History Comes Alive At Pottsgrove Manor

Laura Daugherty realizes that history is not for everyone. This is why she donates three hours of her time on recent Sundays to be at , put on a colonial dress and teach visitors how to churn butter and manage an 18th century kitchen.

“I’ll admit I hated history in high school,” Daugherty said. “It was just names and dates and elections. With living history, it’s about people; you really get a connection.”

Held every August, Living History Sundays invites visitors to step back in time and experience life on a colonial manor. 

Visitors can tour the manor, observe and participate in activities such as needlework, gunsmithing, butter churning and tape weaving.

When not volunteering, Daugherty serves the manor as site supervisor.

“I’ve been doing living history for about 12 years," she said. "I fell in love with it and decided to do it for a living.”

Pottsgrove Manor was in built in 1752 for John Potts, ironmaster and founder of Pottstown. Formerly a 1000-acre plantation, the manor was opened as a museum in 1952 and still maintains four acres of property.  

The manor is staffed by five employees, two of which are full-time.  Almost all of the living history actors are volunteers.

“We depend very much on our volunteers,” said Museum Educator Lynn Synborski. 

“We notify our volunteers and see when they’re available and if they want to bring in projects or activities for living history.”

Synborski said the manor has hosted its living history events for over 10 years, as well as organizing a plethora of other activities, events and presentations.

“We do have a regular system of programming and three or four times a year," she said. "We have recognized historians come in and give lectures."