Wissahickon Valley Historical Society, Blue Bell

About Wissahickon Valley Historical Society

The Wissahickon Valley Historical Society preserves the heritage of Whitpain Township, Lower Gwynedd Township and the Borough of Ambler through two restored schoolhouses in Blue Bell. Visitors explore the Whitpain 1895 Public School, a two-story building housing a library with deeds, wills, photographs, books, maps and genealogies. The museum displays local artifacts focusing on items, pictures and records from early farms and the region's industrial past. A restored 19th Century School Room shows how education operated in that era. The society also maintains the Franklinville School, a circa 1858 one-room schoolhouse furnished to resemble a 19th century classroom and the only one-room schoolhouse open to the public in Whitpain Township. Both buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The society sponsors free public programs throughout the school year and hosts open houses where visitors can tour the buildings. Private tours may be scheduled.