relive history with us

The Swamp Creek Schoolhouse serves as the Society's hub and meeting place. Built in 1853, it has been carefully restored by Society volunteers. Inside, you'll find a collection of Township school memorabilia and an extensive schoolbook collection. Additionally, the schoolhouse hosts local history programs that allow visitors to engage with the past. It also serves as a popular field trip destination, where school groups and others can experience what 19th century school life was like, alongside the stories of the Dengler Family Summer Kitchen.

Originally part of the Dengler Family Summer Kitchen homestead, the restored summer kitchen from the 1840s features a cooking hearth and bake oven. During the working months, volunteers from our local history programs demonstrate period-specific cooking and baking techniques. Their ongoing research into 19th century domestic practices provides a unique opportunity to interpret local domestic skills and crafts, much like those once practiced at the Swamp Creek Schoolhouse.

Accessible to the Dengler Family Summer Kitchen is an 1850's demonstration PA German kitchen garden. As a three-season garden, and with plantings typical of the period, Society volunteers cultivate produce and medicinal herbs which would have likely been found in this locale, as part of our local history programs. Additionally, this garden complements the educational experiences offered at the Swamp Creek Schoolhouse.

The Society has published four books of articles about local area history: Swamp New Hanover, Volumes One, Two, Three, and Four. In addition, we offer engaging local history programs that include visits to the Dengler Family Summer Kitchen and the Swamp Creek Schoolhouse. Please view our events page for the latest happenings.