‘It was a tougher life back then’: Historical homestead in Berks celebrates Pa.’s 345th birthday, colonial style | Southern Berks County

BIRDSBORO, Pa. – It may have slipped under the radar, but Wednesday is a big day for Pa.

“This actual day, March 4 in 1681 is when William Penn signed his charter for Pennsylvania,” Amanda Machik, Manager of Site Events and Programs with the Daniel Boone Homestead Associates, said.

Wednesday, March 4, marks the 345th anniversary of the day William Penn acquired what we know today as Pennsylvania.

“That’s where Pennsylvania gets its name,” Brad Kissam, a board member with the Daniel Boone Homestead Associates, said. “From Penn’s woods, which is Pennsylvania. So, Penn, Sylvania means woods.”

But these days, it’s Daniel Boone whom the Exeter Township historical homestead is named after.

“He’s kind of coined ‘America’s first frontiersman,'” Machik said. “A lot of that hunting and trapping, exploring, things like that, he would have done right here in the Long Valley.”

And the Daniel Boone Homestead Associates are about to put on their colonial party hats and celebrate in style.

To commemorate Pa.’s b-day, the Homestead is kicking off its season with a free, living history event. Demonstrations and activities include blacksmithing, spinning, open-hearth cooking, colonial toys and games, gunsmithing, and quill pen writing. Visitors can also tour the Bertolet Log House and the Boone House.

Folks can expect to find out more about life, circa 1700s.

“The men were outside hunting, growing crops, doing the blacksmith, things like that,” Diane Krueger, a board member with the Daniel Boone Homestead Associates, said. “The women were in here cooking all day, doing the wash, keeping the house clean, growing things in the garden. So, it was a tougher life back then.”

Kids will have a chance to play the games children played centuries ago, and sign and seal names just like folks did way back when.

“The quill pen writing is really popular, that’s something that kids really enjoy doing,” Machik said.

This Sunday’s big birthday celebration is free for everyone to attend, and it kicks off a season full of events coming up: in May, the homestead is hosting its Children’s Day, and in June, America’s birthday will be celebrated with A Colonial 250th Anniversary Celebration.

“The focus will be on the military and the Revolutionary War, so we’ll have a lot of sort of military demonstrations, like the gunsmithing, blacksmithing, militia muster for kids,” Machik said.

For more, head here.