They came fleeing persecution.
In 1731, a small group of religious refugees left everything they knew in Silesia, then part of the Holy Roman Empire, and made the dangerous Atlantic crossing to Pennsylvania. They carried with them their faith, their culture, and a fierce determination to preserve both.
They were the Schwenkfelders, followers of 16th-century Reformation leader Caspar Schwenckfeld, and they put down roots in the Upper Perkiomen Valley that are still visible today.
Nearly 300 years later, their story, and the broader story of the Pennsylvania Germans who shaped this region, lives at the Schwenkfelder Library & Heritage Center in Pennsburg.
And it’s free to visit.
A Living Museum, Not a Dusty Archive
What began in the 1880s as a church effort to preserve Schwenkfelder religious writings has grown into one of the most dynamic cultural institutions in the Delaware Valley.
Today, the center functions as a full-fledged museum with permanent and changing exhibits, programs for all ages, a world-class research library, and an authentic 1826 Pennsylvania bank barn that visitors can tour.
The permanent self-guided exhibits walk visitors through daily life in the Upper Perkiomen region from the 1700s through the early 1900s, told not through text panels alone, but through the actual objects people used: furniture, dishes, farm tools, and family heirlooms donated by descendants of the families who once used them.
“Visitors will be overwhelmed and delighted by the vast collection that celebrates Pennsylvania German culture in this region for over 200 years,” said Beth Twiss Houting, the center’s executive director.
The changing exhibitions go deeper, tackling local industry, community life, and this year, themes tied to America’s Semiquincentennial, the 250th anniversary of the nation’s founding.
It’s a timely connection: the people who built this valley were here before the Revolution, and their contributions to Pennsylvania’s and America’s founding story are woven throughout the center’s collections
Built Over Generations
The center’s physical growth mirrors its expanding ambition. A dedicated library facility opened in 1951. A major addition in 2000 created space for exhibits. Another significant expansion in 2020 doubled exhibit space and expanded archival storage.
Each addition has allowed the center to share more of what it holds, and what it holds is considerable.
The research library is internationally recognized and open to anyone interested in genealogical research, regional history, or religious history.
If your family has roots in Montgomery, Bucks, Berks, Lehigh, or Chester County, there’s a reasonable chance some thread of your history passes through these collections.
That’s a story we’ll explore more deeply in an upcoming piece.
Plan Your Visit
The Schwenkfelder Library & Heritage Center is located at 105 Seminary Street in Pennsburg, Montgomery County. Admission is free. The research library is open to the public for genealogical and local history research.
To plan your visit or explore what’s currently on exhibit, visit Schwenkfelder.org.
