details)
• PA History: Read It, See It (virtual), enjoy a virtual tour of Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum as part of this new series hosted by the Pennsylvania State Library, noon-1 pm (Zoom registration link)