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Centre County Historical Society announces events

BELLEFONTE — The following displays, events and exhibitions are scheduled by the Centre County Historical Society.

r Postcards of Centre County by Monty Christiansen — Sunday, 2 p.m., Centre Furnace Mansion.

In March 2001, Elizabeth Cannon of State College donated her collection of 844 picture postcards to the historical society dating from 1900 to 1965, from all the towns and villages of Centre County. This presentation will explain how to “read” the full story of these vintage postcards. They tell about places with illustrations of communities and people in past years, revealing historic information and insightful thoughts of early postcard correspondents.

Centre County Historical Society volunteer researcher Monty Christiansen spent nearly three years researching and cataloging this collection. Join us to discover the history that Monty has uncovered on both sides of these postcards.

r Exhibition: Unraveling the Threads of History: Needlework Samplers of the 19th Century –March 19 – Sept. 24, Sun/Wed/Fri., 1-4 p.m.

A young girl in the 19th century would have completed her first sampler by age 6 under the direction of a family member or school instructor. Why was it so important for these girls at a young age to complete these samplers? What materials did they need and where did they come from? Where did they get the ideas for the designs? The answers to these questions and more will be explored through examples of 19thcentury samplers from Centre County and beyond.

r The Pennsylvania German Groundhog Lodges and Versamm-linge — Presented by William W. Donner of the Department of Anthro-pology at Kutztown University, Sunday, March 26, 2 p.m., The Centre Furnace Mansion.

In the 1930s, Pennsylvania Germans started Groundhog Lodges to provide a place for speaking and celebrating the German language and culture. There was singing, skits, and serious talks, often concerning the legendary ability of the groundhog to predict the weather, all done in the German Deitsch language.

Over time, Versamm-linge (“gatherings”) also developed in the state and adopted a similar format. The program will explore how the meetings celebrated tradition, and over time, became themselves a tradition.

Donner is a professor in the anthropology department at Kutztown University and the author of Serious Nonsense: Groundhog Lodges, Versammlinge and Pennsylvania German Heritage (Penn State University Press, 2012).

r 2017 Old House Fair in Bellefonte — Friday & Saturday, April 28 & 29, The Match Factory in Bellefonte.

The 2017 Old House Fair will feature a two-day menu of workshops and bus facilitated tours of the Bellefonte Historic District that will kick off with a banquet and internationally known authority on historic preservation Ed McMahon.

McMahon, along with over a dozen state and local experts, will present programs about historic preservation and why it is good for our communities. Information on maintenance challenges of old houses, architectural styles, historic landscaping, and historic masonry among other topics of interest will also be available to old house enthusiasts.

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Online:

www.centrehistory.org

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