Harriton Historic House and Park

06/02/2026

Harriton House has hosted students from the Praxis program for the third year through the Bryn Mawr Museum studies department. Although she has graduated, Angela’s work has impacted us greatly. Below is her story while working at the Harriton House.

During my last senior semester, I interned at the Harriton House working on a transcription project on Charles Thomson’s daybook. I have never transcribed before, so this praxis internship was a great way for me to learn a new skill. During the transcription process, I found multiple people and places mentioned in relation to Thomson. I recorded my findings and completed further researched, discovering more about the Philadelphia societal figures and places that Thomson knew. The most fulfilling part of this project was learning about the everyday vernacular used in colonial times as well as seeing the behind-the-scenes of a historic house.

05/29/2026

Meet the people of Harriton House!

This is Stephen Pierce! He has been working at the Harriton House for 3 years. His title is the visitor service associate, and he wears many hats. Stephen’s job includes working with Harriton’s farm animals, leading education programs, giving guided tours of Harriton House and taking on research projects to learn more about Harriton’s history.

In this interview, you will learn more about Stephen’s background and how he started working at the Harriton House.

05/27/2026

The last few weeks at Harriton House have been busy with lots of creative energy and enthusiasm as several local high school seniors have been completing Senior Service Projects. We have had Will from Harriton High School working with our farm animals while writing a paper on the benefits of working./studying outdoors. We currently have Eerika and Rikki from Shipley School contributing to current and future social media content. They have been working to create a calendar around which we will be able to develop future content. They have also been creating reels and posts that are being shared in real time so keep an eye out over the next week for some of their fun, interesting content.

Finally, Sam from Harriton High School has completed a several-year project to produce a documentary about the history of the school including the connection to Harriton House. Sam's documentary will be screened at Harriton High School tomorrow, Thursday, May 28th at 3:45 pm in the auditorium. The public is invited to attend. If you can't join in person, the documentary will also be live-streamed on HarritonTV's YouTube channel. Follow this link to access the live-stream. https://www.youtube.com/

We salute and celebrate these wonderful students as they wrap up their senior year. The future looks VERY bright through their eyes!

05/27/2026

Our goats are one of the visitors’ favorite parts of the Harriton House!

Every day the staff and volunteers do our best to make sure all of our animals have a healthy, well-balanced diet. While visitors are welcome to feed the goats, we need to make sure the treats they receive are safe and healthy for them!

Our veterinarian, Dr. Mike, has recommended limiting certain snacks so our goats can stay happy and healthy.

Healthy treats for our goats include:
Iceberg lettuce
Romaine lettuce
Raw string beans
Cucumbers
Celery
Zucchini
Apples
Please remember to feed treats in moderation!

Foods we ask visitors NOT to feed the goats include:

Kale – high in calcium
Carrots – high in sugar
Tomatoes – nightshade family
Onions
Grapes – high in sugar
Bananas – high in sugar
Bread or cookies – too many carbohydrates
Thank you for doing your part to help us care for our farm animals and keep them healthy! If you have any questions, feel free to ask a Harriton staff member or email to: [email protected]

05/21/2026

The chickens here at the Harriton House are an important part for visitors. We hope you enjoyed learning a little more about how the chickens lay their eggs. From exploring their coop to watching them roam free around the Harriton House, these feathered friends help bring the farm’s history to life for everyone who visits.

Come by anytime to see the animals from dusk to dawn!
🐓🐓🐐🐐🐑🐑

05/15/2026

We're taking Harriton on the road tomorrow!

We'll be at Pennypacker Mills in Schwenksville, Montgomery County tomorrow to share Harriton House with visitors coming for their Revolutionary War Weekend. Look for us on the porch of the main house and stop by to say hello!

It's a full weekend of really great living history!

Pennypacker Mills

05/07/2026

We're pleased to be hosting members of the Philadelphia Society for Promoting Agriculture for a tour and lunch. It's fitting to have them here at Harriton House as Charles Thomson was one the 23 founding members who established the Society in 1785.

If you have a group that would like a tour and lunch or just a tour of Harriton House, please reach out.

The Society expresses its appreciation to Lynne Farrington and Ryan Morgan for a project that will be of great use in the years to come.

04/24/2026

We received a packet of provenance documentation earlier this week which included this photograph of Harriton House. The back is labeled "Harriton House 1976 after restoration". Does anyone else remember square format photographs? From Brownie to Instamatic camera prints, the 1:1 square format was popular well before Instagram arrived on the scene.

This photo was likely taken with an Instamatic introduced by Kodak in 1963. By the late 1960s the Instamatic camera became very popular among amateur photographer because of its ease of use. The film came pre-loaded into cartridges eliminating the need to load film into the camera by hand. The camera and film were a fraction of the cost of a 36mm film camera as well.

Through many iterations, the Instamatic camera lasted through the 1980s, disappearing completely when Kodak stopped producing the 126 film in 1999.

04/21/2026

We have some exciting news to share at Sunday's Harriton Association Annual Meeting. Charles Thomson is "having a moment" and we couldn't be happier.

Seating is limited for Sunday's meeting so we recommend reserving your ticket. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-harriton-association-annual-meeting-2026-tickets-1986465859861

04/16/2026

We are "in the pink" for the next several days thanks to this beautiful Kwanzan Cherry tree in full bloom. This memorial bench under the tree is the best seat in the house with a view into the pastures and bucolic sheep and goats. Oh and you may be joined by a chicken or two.