Lansdale Historical Society

Lansdale Historical Society It has its headquarters in a two-building complex, located on Jenkins Avenue in the center of Lansdale, Montgomery County, PA.

The Lansdale Historical Society was founded in 1971, and its purpose is to preserve the history of the Borough of Lansdale and the greater North Penn area, and to share its collection of material and resources with the greater community, particularly the youth. The buildings are owned by the Borough of Lansdale. The complex includes the Jenkins Homestead, a 1770-era Federalist-style farmstead that

is the oldest building within the original borders of Lansdale. Portions of the Homestead have been restored and are open for public tours. The Lansdale Historical Research Center, located less than 60 feet from the Homestead, was acquired by the Borough in 2000 and has undergone extensive renovations to make it computer and Internet friendly and a repository for the Society's vast collection of documents and artifacts related to Lansdale and the surrounding North Penn area. The building is handicapped accessible. LOCATION: The complex is located one block off Lansdale's Main Street on Jenkins Avenue between Chestnut and Line Streets. On-street parking is available on Jenkins Avenue.

BACK THEN by DICK SHEARER Historical research can be a lot of fun for folks who fancy themselves as amateur detectives ...
06/17/2026

BACK THEN by DICK SHEARER

Historical research can be a lot of fun for folks who fancy themselves as amateur detectives but too often they wind up stuck on a dead-end street.
While attempting to track down news of what happened around Lansdale during the Fourth of July weekend in 1926, I came upon this brief story about “Lefty” Flynn, one of the many characters who ran afoul of the law in our fair community. “Lefty” claimed that he was a former major league player for the Philadelphia Nationals in 1906-07 who had come upon hard times in later years. Problem is, I can’t find any trace of him on the rosters of the Nationals (Phillies) or Athletics from his alleged major league career. The best I could come up with was a player named “Lush”, which police said described “Lefty’s” condition when they found him.
So I turn this over to you, our Facebook Followers: Was this near-sighted research on my part or was “Lefty” throwing the cops a curve?

BACK THEN by DICK SHEARER Contrary to what it looks like here, the world didn’t end where the sidewalk did. This 1971 ...
06/16/2026

BACK THEN by DICK SHEARER

Contrary to what it looks like here, the world didn’t end where the sidewalk did. This 1971 scene is along Welsh Road east of North Wales Road where construction was beginning on the Sandy Brook Plaza in Montgomery Township.
At that time nothing except woods and fields were across Welsh Road leaving us with a rural setting only a half block from the Lansdale border. The sidewalk ended at the eastern end of the Hanna Eadeh property as it does now.

BACK THEN by DICK SHEARER We bet these TV listings from the weekend of June 30, 1961 will spur some memories of shows ...
06/15/2026

BACK THEN by DICK SHEARER

We bet these TV listings from the weekend of June 30, 1961 will spur some memories of shows we used to enjoy and still turn up from time to time on TV Land channels.
We could sit on the sofa with our new-fangled remote control and flip between channels 3, 6 and 10. No need for a “smart” TV back then and you didn’t need a master’s degree to use it.

BACK THEN by Pat Rieker In the Lansdale area, we feel pretty safe from weather disasters, but every once in a while, d...
06/14/2026

BACK THEN by Pat Rieker

In the Lansdale area, we feel pretty safe from weather disasters, but every once in a while, dangerous weather comes our way. This was true on the evening of Friday, June 24, 1960, when a powerful tornado cut a swath of destruction through Lancaster, Berks, and Montgomery Counties.

Hardest hit in the North Penn area was Upper Gwynedd, where roofs were torn off houses and barns, and trees were thrown around like matchsticks. At the Dickinson home on White Oak Road, south of North Wales, the roof was torn off by the winds and deposited in a neighbor’s yard. The Dickinsons’ large car was lifted from the driveway, spun in the air and set down to rest, leaning against the house. Incredibly, no one in the family was injured.

Five minutes after the tornado struck, the sun was shining. Thousands of curiosity-seekers converged on the area, creating traffic jams that were exacerbated by debris in the roadways. Upper Gwynedd Police Chief Benjamin Cairns commended the combined efforts of local emergency responders for their “terrific teamwork.”

Thanks to the family of Chief Cairns for this amazing photo.

BACK THEN by DICK SHEARER We’ve featured the South Perkasie Bridge a number of times over the years but it’s worth ment...
06/13/2026

BACK THEN by DICK SHEARER

We’ve featured the South Perkasie Bridge a number of times over the years but it’s worth mentioning again that this historic span built in 1832 had a much more peaceful life back then than it has since 1958.
That’s when it was moved from South Main Street to Lake Lenape Park where it was subjected to flooding from Hurricane Ida in 2021. Raging waters roared down Branch Creek that tore it off its approaches and did considerable damage to the structure itself.
Six years later, work is under way to completely restore the bridge at a safer location with many more protections from future flooding. A nod to the people of Perkasie for their dogged efforts to save this important part of their history.

BACK THEN by Linda Evans Early advertising for the Montgomeryville Merchandise Mart which opened in 1954 included t...
06/12/2026

BACK THEN by Linda Evans

Early advertising for the Montgomeryville Merchandise Mart which opened in 1954 included the phrases, “Pioneers of Better Farmers’ Markets” and “First in Pennsylvania”. The ads featured a pioneer woman and a Conestoga wagon. Later the images were replaced by a top hat that was used to illustrate the slogan, “The Fifth Avenue of Farmers’ Markets”.
In the summer of 1956, the Pennsauken Merchandise Mart opened. The original “Half Price Marty”, a large coin figure with another coin figure half the size of the first was used as their advertising. When the two marts were advertised together in the Philadelphia Inquirer, Half Price Marty was used to highlight the similarities.
We remember Half Price Marty from our own Montgomeryville Mart. Here he is in his many costumes advertising special sales in The North Penn Reporter.

BACK THEN by DICK SHEARER They talk about the Nifty Fifties and this was one of the perks for Lansdale High School stu...
06/11/2026

BACK THEN by DICK SHEARER

They talk about the Nifty Fifties and this was one of the perks for Lansdale High School students in 1955. The class ball, held at the posh Bala Country Club, was attended by many of the students who excelled at the Penn Street school.
Among this well-dressed group we can’t help but notice Charles (Chuck) Berky, who rose to publisher of The Reporter and keeps in touch from his retirement home in Florida.
By the way, 155 seniors received their diplomas in 1955, barely a tenth of the number graduating from North Penn in 2026.

BACK THEN by Pat Rieker Before another school year comes to a close, let’s take a look back about 90 years to the spri...
06/10/2026

BACK THEN by Pat Rieker

Before another school year comes to a close, let’s take a look back about 90 years to the spring of 1937 at Broad Street School. These second graders are posing for the camera in costume for their class play. We’re thrilled that someone long ago had the foresight to write the names of all the students on the back of the picture. Do you see any familiar faces and names?

BACK THEN by DICK SHEARER The quality of this vintage photograph leaves a lot to be desired but it shows what the hous...
06/09/2026

BACK THEN by DICK SHEARER

The quality of this vintage photograph leaves a lot to be desired but it shows what the house on the southeast corner of E. Main and Chestnut Sts. looked like in 1916.
At that time, it was the residence of Harry Brand who built a store into part of the building in 1930. That space is currently filled by The Classic Barber Shop. Earlier, it was home to Lee’s Hair Fashions for a number of years.

BACK THEN by DICK SHEARER Reporter editors knew that when Chief Photographer Willard Krieble arrived for work, checked...
06/08/2026

BACK THEN by DICK SHEARER

Reporter editors knew that when Chief Photographer Willard Krieble arrived for work, checked the assignment book and saw nothing scheduled they’d be in for a surprise at the end of his shift.
Willard wasn’t one to sit around and drink coffee at his desk on days like this. He would grab his camera, turn on his creative juices and look for a routine scene he could turn into something special.
We’re not certain where or when Willard spotted this full-to-capacity bike rack during classes at an elementary school, but when he shot it with something more in mind – the start of three-photo sequence that was followed by the gleeful students reclaiming their bikes at the end of the school day, and finally the lonely rack waiting for the kids to return the next morning.
It required two additional trips back to the school on that day but, to Willard, it was better than sitting around drinking coffee. And he was rewarded with several awards for making something out of nothing.

Address

137 Jenkins Avenue
Lansdale, PA
19446

Opening Hours

Wednesday 11am - 3pm
Thursday 11am - 3pm
Saturday 9:30am - 12pm

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