Allegheny Uprising, Fort Loudoun Historic Site
Saturday November 12th, 2022 * 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Join us at Fort Loudoun on November 12th for an interactive experience as we commemorate the Allegheny Uprising, aka. Black Boys Rebellion of 1765.
What side will you choose: the British garrison or Justice William Smith and the frontier rebels?
Each side will present convincing arguments and you decide who you will support.
Learn about this pre-Revolutionary War uprising and its impact on American history.
Public is welcome and admission is FREE & the action begins at 1200 sharp!
A Highland Gathering, Fort Loudoun Historic Site
Saturday September 18th * 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Visit the Fort and discover our roots in Rebellion…the 1745 Jacobite Rebellion that is!
Learn how the last war in Great Britain shaped the history of Fort Loudoun and the inhabitants of the Pennsylvania frontier.
This event is FREE, but donations are kindly accepted.
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New Spring 2021 Hours @ Conococheague Institute
With the warmer weather and new staff, Conococheague Institute (CI) has new spring hours to give visitors more opportunity to learn and explore the site. Grounds and trails are open from dawn to dusk daily. The Visitors Center and Gift Shop are open Saturdays from 10 AM to 5 PM. When visiting the site, please park at the Welsh Barrens Visitor Center and look for the Welcome Board to orientate visitors to the site.
Historic programming is offered in the cabin & gardens on Fridays and Saturdays, 10 AM to 5 PM. The CI Library and genealogy resources are by appointment, between 9 AM and 5 PM. Additional tours and education programs are also available by appointment, between 9 AM and 5 PM
On Fridays and Saturdays, experience CI Historic Warden and CI volunteers living life as 18th century frontier life in the cabin and gardens. With Spring in the air, the focus right now is on the Garden cultivation, but there is always something new to experience.
Also upcoming at CI is the Free Tree Planting experience. Click here to register. CI is collaborating with The Institute on Homeschool Days on April 29 and May 27. Individuals and groups of up to 60 are welcome. Please contact CI mwedd@ci.org to book. Bookings include one nature and one history program. Participants are welcome to bring a lunch to enjoy between sessions.
Exciting Changes are Underway at Conococheague Institute
The Conococheague Institute at Rock Hill Farm in Franklin County is pleased to announce that Matthew Wedd joined as the site’s new Operations Manager in early June. With more than ten years of experience in historical education and preservation, Matthew plans to use his many skills to oversee development and growth of the Conococheague Institute.
Matthew previously worked as a Historical Interpreter at Fort Frederick State Park in Big Pool, MD, and as a Historical Custodian at Old Sarum Castle in Salisbury, UK. In these roles, he focused on informal education and providing meaningful cultural experiences to the public, program and exhibit development, natural resources cultivation, and volunteer coordination.
Regarding his new role, Matthew shares, “With historic homes, idyllic walks, birding, and other nature opportunities, there truly is something for everyone to enjoy at the Conococheague Institute.”
Though the site’s buildings and historic structures are closed to the public due to COVID-19, considerable work is underway to improve the site’s aesthetics and educational resources.
Volunteers and staff have dedicated hundreds of hours to improve the site’s gardens, trails, and building exteriors. To increase accessibility during COVID-19 closures, the Conococheague Institute is developing walking tours, now available in outdoor holders. Regular virtual programs are released on the Conococheague Institute’s Facebook page and their YouTube channel every Sunday.
The Conococheague Institute’s summer efforts will be on improving the Negley Cabin and Piper Tavern. As outdoor areas, they are easier to interpret during the Pandemic. With a new focus on hands-on history, these historic structures are perfect for school programs, workshops, and living history demonstrations in the future.
Thanks to a generous donation of $2,000 from volunteer Dennis Kubicki, the site purchased cooking equipment for the Negley Cabin and Piper Tavern. This donation was further utilized to buy fabric for clothing workshops, and so that the site’s team of volunteers can tailor 18th Century clothes for both volunteers and visitors. With similar donations, the Conococheague Institute hopes to embark on similar improvements and programming potential.
Led by Board Member Chuck Holland, volunteers and staff have relaunched a project to build a fully operational 18th Century bake oven. Thanks to a generous donation of lumber from Hicksville Planning Mill, work will soon begin to build the roof of the bake oven using staff and volunteers.
A new complimentary children’s ‘Explorer’ activity pack is in development and be available soon for families with young children to enjoy while visiting the Conococheague Institute.
Even in the heat of Summer, new visitors have been stopping by daily, drawn by social media activity. The site hopes that the momentum of engaged visitor activity continues to build.
COMING August 1: Midsummer Memories: A Glimpse of Colonial Life & Crafts – FREE EVENT – An 18th Century Open Grounds Day where visitors may enjoy the many acres of CI safely as staff and volunteers interpret the history of the Appalachian frontier. More on Eventbrite.
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The mission of the Conococheague Institute is to develop and foster awareness, understanding, and stewardship of the cultural and natural history of the Appalachian frontier of Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia. The Institute strives to achieve its mission through education, research, and preservation.