Kutztown Area Historical Society

06/05/2026

Thanks to Channel 69 WFMZ for coming to see us. The Keith Haring puzzle project, begun in March 2025, is almost complete.

Click the link below to see the story.

What started with just a small group became a much bigger effort.

06/04/2026

Before there was social media (and the ever-present comments sections), there was the Letters to the Editor column. This fine example comes from the August 18, 1956 edition of "The Patriot." Happy reading!

Dear Miss DeChant:

One day this week I decided to gather a group of neighborhood children together and treat them to an afternoon in the Kutztown Park. On the way over the kiddies glowed as they talked merrily of the swings, sliding boards, bars to climb, and the merry-go-round. I'm afraid all of our spirits dampened when we arrived to find a group of boys (old enough to know better) filling balloons with water and throwing them. Although they were aimed at fellow playmates, needless to say they splashed something awful, and "my kiddies" came running to me, soaking wet! As if that weren't enough, all the "rides" were not only wet but very muddy.
When I complained to the Park management I was told, "We only sell the balloons, and what they do with them is none of our business!" True, but then let's make it someone's business! How about the parents of those boys? Do you know what your children do when they are away all day? Or don't you care?

Also, before we spend money on flower pots for the town, let's use that money to buy ground to cover those d - - - tree roots in the Park. In the short time I was there, I saw no less than 10 children and two old ladies either fall or stumble over them.

You asked for letters. Here's mine!

A KUTZTOWN MOTHER

06/01/2026

The 7 November 1918 issue of The Kutztown Patriot included this little item on its back page. Eighty oak trees planted at the Kutztown Park? The park was smaller back then than it is now, so they must've been planted close together.

How lucky our town is to have such a magnificent park that has been revered for well over 100 years.

The next time you're in the Kutztown Park, take a gander at the trees. There are several large oaks that surely must've been planted as part of this enterprise. And, unfortunately, some of the trees that were recently removed due to disease or rot must also have been part of this massive planting.

Any enterprising soul out there want to count how many large oak trees are still standing in the Kutztown Park? If so, please post your findings in the comments.

05/13/2026

For our 50th anniversary party, we made this short video about the 1892 Public School Building:

Short video showing renovations done to the Historical Society's 1892 Public Schoolhouse since purchased in 1979.

05/12/2026

With Lehigh Valley Passport to History – We just made it onto their weekly engagement list by being one of their top engagers! 🎉

05/07/2026

The forerunner of Kutztown University, the Keystone State Normal School (KSNS) actually published its 1891 final exam in the June 6, 1891 issue of the local newspaper, The Kutztown Patriot. The exam, of course, had already been given, so no students were able to take advantage of the publication. The exam is an interesting look at what was taught in the past to EVERY student. Imagine all Kutztown University students having to translate Latin and Greek? Or prove their penmanship skills?

The tool used to download the text from the 1891 newspaper could not accurately translate the Algebraic formulas, so those, alas, have been omitted from this post.

See how many of these questions you can answer!

What was on the final exam for Keystone State Normal School (forerunner of Kutztown University) students in 1891?

05/03/2026