Thursday, March 24, 2016

Waynesborough

Waynesborough
2049 Waynesborough Rd
Paoli, PA 19301

Waynesborough is a historic Georgian manor in Paoli, Pennsylvania. It was the home of Continental and United States Army General "Mad" Anthony Wayne for all of his life with the exception of the last five years. Wayne served in the Army from 1775-1783, and again from 1792-1796. Wayne was a veteran of the American Revolution and Northwest Indian War.

The home was built in 1724 by Wayne's grandfather Captain W.M. Wayne. His son, Captain Isaac Wayne, enlarged the home in 1765, and a wing was added in 1812. The home now houses a collection of Wayne family artifacts, including Anthony Wayne's own map of the Paoli Massacre (September 20, 1777). 

Below are two links with more information on Waynesborough, along with some photos that I took during my recent visit:

http://historicwaynesborough.org/

http://www.visitpa.com/pa-museums/historic-waynesborough

MW



Sunday, March 20, 2016

The Matt Ward History Experience Podcast - Episode #5

Check out the fifth edition of The Matt Ward History Experience Podcast!
    1. Let's Talk History - Interview with Philadelphia based author, historian and tour guide Harry Kyriakodis
    You can check out Harry Kyriakodis online via the following websites:

    Amazon.com Author Page - http://www.amazon.com/Harry-Kyriakodis/e/B005D9T8J2

    Hidden City Philadelphia Page - http://hiddencityphila.org/author/HarryK/

    Below are a few photos of Harry Kyriakodis and his collection of Philadelphia books:





    Below is more information on Harry's Philadelphia area tours and presentations:

    For over ten years, I have been giving walking tours of parts of the city for the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia and other organizations. I developed several nitty-gritty urban walking tours:
    1. The Historic North Central Waterfront (taking a look at what is left after I95 devastated the corridor in the 1960s)
    2. Underground Philadelphia (a tour of Philly's Underground transit concourse system, which was revolutionary in city planning and design)
    3. Up and Over the Ben Franklin Bridge (a look at the Delaware River and the City of Philadelphia (and Camden, NJ) from one of the greatest bridges ever; can only be done on days with great weather)
    4. Post-Industrial Philadelphia--West Callowhill area (this walk focuses on blocks that once contained the Baldwin Locomotive Company and the other Philadelphia industries, now gone, which made Philadelphia known around the globe as the Workshop of the World well into the 20th century)
    5. Post-Industrial Philadelphia--East Callowhill area (similar to the West Callowhill tour, but on the east side of Broad Street)
    ***I have also put together and offer PowerPoint presentations on tours 1, 4 and 5 above, so that a virtual tour through these areas can be done. I have given these presentations to countless organizations and neighborhood groups that are interested in local history.

    In addition to these, I developed shorter PowerPoint presentations on these topics: 
    1. The Benjamin Franklin Parkway (showing the development of the Parkway and its constituent attractions)
    2. Floating Church of the Redeemer (a 19th church built on a barge that was pushed up and down the Delaware River to serve the religious needs of sailors and waterfront communities)
    3. The Indian Pole (a huge pole that once had an Indian figure on top and which stood near 4th and Vine Streets for a hundred years, but which mysteriously disappeared sometime in the mid-20th century)
    4. St. George's Greek Orthodox Church (the history of a Greek church, now a cathedral, that still stands at 8th and Spruce Streets)
    First and foremost I would like to thank my guest Harry Kyriakodis for sitting down at Pier 3 to talk history with me.

    This episode would not have been possible if it had not been for the technical support of my good friend Peter Lloyd of One Stone Recording and Mastering. Pete mixed and cleaned up the original recordings into the great episode that you can stream on SoundCloud.

    Last but certainly not least, I would like to thank all of my readers and listeners - Especially those who submitted questions for this month's segment of Let's Talk History.

    The Matt Ward History Experience is brought to you by One Stone Recording and Mastering in New Brunswick, NJ. Check out One Stone Recording and Mastering for all of you mixing and mastering needs. Go to onestonerecording.com/mwhistory and receive 10% off your first session!

    One Stone Recording and Mastering:

    http://onestonerecording.com/mwhistory

    http://onestonerecording.com


    MW

    Monday, March 14, 2016

    Fort Lowell

    Fort Lowell Park
    2900 N. Craycroft Rd.
    Tucson, AZ 85712

    Fort Lowell was a U.S. Army post on the outskirts of Tucson, Arizona from 1873-1891. The fort played an important role during the Apache Wars of the 19th century. The fort provided supplies and soldiers to outlying military installations, and prevented Apache raids on Tucson due to its size and garrison. The fort averaged thirteen officers and 239 enlisted men. The fort housed a number of cavalry and infantry regiments during its history. These regiments included the 2nd, 4th, 5th and 6th Cavalry Regiments, as well as the 1st, 8th, and 12th Infantry Regiments.

    The fort featured a large parade ground, officers' quarters, quartermaster and commissary storehouses, corrals, and quarters for enlisted men as well as for married non-commissioned officers. The most prominent building on post was the hospital, the adobe remnants of which still stand under a protective structure. A lane lined with cottonwood trees, named Cottonwood Lane, graced the area in front of the officers' houses. Famous officers who were stationed at the installation included Walter Reed and Charles Bendire. Reed was a physician who is well-known for his research on yellow fever. Bendire is known for his work as an amateur ornithologist. The Bendire Thrasher bird is named after him.

    Fort Lowell was decommissioned by the Army in 1891. Following the departure of the Army, Mexican families from Sonora moved to the fort to take advantage of the free housing that became available. The park was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. The fort museum is housed in the former commanding officer's quarters.

    Below are two links with more information on Fort Lowell, along with several photos I took during my 2010 visit:

    http://www.arizonahistoricalsociety.org/welcome-to-the-arizona-history-museum-tucson/

    http://tucson.com/entertainment/weekend/history-comes-to-life-at-fort-lowell-day/article_5e48788b-bc75-57f7-9bb4-2d690113441c.html

    MW