Events Page

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 Due to the popularity of this tour last fall, we are offering another opportunity to join us for a special tour of the Lazaretto with Dr. David S. Barnes, Vice President of the Lazaretto Preservation Association, professor of history at University of Pennsylvania, and author of an award-winning book on the Lazaretto.  The tour date is Saturday, November 14, 2026, at 11:00 am, at the Lazaretto, 97 Wanamaker Ave., Essington, PA 19029. 

There will be a luncheon at Lehman's directly after the tour where Dr. Barnes will continue the conversation and answer any questions.  Guests will be responsible for the cost of their lunch.

The tour is limited to 30 people, and the sale of tickets for the general public will begin on Sunday, November 1st, so be sure to purchase them soon.  

Tickets are $10, per person, and can be purchased online at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/tour-of-the-lazaretto-with-dr-david-s-barnes-tickets-2003894266695?aff=oddtdtcreator

Members have early notification of this tour, and will be able to sign up first!

 “Ridley Park's Train Station and Keystone Markers:  Icons of the 20th Century”

7:00 PM, March 26, 2026

Community Room, Ridley Park Borough Hall, 105 E. Ward Ave., Ridley Park PA 19078

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While not widely considered a local landmark in the same way as its Victorian predecessor, Ridley Park’s 1940s train station has an important place in the history of the town and the Pennsylvania Railroad. A historian of local railroad architecture, Greg Prichard will speak about the small stone building’s place in the aesthetic of its time and connection to one of America’s most important designers. 

For a century, visitors to Ridley Park have been welcomed to the town by two iconic “Keystone Markers” installed by the Pennsylvania Department of Highways in the mid-1920s. These markers have a remarkable story, documented over the past 15 years by a statewide effort to preserve and restore these important parts of Pennsylvania’s history. Greg will speak about the Keystone Marker program, how they came to be, how they have endured, and the efforts to preserve them. 

7:00 PM, May 7, 2026

Community Room, Ridley Park Borough Hall, 105 E. Ward Ave., Ridley Park PA 19078

Dr. Myers is the Author of “Inventing the Republic: The British Foundation of American Independence” and the forthcoming “Inventing the Nation: The Institutional and Cultural Formation of the Constitution of the United States.”  He will discuss the creation of the Declaration of Independence and Ridley resident John Morton's history and contribution as a founding father.

“William Penn’s First Landing”

7:00 PM, September 16, 2026

Community Room, Christ Church Ridley Park, 104 Nevin St., Ridley Park, PA 19078

(Note: This venue is accessed by a stair case. A stair-chair is available if needed.)

Dr. Jordan Smith, Professor of History at Widener University, will tell us about William Penn’s first landing in our area. Dr. Smith has recently published The Importance of Rum, an award-winning book about the importance of the rum trade to early settlement along the Atlantic. This book will be available for sale. 

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