NORTHUMBERLAND -- The Friends of Joseph Priestley House and the Northumberland County Historical Society invite children in first through fifth grades to the annual co-sponsored Summer History Camps, to be held July 23-25, at Priestley House and Aug. 4-6 at Hunter House/Fort Augusta.
This year at Priestley House, campers will help solve "Joseph Priestley House: A History Mystery." The mystery is: how did Joseph Priestley's home become a museum? Campers will search the house and grounds for clues, meeting Joseph Priestley and other important "persons of interest."
Joseph Priestley, portrayed by Ronald C. Blatchley, New Berlin, and Colonel David Taggart, portrayed by John L. Moore, Northumberland, are two witnesses to history that visit with campers and give their testimonies. Through stories and crafts, games, snacks and more, Priestley House staff and volunteers will help campers investigate the museum's interesting journey to becoming a National Historic Landmark.
At Hunter House/Fort Augusta, campers will encounter "Native Americans in the Susquehanna Valley," by hearing about Pennsylvania's frontier at the American Indian village of Shamokin--present day Sunbury--through artifacts, structures and a meeting with Susanna Hunter, wife of Colonel Hunter, who lived at Fort Augusta. Other guests will include storyteller John Moore, Capt. Michael Slease of the Augusta Regiment, and Native American speaker David Blackbear Ramsey. Each will share information about local life in the 1700s. Crafts, snacks, and photos of campers in costume will be part of the three-day experience at the Hunter House on Front Street, Sunbury.
Sessions will be held from 9:30 a.m. to noon each day of camp. Registration is required by July 11. Cost is $35 per camper per week, but the excitement of coming face to face with the past is lasting, and priceless. Enrollment will be limited and is on a first-come, first-served basis. To register, contact Brooke Dearman at Joseph Priestley House 473-9474, or Cindy Inkrote at Northumberland County Historical Society at 286-4083.
Persons with disabilities who need special assistance or accommodation should call 473-9474 in advance to discuss their needs. Pennsylvania TDD relay service is available at (800) 654-5984. Brochures, calendar of events, or directions to the sites may be obtained by calling the same numbers.
Joseph Priestley House is one of 24 historic sites and museums on the Pennsylvania Trails of History, administered by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. For more information or to request a free visitor guide, visit www.phmc.state.pa.us or phone toll free (866) PA TRAIL.
