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When the new
Schwenkfelder Library & Heritage Center was completed, the original bronze
plaque was installed in the Heritage Center with a proper legend explaining its
history. The aluminum replica was
mounted on a granite monument and installed in the third garden outside of the
Independence Seaport Museum (north side). A
rededication service was held Sunday, October 13, 2002.
The Society
of the Descendants of the Schwenkfeldian Exiles very much appreciates the
generosity and willingness of Penn’s Landing Corporation to permit us to
relocate our Schwenkfelder Exile Plaque Monument in their Waterfront area.
They helped us to make this project a reality and we are delighted to now
have our plaque on display in a beautiful, easily accessible, and historic area.
DIRECTIONS
TO SCHWENKFELDER EXILE PLAQUE MONUMENT
From Schuylkill Expressway: Use
Vine Street Expressway (I-676) & proceed onto I-95 South, then follow
directions below From I-95 traveling
south.
From I-95 traveling south: Take Exit 20
(Columbus Blvd/Washington Ave – look for Penn’s Landing signs); CAREFUL
– left hand exit. Turn left at
foot of ramp onto Columbus Blvd. Proceed
to parking lot near Independence Seaport Museum.
From I-95 traveling north:
Take Exit 20 (Columbus Blvd/Washington Ave –
look for Penn’s Landing signs). Turn
left at foot of ramp onto Columbus Blvd. Proceed
to parking lot near Independence Seaport Museum.
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The erection of the splendid Schwenkfelder Library building
at Pennsburg in 1951 gave the Exile Society a focal point for its aims and interests.
Housing a magnificent collection of rare books and papers relating to the Schwenkfelder
movement, the Library contains the historical records left by our ancestors.
For years, a very important museum and collection was housed on the second
floor of Carnegie Hall, Perkiomen School, Pennsburg, PA. A major fire at Kriebel
Hall directly across the street created a sense of urgency on the Board and
those involved with the Library to better preserve this collection. A Capital
Campaign was launched in 1998 to raise $3.4 million for the purpose of expanding
the present library to bring that collection over to the Library and to expand
the space available in the Library itself. Members of the Exile Society have
been extremely supportive contributing over $100,000.
On June 24, 2001, the new Schwenkfelder Library &
Heritage Center had its Grand Opening. The official Dedication of this
wonderful new facility coincided with Gedaechtnis-tag, September 23, 2001.
For further information go to Schwenkfelder Library &
Heritage Center at www.schwenkfelder.com.
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If you can trace your family back to an Anders, Beyer (Byer
/ Beer / Beier), Dietrich, Dresher (Drescher), Groh, Hartranft (Herterranft), Heebner (Hübner/Heavener/Hevener), Heydrick, Hoffman, Hoffrichter, John, Krauss (Krause), Kriebel (Krieble
/ Kribel), Mentzel, Meschter (Meishter / Meisther / Master), Muehmer, Neuman, Reynald, Rinewalt (Reinewald
/ Reinwald / Reinwalt), Scheps, Schultz (Scholtz / Scholtze), Schubert (Shubert
/ Shoebart), Seipt (Seibt), Teichman, Wagner (Wagener), Warmer, Weigner /
Wiegner, Weiss, Yeakel (Yeakle / Jäckel / Jäkel), then perhaps you are a Schwenkfelder Descendant and we are looking for you!
Commencing in 1980 the Exile Society began collecting, at
the Schwenkfelder Library, genealogical data to supplement in catalogued
clerical form The Genealogical Record of the Schwenkfelder Families
published in 1923, edited by Dr. Samuel K. Brecht. A file of family supplement
forms (numerically indexed) and of individual name cards (alphabetically
indexed) was established. Descendants (not just members, but anyone who is a
lineal descendant) are urged to provide their family information. Forms,
containing space for four generations, are available from the Schwenkfelder
Library and Heritage Center.
We previously brought to your attention the Conservation Project for the preservation of three important and irreplaceable Schwenkfelder documents held by the Schwenkfelder Library & Heritage Center.
·
1734 Ship’s Passenger List, St. Andrew, Capt. John Stedman
·
1734 Oath of Allegiance
·
1782 Articles of Agreement forming the Schwenkfelder Society
Many Society members stepped forward and the
Conservation Project raised about $3,000 for which the Schwenkfelder Library
& Heritage Center is most appreciative.
Your help provided the means to preserve these three documents, which
were in need of stabilization and conservation. The Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts in
Philadelphia, a regional center for the conservation of paper artifacts, has
cleaned the documents, removed damaging adhesives, supported areas of rips or
tears to avoid further damage, and mounted the documents on acid free
supportive mat board with windows for viewing.
All three documents are now back at the Schwenkfelder Library &
Heritage Center preserved for future generations.
The 1734
Ship’s Passenger List, St. Andrew, Capt. John Stedman, lists passengers,
both Schwenkfelders and Palatines, traveling to Philadelphia from Rotterdam.
The list divides passengers by men in one column and women and children
in another. It contains the names
of the 180 Schwenkfelder immigrants fleeing Saxony for refuge and religious
freedom in Pennsylvania. The St.
Andrew left Rotterdam, Holland, on June 20, 1734, and arrived in Philadelphia
harbor the 22nd of September, 1734.
Complete
Ship’s Passenger List for St. Andrew; John Stedman, Captain
September 12,
1734
The 1734 Oath
of Allegiance was a required document of the British Crown.
All males, 16 years of age and older, had to pledge their allegiance to
the King of England, affixing their names or “mark” to the document as
proof of their pledge to obey the laws of Great Britain.
Nearly all Schwenkfelder men were able to sign their own name,
providing us with signatures of those able to write.
Click HERE to
enlarge
Oath
of Allegiance to the King of England, September 12, 1734
We originally thought this third document to be the
1782 Articles of Agreement forming the Schwenkfelder Society; however, after
closer review and better translation, it was determined to be the 1764
Articles of Agreement, the agreement which established the Schwenkfelder
school systems in the Upper and Middle Districts.
On page 9 of Schwenkfeldiana, Volume 1, Number 3,
"Schwenkfelder Schools and Education", September 1943, we read:
"At the time the contributors adopted the principles embodied in the
‘Preamble’ [the introductory comments espousing ". . . the high
ideals they cherished as to what the schools ought to be."] they also
adopted 'Certain Agreements and Fundamental Articles for the establishment and
support of a school system in the districts of Skippack and Goshenhoppen.'"
Included with the rationale for having the school
system was the practical organizational structure such as trustees and their
authority, election of teachers, investment of school funds and even a
stipulation that should the endeavor fail, provision would be made to bring
the effort to a close and restitution made to all contributors or their heirs.
A full translation can be found in The Schwenkfelders in
Pennsylvania by Howard W. Kriebel, 1904
Click HERE
to enlarge picture
1764 Articles of Agreement establishing
the Schwenkfelder school systems
in the Upper and Middle Districts
The 1782
Articles of Agreement forming the Schwenkfelder Society began many years
before the 1782 signing date as the immigrants began discussing formation of a
church or church organization. Following
many years of discussion, Rev. Christopher Schultz penned the Articles of
Agreement and 41 families subscribing to the agreement to form a Society of
Schwenkfelders using as its model the Society of Friends.
This document was the formal agreement of the Schwenkfelders, along
with various Bylaws periodically adopted at meetings of the full Society,
until 1851, when a Constitution and Bylaws based on the Articles of Agreement
was printed by Rev. Joshua Schultz. The
formal incorporation of The Schwenkfelder Church did not occur until 1909.
It has been determined that the 1782 Articles of Agreement document is
already in proper acid-free preserved storage.
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