Located in the northwest section of Chester County, West Nantmeal Township is a small, rural community with an interesting history. The area was originally populated by settlers from Radnorshire, Wales between 1700 and 1710. The settlers named the area Nantmell, or Natmel, meaning “sweet water” or “land of the sweet stream” in Welsh. In 1739, the area was divided into East and West Nantmeal. Yet again, in 1789, West Nantmeal was once more divided, with Welsh settlers remaining in West Nantmeal and Scotch-Irish community in the area that became Honey Brook Township.

The Avenue of the Arts in Philadelphia is exactly what its name suggests: a home to the arts. From theater and film to music and dance to museums and galleries, some of the city's and state’s finest art organizations call Broad Street home. Included in these organizations is the Wilma Theater, a non-profit theater with the mission to create living, adventurous art.

Back in February, we announced the beginning of the Small Archives Forums, a series of free programs designed to explore archival concepts and build connections among Philadelphia area small archives. The forum series aims to teach new archival skills while also fostering community among small archives and laying the groundwork for ongoing knowledge-sharing and cooperation. Starting with our first event in February 2015, programs have covered topics such as digitization, preservation, and processing.

Although it is now a neighborhood in the northwest part of Philadelphia, Germantown was founded by German Quaker and Mennonite families in the 17th century as an independent community.  It was the first permanent Mennonite settlement established in this part of the world. In 1708, the Mennonites built the first Mennonite Meetinghouse in America along what would become Germantown Avenue. This meetinghouse is no longer standing, but the Mennonites built a “new” meetinghouse on the same spot in 1770.