Who Lived in the Perkiomen Region in the 1700s?

In preparation for 2026, we commissioned a demographic study to learn who lived in the Perkiomen Region from roughly 1735 to 1835 (from the arrival of Pennsylvania Germans to the final period of the Gradual Abolition Act). General knowledge states that the region was primarily settled by white Pennsylvania Germans, but questions arise as to whether any Africans were here, too. This exhibit will share the answers we have uncovered and the fascinating research methodologies that were used, and will be offered to community organizations and schools to have on display. Research was supported by the Philadelphia Funder Collaborative for the Semiquincentennial.

This exhibit can be viewed within schools and by the public at:

• Lower Salford Township Building April 20 through May 20

• Historical Society of Montgomery County May 21 through June 29

• Schwenkfelder Library & Heritage Center July 1 through 5

• Upper Hanover Township Building July 8 through August 5

• The Goschenhoppen Festival August 7 & 8

• Upper Salford Park October 10 & 11

• Pennsburg Borough Hall October 12 through November 20

• Lower Frederick Township Building November 20 through December 18

• Upper Perkiomen Valley Library February 1 through February 28