The Mennonite Heritage Center is a museum, library and exhibition space in
Harleysville, Pennsylvania
Harleysville is a census-designated place (CDP) in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is a suburb of Philadelphia. The population was 9,286 at the 2010 census. It is located mostly within Lower Salford Township and also in Franco ...
, northwest of
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
, about the
Mennonites of Eastern Pennsylvania.
Examples of exhibits
From April 2017 through March 2018 the exhibit "Opportunity & Conscience: Mennonite Immigration to Pennsylvania" runs, which includes:
*a recreation of an immigrant ship during the late 1600s and early 1700s, in which Mennonites emigrated from Europe
* a recreated sitting room in an early immigrant home
* interview with or writings by recent immigrants
There is a semi-permanent exhibit "Work and Hope: Mennonite Life in Eastern Pennsylvania", which uses images and artifacts to illustrate three centuries of Mennonite life in the region.
The center has a gallery of
Fraktur
Fraktur () is a calligraphic hand of the Latin alphabet and any of several blackletter typefaces derived from this hand. The blackletter lines are broken up; that is, their forms contain many angles when compared to the curves of the Antiqu ...
.
In 2015 the Center celebrated its 40th anniversary with a "hymnal series", that is, groups singing hymns of historical significance to the Mennonite community.
;Gallery
File:Quilt at Mennonite Heritage Center, Harleysville, Pennsylvania.jpg, A quilt
File:Dishware at Mennonite Heritage Center, Harleysville, Pennsylvania.jpg, Redware pottery
File:Bibles and hymnals at Mennonite Heritage Center, Harleysville, Pennsylvania.jpg, Bibles and hymnals
File:Historic clothing at Mennonite Heritage Center, Harleysville, Pennsylvania.jpg, Historic clothing
File:Model of interior of a house at Mennonite Heritage Center, Harleysville, Pennsylvania.jpg, A model of interior of a house
Events
Annual events include the Apple Butter Frolic autumn festival in October, the "Christmas Feast" show and craft and food sale, and a Used Book Sale.
Other facilities
There is a museum store selling framed
Fraktur
Fraktur () is a calligraphic hand of the Latin alphabet and any of several blackletter typefaces derived from this hand. The blackletter lines are broken up; that is, their forms contain many angles when compared to the curves of the Antiqu ...
prints,
Redware pottery, other
stoneware pottery, textiles, CDs, notecards, cookbooks, genealogies, books and DVDs about Mennonites, local history and culture, etc.
Beginning in 2012 the Center renovated a 3,200-square-foot traditional barn, the Paul M. Nyce Barn, which it rents for events such as wedding receptions.
The Center maintains a blog on its website with histories of local families descended from Mennonite immigrants.
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References
Official website
Mennonite Heritage Center
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Mennonite museums
Museums in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
German-American culture in Pennsylvania
Barns in Pennsylvania