top of page
Search

The Bulletin Newsletter: April of 2026

An incredible poster for a girl's field track event in Delco, dating sometime around 1910-1920. The signature on the piece is of Emma Warfield, but little else is known about the artist or the event. According to historian John Lemon, this may be the only surviving poster of its kind from this period of Delco sports history. It's on display now at DCHS.
An incredible poster for a girl's field track event in Delco, dating sometime around 1910-1920. The signature on the piece is of Emma Warfield, but little else is known about the artist or the event. According to historian John Lemon, this may be the only surviving poster of its kind from this period of Delco sports history. It's on display now at DCHS.

Events and Programming:


Designed by Frances Beaver. Credit to William Lightfoot Price, 1903.
Designed by Frances Beaver. Credit to William Lightfoot Price, 1903.

Second Annual Delco Historical Conference

DCHS announces The Second Annual Delco Historical Conference on Saturday, April 18th at the Old Mill in Rose Valley. The Delco Historical conference brings together historic non-profits, archives, academics and like-minded groups to meet, network and discuss on how to better promote and protect local history.


The conference will feature presentations from the Rose Valley Historical Society, Rainie Williams of Cheyney University, and Dyani Feige of the Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts.


Here's the run of show:


10 AM- Doors open, guests are welcome to arrive. Coffee and pastries served, guests will have an opportunity to meet and network with one another. Tables will include folks from America250 Delco, Sports Legends of Delaware County, Rose Valley Historical Society, Brookline Publishing, and Professor Jeffrey Lamonica.


11 AM- First presentation will begin with Rose Valley Historical Society


11:30 AM- Second presentation by Rainie Williams of Cheyney University


Noon- Lunch will be served at the Old Mill.


1/1:30 PM- Final keynote presentation by Dyani Feige of the Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts in Philadelphia.


3 PM- Conference concludes. Guests are invited to tours hosted by Rose Valley Historical Society at the Thunderbird Lodge, just a short walk away.


Tickets are $40.00. Please RSVP by April 6, as space is limited!



Special thanks to Visit Delco, PA and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), and PHMC for their support!


Thanks to Frances Beaver for the poster design. Credit to William Lightfoot Price, 1903, with thanks to Rose Valley Historical Society.


Design by Frances Beaver.
Design by Frances Beaver.

History Under the Stars Returns!

History Under the Stars returns for its Spring/Summer 2026 Season on Wednesday April 15th at 7:40 PM.

The History Under the Stars lecture series is a free program open to the public, offering engaging lectures on topics of Delco history and more. Please join us at our location for a wonderful series of lectures!


History Under the Stars at DCHS

9 W. Front Street, Media, PA

Rain or Shine: lectures will be outdoors with weather permitting.

There is limited seating, but you can bring your own seat if you like!

Please see poster above for dates, topics and time.

Special thanks to Visit Delco, National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Burman Family Charitable Fund for their programming support.


On Display at DCHS with SLDC-through April 14th

Display curated by Jim Vankoski from the SLDC collection.
Display curated by Jim Vankoski from the SLDC collection.

Our collaborative exhibit with the Sports Legends of Delaware County is till up through April 14. The display honors and highlights the stories of Vietnam veterans Bill Carpenter (football), Ed Dougherty (golf), John Cartwright(football), Bo Ryan (basketball), and Howard Starks(football). Each of these Delco sports legends established a lasting legacy of courage, sacrifice, and character while serving his country. 

 

The Vietnam Veterans Exhibit is expected to run from March 10th to April 14th, 2026, and will be free to the public. Support has been provided by the Historical Society’s Steve Burman Exhibition Fund. Gallery hours are Tuesday through Thursday, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. For more information, contact Jim Vankoski at (610) 909-4919 or vankoski21@comcast.net, or visit the museum online at www.delcosportsmuseum.org.


Help Save Historic Delco Art!


The Washington Tavern Sign by John Archibald Woodside Sr. 1849.
The Washington Tavern Sign by John Archibald Woodside Sr. 1849.

DCHS has launched a new fundraising campaign called "Help Save Historic Delco Art!". The fundraiser is to help DCHS restore and protect incredible pieces of Delco art history for the public to enjoy. Preserving and restoring these works is a costly endeavor, but necessary to help ensure that these works of art are preserved for the next generation of stewards to appreciate. The goal of DCHS is to have the Marquis de Lafayette portrait restored by Fourth of July, and to have a continuing rotation of works restored after. With each work restored, DCHS will feature the work on display during our special open house events for the community of Delaware County. Your support will help ensure these wonderful Delco historic treasures are preserved.

Click here to donate to our fundraiser directly!


John Archibald Woodside Sr. (1781-1852) was a celebrated sign painter of the Federalist period in Philadelphia. Woodside was a student of Matthew Pratt (1734-1805) and his works were exhibited at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts between 1817 and 1835. Woodside also painted on sides of fire engines and is credited with painting the first locomotive decoration.


The Washington Tavern Sign was from “The President Tavern” on West Chester Pike and Providence Road in Edgmont Township, Delaware County. The sign was painted in 1849 and was outside the tavern until 1923. Both sides depict General George Washington, with one side based on a 1790 portrait by Edward Savage, with General Washington seated at table in his study. The other side is an equestrian portrait, with Washington on top of his horse.


The Washington Tavern Sign was donated to DCHS in 1923 by Edgar Howard Pierce after the tavern closed and was sold at public auction. The sign is a rare antiquity of Delaware County’s history of taverns and inn’s that dot the County. DCHS is currently fundraising to help restore the tavern sign to its former glory for the 250th celebrations this year!

From the Archives:

Written and signed by John Morton, 1771.
Written and signed by John Morton, 1771.

A recent accession dated March 2, 1771 (255 years ago), written and signed by John Morton as a witness to an indenture between Samuel Minshall and his wife Jane Minshall. Morton served as a lawyer, surveyor, sheriff, and judge before he was elected as a member of the First and Second Continental Congress.



A pocket watch made by Charles Canby (1792-1882), a Chester born watchmaker who owned a shop on Market Street in Wilmington, DE. Canby is known to have worked as a watchmaker in Wilmington from 1813-1852, putting the age of this watch closer to 200 years old.



A locally made grandfather clock dating from 1738 (nearly 300 years old) fashioned in the "country-style", meaning very plain with little adornments. The clock has only one-hand and was once housed in Primitive Hall in West Grove, a Pennock Family home dating back to 1738. This clock was donated to DCHS by the Brazer family sometime after 1956. Clarence Brazer, the noted architect of the Delaware County Courthouse and the DeShong Museum and Park in Chester, provided a lecture featuring this piece and other colonial furniture for DCHS in January 1923 (over a hundred years ago!) A wonderful time piece of Delco history.


Visit Our YouTube Page!


Be sure to check out our YouTube page for the latest update on lectures, historic info videos, featured events and more!


Special Thanks to our Partners:

Delaware County Community College

Sports Legends of Delaware County Museum

Media Arts Council

Media Borough

Delaware County Institute of Science

YES, Center of Chester

Rose Valley Historical Society

The Mill at Rockdale

Warehouse 3 in Swarthmore

Media Chapter NAACP

Elwyn Inc.

America 250 Delco

Visit Media

Greatest Hits Records and Books

Three Potato Four

Ship Bottom Brewery


Special Thanks to the DCHS 2026 Sponsors:

Delaware County Council

Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission

Visit Delco!

Philadelphia Funder Collaborative for the Semi-Quincentennial

National Endowment for the Humanities

Delaware County Interactive Gaming Revenue Authority

The Burman Family Charitable Fund-In Memory of Harvey Burman

Mr. Andrew Saul

Dr. John S. Brooks

John and Gail Moore

The Philadelphia Foundation


Please consider supporting DCHS today by donating or becoming a member. Funding by members and friends help DCHS continue our mission of collecting and preserving Delaware County history and culture and making it available to the community!

 Venmo- @Delcopahistory

You can send a check or money order made out to Delaware County Historical Society, and mail it to our address at: 9 W. Front Street, Media, PA 19063


Links and Contact Information:

Email:

Director, Paul Hewes: outreach@padelcohistory.org

Library and Program Manager, Zach Beaver: research@padelcohistory.org

General Inquires: info@padelcohistory.org 

Phone: 610-750-0622

Address: 9 W. Front Street- Media, PA 19063. Tuesday through Thursday, 10 am to 3pm.

 
 
 

Recent Posts

See All
The Bulletin Newsletter: January 2025

A hand drawn survey by Wm. Vaughn dated 1745. The land was in Marcus Hook near Chichester Creek (today possibly East Branch of Naamans). Events and Programming: Courtesy of the Sports Legends of Delco

 
 
 

Comments

bottom of page