Colonial Consumerism at Pottsgrove Manor

Blogger's Note: The following was provided by Pottsgrove Manor.

Visit historic Pottsgrove Manor on Saturday, March 5 at 1 p.m. for a historical talk to open the site’s new exhibit, “Potts and Family: Colonial Consumers,” which is set to run through Nov. 6.

At 1 p.m., Elizabeth Jones-Minsinger, a PhD candidate at the University of Delaware History Department’s

American Civilization Program, will present “Uncovering Women’s Work: Household Consumption and Production in the Mid Atlantic, 1750-1815.”

This lecture will focus on how women in Delaware and southeastern Pennsylvania engaged in economic activity — especially the business of shopping — during the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

After the lecture, visitors can take a guided tour of Pottsgrove Manor and the new exhibit.

Drawing from an extant 1751-1754 Potts ledger, the “Potts and Family: Colonial Consumers” exhibit explores how the Potts family interacted with their world through commerce.

Far from being a self-sufficient, isolated plantation, the residents of Pottsgrove Manor were extensively connected to the bustling port city of Philadelphia.

The purchases of foodstuffs, clothing and fabric, school tuition, and the services of laborers that are detailed in the ledger provide fascinating insight into the consumer culture of early Pennsylvania.

There is a suggested donation of $2 per person for the lecture and tour.
Visitors can also take a guided tour of Pottsgrove Manor and the “Colonial Consumers” exhibit during
regular museum hours: Tuesday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m.

A Potts family ledge from 1751 to 1754

Tours begin on the hour. The last tour of the day begins at 3 p.m.

Pottsgrove Manor is located at 100 West King Street near the intersection of King Street and Route 100, just off Route 422, in Pottstown.

Pottsgrove Manor is operated by Montgomery County under the direction of the Parks, Trails, and Historic Sites Division of the Assets and Infrastructure Department. For more information, call 610-326-4014, or visit the website at www.montcopa.org/pottsgrovemanor.

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