Poquessing Trail of History programming will continue with In the Light of Freedom: Lantern-Making Workshop and Historical Reenactment and Lantern Parade on Saturday, Oct. 18 from 5 to 7:30 p.m., at Byberry Friends Meeting, 3001 Byberry Road.
The Poquessing Trail of History is an initiative of the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia.
The cost is $5 for the workshop, which begins at 5 p.m. Lanterns were important for people escaping slavery. Walking artist Ken Johnston will provide lantern-making instruction and tell stories about Byberry anti-slavery leader Robert Purvis and the role of lanterns in the Underground Railroad.
Hot drinks will be provided for the historical reenactment and lantern parade, which will begin at 6:30 and be led by Johnston around the Byberry Friends burial grounds in celebration of Byberry’s Underground Railroad history.
The reenactment and parade will mark the 175th anniversary of a meeting in Byberry Hall to protest the 1850 Fugitive Slave Act.
“Today one could say Robert Purvis and his brothers grew up grounded with a sense of cultural competence and social activism,” Johnston said. “They were raised in a household where education, communication and a sense of pride in their ancestry was foundational. So, it is befitting we commemorate the 175th anniversary of a historic 1850 protest meeting led by Robert Purvis and others against the Fugitive Slave Act.”
Purvis, a leader of the Underground Railroad in Byberry, and other community leaders gathered local citizens to adopt a strongly worded protest against the Fugitive Slave Act that was later published in the Pennsylvania Freeman newspaper.
Event participants will be invited to take on the role of the historic signers of the protest and read the statement together.
“Lanterns are more than light — they’re a way to connect with history, community and the courage of those who fought for freedom,” said Jack McCarthy, Project Director. “This program offers a rare opportunity to honor Byberry’s abolitionist heritage while participating in a living tradition.”
Register for the lantern workshop and parade/reenactment at https://preservationalliance.com/poquessing-trail-of-history-events/
Next up will be What was Purvis Reading? The Books of a Great Abolitionist on Nov. 15 at 1 p.m.
Purvis was a member of the Byberry Library Company, whose book collection is still preserved at Byberry Meeting and whose circulation records are at the Friends Historical Library at Swarthmore. Purvis checked out about 100 books in the 1850s and 1860s and the Poquessing Trail of History is building a program around this, including displaying the actual books that Purvis read.
For more information on upcoming events, contact Jack McCarthy at [email protected] or 610-639-2164 or visit poquessingtrailofhistory.org. ••
