The Somerset Historical Center

06/03/2026

Attention all Fiber Friends!

Join us this Saturday, June 6th for a discussion led by Paula Eppley-Newman on fiber processing. We will discuss fiber sorting, skirting, and scouring as well as analyze alpacca, angora, llama, and sheep fleeces. The meeting will conclude with a discussion on Fiber Friends involvement in the upcoming Common Threads Symposium. We look forward to seeing you there!

*Please note the change of location for this event.*

📅 Saturday, June 6, 2026
🕘 9 AM – 12 PM
📍 189 Gilbert Hollow Rd, Hollsopple, PA 15935

06/02/2026

Just like that, our school tour season is over!

Last month, we saw over 750 students from first to fourth grade with the goal of teaching them about frontier settlement in the Glades. We couldn't have done it without the endless amount of support from our volunteers and staff. Thank you to all those who helped make this a memorable experience for the next generation of historians!

05/27/2026

Join us for a relaxing evening on the lawn at First Friday!

Scheduled for the first Friday of the summer months of June, July, and August, First Fridays are a relaxing evening filled with great music and even better company. Enjoy delicious food from local vendors as you take it all in.

Admission is free with a parking fee. Some seating is provided, but guests may feel free to bring additional seating or blankets.

05/16/2026

Here are some snapshots from the second annual Herb and Garden Fair. Guests enjoyed the beautiful weather while our local vendors displayed a variety of plants, herbal goods, and handcrafted items.

Thank you to the vendors, volunteers, and visitors who helped make it such a wonderful day! We can't wait to see you again next year.

05/04/2026

Celebrate all things herb and garden at the second annual Herb & Garden Fair! Shop local and enjoy hand-crafted pottery, baked goods, herbal soaps, and other holistic goods.

📅 Saturday, May 16th
🕘 9 AM – 3 PM
📍 Somerset Historical Center

Southwestern Pennsylvania's rural heritage museum.

05/01/2026

Last month, we hosted our first historic dance class with dancing master Brett Walker. With a fair number of missteps and even more smiles, guests learned the basics of numerous historic social dances. Students will piece these foundational skills together to perform more complex dances such as quadrilles, square dance, line dance, and contra-dancing.

We encourage you to join us at the next class on Tuesday, May 5th. This is an activity for all ages with new members always welcome. The first lesson is free for all new students!

Interested in joining in on the fun? Register at the link below:
https://guildfellows.org/workshop/coming-soon-historic-dance-somerset-pa/

📅 Tuesday, May 5th
🕘 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM
📍 Somerset Historical Center
🎟️ FREE first lesson for new students

04/29/2026

Attention Fiber Friends!

Our next meeting will be held this Saturday, May 2nd. Join us for a discussion of color theory in textiles, as we explore how color harmony can enhance your work. The previously scheduled lucet demonstration will take place at a later date. Please bring any projects you are currently working on. New members are always welcome!

📅 Saturday, May 2, 2026
🕘 9 AM – 12 PM
📍 Somerset Historical Center

04/27/2026

Another year, another annual school of coopering in the books!

Over the course of this three-day workshop, 11 participants learned how to construct a keeler using traditional materials and tools. These practices were preserved by local coopers and are passed down each year with the annual school of coopering. Thank you to our participants and to the instructor, Mark Ware, for another successful coopering class.

04/23/2026

Spring has sprung and the staff at the Somerset Historical Center are officially ready for school tours!

From gathering food and making clothing to mastering skilled trades, over 650 children will come experience life as it once was in the glades. We have practiced our textile demonstrations, prepared the log house and summer kitchen, and dusted off the blacksmith forge in preparation for their arrival. We can't wait to see all the smiling faces next month!