The Camp William Penn Museum near Elkins Park preserves one of the most important but often overlooked chapters of Civil War history, writes Kim Hudson for CBS News Philadelphia.
Inside the modest museum, visitors can explore the story of the thousands of Black Union soldiers who trained at Camp William Penn, the first and largest federal training camp for African American troops during the Civil War.
The Camp William Penn Museum records the history of the men who trained in Cheltenham Township starting in 1863, when the federal government finally authorized the enlistment of Black troops. What unfolded here was extraordinary.
“About midpoint through the Civil War, finally, Black troops were allowed to be enlisted,” lead historian James Paradis said. “And Camp William Penn was the first and the largest federal training camp for the volunteers.”
Nearly 11,000 men passed through this ground before heading into battle as members of the United States Colored Troops. Their impact, Paradis argues, was decisive. “They turned the tide of the war,” he said.
The museum’s exhibits bring that history to life through uniforms, military equipment, photographs, personal belongings, and recruiting materials tied directly to the soldiers who trained here.
Among the most arresting pieces is an eight-foot-tall recruiting broadside. The towering original document once called Black volunteers to enlist in the Union Army.
The museum also tells the story of the community that grew up around the camp. The land itself belonged to the family of Quaker abolitionist Lucretia Mott, and her connection to this place runs deep.
In 1885, the community chose the name La Mott in her honor. Exhibits explore abolitionist movements, Black military service, and the 11 regiments that trained at Camp William Penn. Each of these received a hand-painted silk battle flag created by Black Philadelphia artist David Bustill Bowser.
Beyond its artifacts, the museum keeps the work alive through lectures, reenactments, Juneteenth programming, and community events.
It is a place determined to ensure that history will not forget the men who trained and fought here.
To learn more about the historic Camp William Penn Museum tucked away in Montgomery County, visit CBS News Philadelphia.
