Heritage Days fills the Hower-Slote House, Fort Freeland and the Historic Warrior Run Church with living history experiences. Across both days, explore the church on guided tours, hear strolling hammered dulcimer music, and bring Indian artifacts to the barn for identification or appraisal with Kim Mattern. Meet Martha Washington, visit the Fort Augusta Regiment encampment and the Southern Woodland Indian Loyal Confederacy encampment, watch apple butter simmer over the fire, and walk through the Hower-Slote House to see demonstrators alongside the museum collection.
Saturday includes a flag raising and lowering by the Fort Freeland Co. of Independent Riflemen, butchering with Ethan Whitmoyer and crew, herb gardening talks with Vicki Egli and Dawn Shawley, and Battle of Fort Freeland reenactments narrated by Roger Swartz with the Fort Freeland Co. of Independent Riflemen, Lynn Otto with the Fort Augusta Regiment, and Turtle Swartz with the Southern Woodland Indian Loyal Confederacy. Martha Washington, portrayed by Meg Geffken, shares details of her life, and apprentices gather for an Apprenticeship Parade. Throughout the site, ongoing demonstrations feature hearth cooking with Maris Kilgus and Peggy Gelnett, gunsmithing with Roy Houseknecht, rope making and rope bed stringing with apprentices Alex Karn, Chanan Susan, Sam Dunkleberger, Tucker Davis and Ryder Davis, herb gardening, blacksmithing with Lucian Spring and Brad Gray, wheelwright work with Bradd Mertz, bobbin lace with Iva Kessler, Faith Lynn, Ciara Spring and Mary Paulhamus, the Interpretive Center with Drake Owens, the Acquisitions Room with Cindy Coup, clear toy candy with Wayne and Samantha Jacobs, quilting with Gail Moser, chair caning with Viola Pfleegor, Grandma’s Kitchen with Glenda Yost and Leslie Hartline, rake making with Kohen Susan and Brent Susan, Revolutionary War and Native American encampments with Lynn Otto and Roger and Turtle Swartz, apple cider pressing with David Barsky, horseradish with Heidi and Sue Eppenbach, pickled cabbage and sauerkraut with Margaret Rovenolt, paper making with Gavin Loss, coopering with Colin Moore, Asher Snoddy, Cayden Snyder, Levi Watson and Rich Nornhold, spinning with Rebekah Richardson, butter making with Alicia Susan and Amanda Bridges, brick making with Leon and Teagan Hagenbuch, fence post making with Ed Rovenolt, tinsmithing with Scott Gelnett, open hearth fire cooking with Brian Kocher and Nancy Lewis, fraktur painting with Marie Burkhart, pottery with Finnian Spring and Robert Lee, tape loom work with Tirzah Susan and Frances Appleman, schoolroom lessons with Grace Lynn, quill pen making with Paul and Bonnie Stillman, colonial art with David Clark, a flintlock rifle display with Steve Myers, flintlock knapping with Jacob Snyder, Pennsylvania German flax culture with apprentices Alice and Zulia Schrack, Reuben Crist and Nicole Spring under master Abigail Appleman Schrack, pump making with Steve Moser, leather work with Jeff Myers, Johnny Appleseed with Randy Watts, pie making with Glenda Yost, Leslie Hartline and Madison Rovenolt, children’s games with the Seven Bridges District of local Boy Scout troops, and genealogy research with Greg Forsburg, the Tiadaghton Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution, and Valerie Bieber with the Shikelimo Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.
On Sunday, the Historic Warrior Run Church offers a church service with Shawn McNett followed by additional tours. At the farm and fort, look for another flag ceremony, more dulcimer music with Robert Gutheinz, the apple butter boil with June Moser and crew, herb gardening with Vicki Egli and with Vicki Egli and Dawn Shawley, a Battle of Fort Freeland reenactment narrated by Roger Swartz with participating units as above and funding noted from the Charles B. Degenstein Foundation, an Apprentice Auction with Weaver’s Auctioneering, and another Apprenticeship Parade. Demonstrations continue throughout the grounds with many of the same presenters and activities, including hearth cooking, gunsmithing, rope making, blacksmithing, wheelwrighting, bobbin lace, the Interpretive Center with John Bower, the Acquisitions Room, clear toy candy, quilting, chair caning, Grandma’s Kitchen, rake making, military and Native encampments, cider pressing, horseradish, pickled cabbage and sauerkraut, paper making, coopering, spinning, butter and brick making, fence post making, tinsmithing, open hearth fire cooking, fraktur, pottery, tape loom weaving, schoolroom lessons, quill pens, colonial art, flintlock skills, flax culture, pump making, leatherwork, Johnny Appleseed, pies, children’s games, and genealogy research. Demonstrations may change.
