Historical Society of Frankford facts for kids

The Historical Society of Frankford is a special place in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It's like a museum and a club for history lovers. You can find it in the Frankford area of Northeast Philadelphia. This society helps people learn about the past.

It started way back in 1905. Its main goal is to study history, especially the stories and traditions of Frankford. The society is in a strong, fireproof building. It was built in 1930. This building keeps all the old papers and items safe.

What They Keep

The Historical Society of Frankford has many old things. All these items are about the Frankford part of Philadelphia. They have old papers like deeds and leases from 1681 to 1887. These show who owned land long ago.

They also have old court records from 1824 to 1925. There are even school records! You can find old business books too. One set of books is from the Oxford-Provident Building and Loan Association. This was the very first one in the United States. It dates from 1831 to 1863.

The society also keeps records from old fire companies. These go back to 1793. There are papers from the Civil War too. You can find stories about local families. They also have letters and other personal items. These help us understand what life was like in the past.

Seen on TV

The famous Keno brothers visited the Historical Society of Frankford. Leigh and Leslie Keno are identical twins. They are known from the TV show Antiques Roadshow. They came to the society at 1507 Orthodox Street.

Leigh Keno said their visit was "incredible." He felt they only saw a small part of the collection. "Every drawer we opened had something to explore," he said. During their visit, they found an old photograph. It was a daguerreotype from the 1850s. The Keno brothers thought this old photo was very valuable.