Open House - Volunteer Guides/Field Trip Docents

Members of the Hellertown Historical Society Education Committee will host an entertaining and informative two-hour introduction to volunteering as a Society tour guide or student field trip docent on Saturday, March 9 from 10 a.m. to 12 noon, rain or shine.

The day begins with a presentation on Hellertown’s history inside the Tavern Room on the west side of the 1767 Heller-Wagner Grist Mill, a venue used today for events of all types but whose original purpose remains a mystery. The slide presentation will answer many questions: Who were the people who founded Hellertown? Where were they from and what brought them here? What was life like in a tiny wilderness settlement in the late 1700s? Why did Hellertown grow and prosper in the 19th century, and what was life like in the borough in the 1900s? 

Following the presentation, guests will exit the Tavern Room and enjoy an outdoor interpretation of other buildings in the complex: the Wash House, Heller-Wagner Grist Mill, Miller’s House, and the pole barn on the north side of Walnut Street where extensive collections of local agricultural equipment ad blacksmith and carpenter tools are housed.

Then it’s indoors to the second floor of the Grist Mill Museum, and a tour of exhibits that depict various aspects of home, social, and cultural life in 19th- and 20th-century Hellertown.

The morning wraps up back inside the Tavern Room with light snacks and beverages and a discussion on what’s required to become an HHS tour guide or student field trip docent. 

Let us know you’re coming, or ask additional questions by contacting Education Committee Chair, Dennis Scholl, at DScholl165@gmail.com.

Continuing a Legacy of Education

On December 12, the HHS Board of Directors unanimously approved funding in the amount of $10,000 in support of the Education Committee’s planned upgrades for the Society’s public tour and field trip programs. The funding will come from the Marcella Dimmick Fund which has previously been used to benefit other education-focused endeavors. The Education Committee, Board of Directors, and HHS treasurer will continue to discuss funding over the course of this month and the next to ensure all areas of improvement are adequately met. Discussions with the Borough regarding a handicapped-accessible access ramp to the HHS museum are also planned.

Miss Dimmick was a 1931 graduate of Hellertown High School and 1935 graduate of Moravian College. After graduating, Dimmick worked within the Saucon Valley School District as a guidance counselor and teacher of English, French, and History for over 40 years. Miss Dimmick always had a passion for local history and was a Member of the HHS Board of Directors before her passing in 2020 at the age of 105.

Continuing Miss Dimmick’s lifelong devotion to education and historical preservation is no small task. It is the hope of everyone at HHS that these funds and plans for our future ensure that Hellertown’s rich history is open and accessible to everyone both locally and worldwide.

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