Concord Township Historical Society

Home
United States
Glen Mills, PA
Concord Township Historical Society

Call Directions Website Contact the organization

To collect, preserve, and share our local history Through the years, the organization has changed and evolved to reflect the changing dynamics of the township.

Concord Township Historical Society was formed in 1967 when the Pole Cat Road House was donated to Concord Township as part of the development provisions for Fox Valley, an early housing development in the eastern end of the township. In order to restore the house and preserve it for the future, the Society was formed and began to raise funds for its restoration. Today the Board is comprised of President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and six Directors. The Board meets monthly and offers periodic public programs and events. Membership is open to the public. The key areas of interest and associated purpose are:

Collections - to document the vast collection of papers, photographs, books and other objects that have been collected over the years and which reside at the headquarters of the Society, the Pierce-Willits House. Work has begun to catalog this rich treasure-trove which will ultimately culminate in a full database that would be available for research. Future work will focus on archival-quality materials and processes to preserve these artifacts for years to come. Buildings & Grounds - to maintain and manage the two important historic properties that are cared for by the Society: The Pole Cat Road House (PCRH) and the Pierce-Willits (PW) House. Recent work includes installation of a new heater at PW, new wiring, and repair of the front porch column. A dehumidifier was also installed at PCRH. With historic structures such as these, work is never-ending. Membership/Web - to increase membership and volunteer participation in the Society and to continue to enhance and develop our website at Concordhist.org so that CTHS can reach out and share our township history and the Society‚Äôs activities. This site's main focus is to provide information on our various historic properties, people, and events and will continually be enhanced with new information. Public Relations and Fund Raising - to increase public awareness of the Society and its activities, to raise funds, and to promote events. Future endeavors will include programs to increase the funds for the areas of focus described here. We will continue to offer appropriate historic-related items for sale, which will be offered through this website in the future. Education - to promote the inclusion of Concord Township's history in the Garnet Valley School District curriculum. Our annual Scholarship Award to a graduating senior at Garnet Valley continues, and we are developing a colonial program for 5th graders in partnership with the Newlin Grist Mill.

07/04/2026

Happy 250th birthday, America!

06/21/2026

We installed a new exhibit about the US Colored Troops during the Juneteenth open house at the Spring Valley AME Church. One of the panels contains information about Concord residents who served in the USCT.

05/24/2026

Did you know the Pierce-Willits Farm produced many peonies in the early 1900’s that were sold to markets on the East Coast?

We continue to maintain a small garden just outside of the Farm Museum area which has a plaque stating the following:

Peony Garden

Along with traditional farm crops, such as potatoes, mushrooms, and hay, the Willits family grew peonies and lilacs. They sent them to market in Philadelphia each May.

The sign shows a photo of Francis Willits 1910 - 1987 standing in a nearby peony field. The garden continues to honor two individuals: Hugh Peeling and Virginia Merion, Mother of Virginia Merion DeNenno, for whom our museum is named.

02/14/2026

Pennsylvania Trails of History shared this article about Sharpless Creamery, Ward, PA written by Concord resident Emma Leuschner.

Whether smeared on a bagel, baked into cheesecake, or stuffed in peppers, Philadelphia Cream Cheese is found in kitchens across the nation and throughout the world. And, although American-style cream cheese was invented in New York, it also has deep roots in Philadelphia and southeastern Pennsylvania. Here's the story ⬇️

02/10/2026

The Harriet Tubman: A Living History Reenactment by Dr. Daisy Century on February 7th was enjoyed by everyone who braved the cold to attend.

12/11/2025

Enjoy this lovely old postcard.

12/05/2025

Just a reminder that the CTHS holiday event tomorrow is a MEMBERS ONLY event. Garnet Valley Living listing in their calendar of events was in error & based on something they found online from another state.

Interested in attending our memberevents in the future? Consider joining for $10/individual or $15/family.

11/07/2025

CANCELED due to a broken water pipe at the Pierce Willits House. The township will be digging up the pipe to repair it. We will not be opening the museum or yhe AME Church.

Our final Open House of the year will be on Sunday November 16th from 1-4 pm. Both the museum at the Pierce-Willits House and the Spring Valley AME Church will be open. Come visit us.

10/15/2025

Come visit us on Sunday October 19th from 1-4 pm.

Address

659 Smithbridge Road
Glen Mills, PA
19342

Telephone

+1 610-459-8556

Website

http://concordhist.org/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Concord Township Historical Society posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organization

Send a message to Concord Township Historical Society:

Want your organization to be the top-listed non profit organization in Glen Mills?