Historic Fallsington, Inc. (HFI) has reached a significant milestone this year—our 70th Anniversary! As the years pass, we stop to look back over the decades and our many efforts to preserve the historic village while educating visitors in an engaging fashion. We enjoy meeting long-time residents, new ones, and visitors to the area as we share the fascinating history of the region with everyone. As any historian knows, research is never done, and our work here at Historic Fallsington is no exception.
We are proud to host Historic Fallsington Day, which has been a signature event drawing thousands to the village for decades. Whether you moved to the area last week or are a third-generation resident of Levittown, this event has become a favorite for many of us. We often hear of families that once resided nearby returning with their children and grandchildren to share all that the day has to offer. I remember enjoying the conversations had with some of the amazing history guides and going inside the old buildings when I was a child and visiting with my own family, some of whom still reside in nearby Levittown.
We hope that you and yours will join us for this free community event on Saturday, Oct. 14, 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. If you’ve been here before, you know how wonderful the experience can be. If you’ve never visited, come on out as there is something for everyone!
Since those early days we have added components to the event with an eye toward education across a broad range of subjects and cultures. From carpenters to spinners, horticulturalists and artists, close neighbors and community partners, dancers and bakers, and so many more, we are blessed to work with such a group of knowledgeable and passionate interpreters. Each plays an important role in what we hope to achieve as we continue our important work. We are always looking for new and compelling ways to share more history with everyone as we continue the ongoing work of preservation too.
One of our most prominent historic structures, located on Meetinghouse Square, the Burges-Lippincott house has been a feature here since its initial phase of construction in 1808. It served as Dr. Henry Lippincott’s childhood home and later his own family’s residence and office until he sold the property in 1866. It is also the building that inspired a group of local citizens to come together for its preservation as the threat of demolition arrived on the doorstep in 1953. The hard work done then and since continues as we look to properly maintain this and the other historic buildings entrusted to our care. It’s no small task and one we have taken seriously from day one.
We are undertaking a major project to replace the cedar roof of the Burges-Lippincott house to best protect the historical integrity of the structure and the priceless artifacts it contains. As one of the historic buildings of HFI on the National Register of Historic Places, it helps us share the varied stories of those that have lived and worked here in the past. A project of this scale relies on the continued support of our community.
We have enjoyed sharing a few of the stories we have here about the people and places in historic Fallsington and hope that you might be inspired to work with us. To learn about the many opportunities to help us fulfill our mission of preservation and education here at Historic Fallsington and to Herald Our History, visit: historicfallsington.org or contact us: 215-295-6567 or info@historicfallsington.net.
Kimberly D. Praria is executive director of Historic Fallsington Inc., which is open Tuesday-Saturday 10 a.m.-4 p.m. for guided tours and other programs. Those who prefer to explore on their own can buy a map at the museum shop or at Fallsington Antique & Craft Shop.
“Heralding Our History” is a weekly feature. Each month, the Herald delves into the history of one of its towns.
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