Videos of Past Events

Maj. Gen. Mari K Eder, Author of "The Girls Who Fought Crime"

Date: September 30, 2023
Length: 30 minutes

In 1920’s New York City one woman, Mae Foley, cast aside her corset and picked up a police badge to become the city’s first-ever woman crime investigator. With a purse custom-made to hold a pistol, Foley learned that as a woman she made the perfect undercover agent. Over her career, Foley always strove to protect the innocent and vulnerable and to always be just.

Shannon McKenna Schmidt, Author of "The First Lady of World War II: Eleanor Roosevelt’s Daring Journey to the Frontlines and Back"

Date: May 31, 2023
Length: 44 minutes

The First Lady of WWII is the first book to tell the story of Eleanor Roosevelt’s unprecedented and courageous trip to the Pacific Theater while the United States was at war with Japan. A goodwill tour, diplomatic mission, and fact-finding foray, the 25,000-mile trip was farther, longer, and more dangerous than any previously undertaken by the First Lady. Schmidt’s new book follows Eleanor on this daring trek over vast ocean distances.

League of Women Voters of Radnor Township Celebrating Sojourner Truth

Date: June 10, 2022
Length: 51 minutes

Reverend Deborah A. Zuill portrays Sojourner Truth, the iconic African-American, who as 18th century suffragist, abolitionist, and human rights activist was named one of the "100 most significant Americans of all time" by Smithsonian Magazine in 2014.

Neil Lanctot, Author of “The Approaching Storm”

Date: May 4, 2022
Length: 1 hour, 14 minutes

Author Neil Lanctot sets the stage for the forces that resulted in America entering The Great War by following the philosophies and actions of three very prominent Americans: Theodore Roosevelt, Jane Addams, and Woodrow Wilson.

For the Love of Maps with John F. Smith, III

Date: March 10, 2022
Length: 1 hour, 18 minutes

The Radnor Historical Society and The Philadelphia Print Shop hosted Mr. John F. Smith, III to speak about eight truly wonderful maps from his collection, maps that he has never before shown or discussed publicly. In addition, he teamed up with Jane Toczek of the PPS to talk about the unseen chemistry and anatomies of old maps.

Artists of Wyeth Country: Virtual Author Visit with W. Barksdale Maynard

Date: January 19, 2022
Length: 1 hour

Artists of Wyeth Country is a groundbreaking new book which combines art history with detailed exploration of the historic landscapes of Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania. The book features entirely new and unauthorized biographical accounts of the lives of the three great artists plus six walking and driving tours you can take.

WWII Veteran Charles Doyle

Date: November 11, 2021
Length: 1 hour, 2 minutes

50+ year Radnor, PA resident Charles Doyle, a WWII veteran, talks about his U.S. Army service in Europe, meeting his wife in France, his post-war job as a salesman with the McCormick Spice Company, and the tree he brought to Radnor when his family moved to the area from Boston.

William Lightfoot Price: from Wayne to Rose Valley

Date: April 21, 2021
Length: 58 minutes

William L. Price (1861-1916) was the primary architect for the original developments of North and South Wayne. His “pen” designed over 100 houses in Radnor Township and so much more. Price’s career began in Wayne, then Overbrook Farms, designing the model homes for Wendell & Smith – yet left a lasting legacy throughout the Delaware Valley, though his career lasted only 38 years. During the time his expertise grew, Will Price was the designer of majestic estates for the wealthy industrialists of the late 19th century. At the turn of the 20th century, his focus became the creation of two Arts & Crafts communities, Arden and Rose Valley.

Robert Strauss and Stephen Fried discussing "John Marshall: The Final Founder"

Date: April 15, 2021
Length: 1 hour, 9 minutes

When did the Founding end? 18th and 19th-century contemporaries believed John Marshall to be, if not the equal of George Washington and Benjamin Franklin, at least very close to that pantheon. In his new book, journalist and historian Robert Strauss recounts how the Chief Justice acted as the glue that held the Union together after the original founding days.The Supreme Court met in the basement of the new Capitol building in Washington when Marshall took over, which is just what the executive and legislative branches thought of the judiciary. Strauss discussed this with award-winning journalist Stephen Fried, author of Rush: Revolution, Madness & the Visionary Doctor Who Became a Founding Father.

Play Ball! A Double Header Featuring Mitchell Nathanson and Ben Yagoda

Date: May 6, 2020
Length: 1 hour, 7 minutes

Baseball season is here! Radnor Memorial Library and Radnor Historical Society co-sponsored this doubleheader featuring writer and Villanova Professor of Law Mitchell Nathanson, author of a new book on famed Yankee Jim Bouton. Mitch was joined by writer Ben Yagoda, a Swarthmore resident and author of About Town: The New Yorker And The World It Made and many other books.

Bruce Mowday, author of 'Stealing Wyeth'

Date: January 8, 2020
Length: 57 minutes

The award-winning author and newspaper reporter details information about the Wyeth family, the theft of many pieces of artwork, the criminals who masterminded the crime, and the law enforcement team that brought them to justice.

Michael Shaw, Author of 'A Mall and its Legacy: The King of Prussia Mall'

Date: December 11, 2019
Length: 49 minutes

The author, Michael Shaw, presents the entire 58-year history of the mall, showing images of the mall's evolution, while discussing the historical backdrop of Upper Merion (PA) Township and the emergence of the highways that led to the mall being built.

Alexander Hamilton: American Colossus

Date: November 13, 2019
Length: 1 hour, 13 minutes

Local historian Jim Segrave-Daly offers a lively presentation on Alexander Hamilton, one of America's most important yet underappreciated Founding Fathers.

Steve Pollack: The Red Rose Girls

Date: October 22, 2019
Length: 1 hour, 59 minutes

Steve Pollack, lecturer and performer, explores the lives of three of the most prominent illustrators of the 20th Century (Violet Oakley, Jessie Willcox Smith, and Elizabeth Shippen Green), their role in the feminist movement, and their impact on illustration, art, and the role of women who were inspired by their achievements.

Janny Scott, Author of “The Benefactor: Fortune, Misfortune, and the Story of My Father”

Date: October 2, 2019
Length: 1 hour

The author discusses the impact that Ardrossan, the Main Line estate, had on her father, Robert Montgomery Scott.

Hitler’s Last Hostages: Looted Art and the Soul of the Third Reich

Date: September 20, 2019
Length: 1 hour, 10 minutes

In 2013, the German government confiscated roughly 1,300 works by Matisse, Monet, and other masters from the Munich apartment of Cornelius Gurlitt, the reclusive son of one of Hitler's primary art dealers. The author presents the story of those works of art, their theft, and their long restitution.

Early Radnor: The Stories Behind Our Photographic Past – Presented by Phil Graham

Date: September 17, 2019
Length: 1 hour, 17 minutes

Former Radnor Historical Society Board Member Phil Graham shares historical photographs of Radnor Township that he digitally restored, enhancing hidden areas that reveal additional information about the scenes and subjects.

The Winsor Sisters: A Toast to Tenacity

Date: August 25, 2019
Length: 45 minutes

The Radnor Historical Society, the Radnor Memorial Library, and the League of Women Voters co-hosted this special tribute to the remarkable Winsor sisters, social crusaders of a kind rarely seen before or after their many years as Radnor Township residents.

Oral History: The Winsor Family

Date: July 17, 2019
Length: 58 minutes

The Radnor Historical Society and the Radnor League of Women Voters interview relatives of the Winsor sisters (Mary, Rebecca, and Ellen) and learn details of the lives and contributions of the sisters.

Ryan Stowinsky: Abandoned Or Forgotten

Date: June 4, 2019
Length: 50 minutes

'Abandoned or Forgotten: Overlooked Corners of Eastern Pennsylvania' is a collection describing several abandoned sites found throughout the eastern half of Pennsylvania, both on and off the beaten path. In his presentation, Ryan Stowinsky explores the ruins of a company town made entirely of concrete and discovers some little-known places and events from Pennsylvania’s days in the American Revolution.

Ira Poliakoff: Synagogues of Philadelphia

Date: May 14, 2019
Length: 58 minutes

Throughout the years, Philadelphia and suburban counties have maintained a rich tradition of Jewish houses of worship. The author tells the histories of many of the more than 500 synagogues that still exist or have existed in the five-county region.

Patricia Tyson Stroud, Author of 'Bitterroot: The Life & Death of Meriwether Lewis'

Date: April 16, 2019
Length: 58 minutes

Selected by Thomas Jefferson to lead an expedition in 1804-06 to explore the Louisiana Territory, Meriwether Lewis led an exciting and rewarding life, only to have his death shrouded in mystery. The author explores several possibilities.

Excavating Memory: Archaeology & Home

Date: April 10, 2019
Length: 1 hour, 10 minutes

The author, Elizabeth Mosier, shares what she learned working at Philadelphia’s Independence National Historical Park Archeology Laboratory: that artifacts, heirlooms and community narratives can be used to create a personal family history.

'Valley Forge' Co-Author Bob Drury

Date: March 25, 2019
Length: 1 hour, 3 minutes

Co-author Bob Drury debunks a number of myths about George Washington’s Continental Army wintering at Valley Forge with a passionate and entertaining elucidation of what really happened in Valley Forge, and the critical impact it had on the success of the American Revolution.

Professor Thomas Childers, Author of 'The Third Reich: A History of Nazi Germany'

Date: January 15, 2019
Length: 1 hour, 5 minutes

Professor Thomas Childers presents his latest book examining how the young Hitler became passionately political and anti-Semetic as he lived on the margins of society, attracting like-minded colleagues who formed the nucleus of the nascent Nazi party.

Rush: Revolution, Madness, and the Visionary Doctor Who Became a Founding Father

Date: December 5, 2018
Length: 1 hour, 23 minutes

"Rush" is the remarkable story of Benjamin Rush, medical pioneer and one of our nation's most provocative and unsung Founding Fathers. Author Stephen Fried shares his research and insights into this brilliant and influential man, and the times in which he lived.

Ardrossan: The Last Great Estate on the Main Line

Date: November 8, 2018
Length: 1 hour, 8 minutes

David Nelson Wren, the leading historian of the Ardrossan estate, presents the highlights of his recently published book, Ardrossan: The Last Great Estate on the Philadelphia Main Line. He reviews the history of the estate, its architecture, and the family that called it home for over a century.

Wealth, Wayne and Woodcrest

Date: November 8, 2018
Length: 53 minutes

Howard Holden, Board Member of the Radnor Historical Society and the Jenkins Arboretum, describes the evolution of the age of opulence on the Main Line and the significant impact that James Paul, George Childs, Anthony Drexel, John Dorrance and other prominent residents had on the Radnor area.

300 Years of Radnor Friends Meeting – A Celebratory Lecture

Date: October 9, 2018
Length: 1 hour, 7 minutes

Emma Lapsansky, Ph.D., provides an historical perspective of the Radnor Meeting on its 300th anniversary.

Author Catherine Kerrison: Jefferson's Daughters

Date: May 3, 2018
Length: 1 hour, 18 minutes

Thomas Jefferson had three daughters: Martha and Maria by his wife, Martha Wayles Jefferson, and Harriet by his slave Sally Hemings. In Jefferson’s Daughters, Catherine Kerrison, a scholar of early American and women’s history, recounts the remarkable journey of these three women—and how their struggle to define themselves reflects both the possibilities and the limitations that resulted from the American Revolution.

Seeing the Past in 3D: Opportunites for Digital Heritage at Jamestown

Date: April 10, 2018
Length: 1 hour, 4 minutes

Lisa Fischer, the Jamestown Foundation's Director of Digital Initiatives, explains how new technologies - advanced mapping, social media, laser scanning, and 3D modeling - are revolutionizing the analysis, interpretation, and presentation of archaeological data from one of North America's first English settlements.

Caring For Paintings: Craft Informed By Science

Date: December 5, 2017
Length: 1 hour, 17 minutes

Mary McGinn, Chief Conservator at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, shares stories from her 25 year career working on paintings, murals, frames and decorative objects in museums and private collections.

A Preview of Stoneleigh: A Natural Garden

Date: October 25, 2017
Length: 39 minutes

Ethan Kauffman, Director of Stoneleigh, discusses the past, present, and future of this beautiful property in Villanova, PA, which was gifted by the Haas family to Natural Lands in 2016 so that it would be forever preserved, and enjoyed by the public.

Dedication of Historical Plaque Honoring Jan Grant Berenstain

Date: October 7, 2017
Length: 7 minutes

Through the efforts of the Radnor Historical Society and the Radnor, PA Township, and funded by the Garrett Hill Coalition, the Bryn Rose Civic Association, and Radnor Township, a commemorative plaque honoring internationally-reknowned artist and children's book storyteller Jan Grant Berenstain was dedicated on October 7, 2017, shortly after the official opening of the newly-renovated Clem Macrone Park in Rosemont, PA.

Nancy Lynch, Author of "Vietnam Mailbag: Letters From the War"

Date: May 16, 2017
Length: 56 minutes

During the peak years of the Vietnam War, a young reporter, Nancy Lynch, relayed the hopes and fears, the joys and tears of hundreds of soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines from the state of Delaware through the "Vietnam Mailbag" column she wrote in the Wilmington Morning News.

Vintage & Weird Garden Tools

Date: April 25, 2017
Length: 52 minutes

Dr. Harold Sweetman, Executive Director of Jenkins Arboretum & Gardens, provides a humor-filled journey into the world of vintage and unusual garden tools, some of which are ingenious, some useless, and some of unknown purpose.

Dotty Brown: Boathouse Row: Waves of Change in the Birthplace of American Rowing

Date: April 4, 2017
Length: 50 minutes

The author chronicles the “waves of change” on Philadelphia's picturesque and historic Boathouse Row as people of different races, classes, and genders fought for access to water and the sport.

Jim Garrison: At Home in the American Barn

Date: March 29, 2017
Length: 45 minutes

The author examines the fascinating possibilities for living and adaptive reuse provided by the expansive spaces and rough-hewn look of these traditional structures.

Culver & Rogers: Philadelphia Architects & their Main Line Projects

Date: November 20, 2016
Length: 53 minutes

Greg Prichard's illustrated presentation explores the sum of the extraordinary legacy of an obscure architectural partnership on the Main Line.

Voices From Mount Pleasant

Date: December 13, 2016
Length: 1 hour, 25 minutes

Through the oral histories of residents of Mt. Pleasant, we gain insights into the people from this tight-knit community, and the social changes that impacted their lives over the decades.

Barbara Miller Lane, Author of “Houses For A New World: Builders & Buyers In American Suburbs, 1945-65”

Date: November 1, 2016
Length: 1 hour, 5 minutes

The author describes the housing industry in the decades following WWII, and the social forces that shaped that development.

Thomas H. Keels, Author of “Philadelphia Graveyards & Cemeteries”

Date: October 25, 2016
Length: 1 hour, 13 minutes

Author, lecturer, and commentator Thomas H. Keels, who specializes in Philadelphia history and architecture, takes his audience on an historical tour of the evolution of graveyards and cemeteries in Philadelphia.

Adolf G. Rosengarten: A Life of Service, Generosity, and the Chanticleer Legacy

Date: May 3, 2016
Length: 1 hour, 23 minutes

Marilyn Caltabiano shares insights, and taped interviews, of Radnor's remarkable Renaissance man and philanthropist, Adolf Rosengarten. Chanticleer's Executive Director and Head Gardener Bill Thomas traces the history of the Chanticleer garden.

Gotti’s Rules: The Story of John Alite, Junior Gotti, and the Demise of the American Mafia

Date: April 5, 2016
Length: 1 hour, 15 minutes

George Anastasia, nationally renowned crime reporter and author, talks about his new book.

Charles Dagit: “The Groundbreakers: Architects in American History - Their Places and Times”

Date: January 12, 2016
Length: 46 minutes

What historic and economic events in Philadelphia, Boston, Chicago and Los Angeles produced Furness, Venturi, Richardson, Wright and Gehry? Dagit discloses the impact of American entrepreneurialism on these and many more cities, so many more groundbreaking architects.

The History of the Morris/Wistar Family

Date: December 22, 2015
Length: 59 minutes

Katharine Morris Fisher and son Robert Wistar Fisher share their memories of their large, extended family growing up around Dundale Mansion in Villanova, PA.

John A. Nagl: "Knife Fights: A Memoir of Modern War in Theory and Practice"

Date: November 4, 2015
Length: 1 hour

Lt. Col. John A. Nagl discusses the United States’ counter-insurgency efforts in the Middle East.

Cordelia Frances Biddle, Author of "Saint Katharine: The Life of Katharine Drexel"

Date: October 27, 2015
Length: 43 minutes

Drexel University Professor and author Cordelia Frances Biddle talks about her biography of blood relative Katharine Drexel, one of the few American saints, who devoted her life to uplifting our nation's forgotten peoples.

Camille Paglia: Three Modern Women

Date: March 31, 2015
Length: 1 hour, 30 minutes

To help celebrate 75 years of "The Philadelphia Story," Professor Camille Paglia highlights the evolving roles of women in society through three modern women: Katharine Hepburn, Hope Montgomery Scott, and Tracy Lord.

Three Generations of Public Art in Radnor Schools

Date: February 25, 2015
Length: 1 hour, 6 minutes

Greg Prichard and Ernel Martinez present the fascinating history of three art projects created over 100 years for the children of Radnor schools.

James B. Garrison - R. Brognard Okie's "Stone Houses"

Date: February 3, 2015
Length: 1 hour

James B. Garrison, architect and author of the recently published Stone Houses: Traditional Homes of R. Brognard Okie, speaks about Okie's designs and his impact on American residential architecture.

Michael Shaw: Railroads of King of Prussia

Date: March 4, 2014
Length: 54 minutes

Author Michael Shaw traces the growth of King of Prussia from a rural village into, via the impact of the railroads, the flourishing, commercial epicenter we know today and the current renewed demand to reintroduce passenger service.

Dr. Clarissa Dillon: "Now, About That Stone..."

Date: February 11, 2014
Length: 1 hour, 8 minutes

Dr. Clarissa Dillon explores the facts about the movements of George Washington's troops via Conestoga Rd. as referenced on a commemorative stone currently situated on Conestoga Rd. in Garrett Hill, PA.

Ronald Kule, Biographer of Chef Tell

Date: January 14, 2014
Length: 1 hour, 7 minutes

Chef Tell, born Friedman Paul Erhardt, trained in several hotels and restaurants in Europe before moving to the United States when he was 28 years old. Over the years he owned several restaurants in the Philadelphia area, including one in Strafford. Hear biographer Ron Kule recount how he came to write the biography, and poignant stories about this very popular personality.

Anthony Waskie Portrays General George G. Meade

Date: November 6, 2013
Length: 1 hour, 43 minutes

Nationally-recognized Civil War preservationist Anthony Waskie portrays General George G. Meade.

Ed Rendell

Date: February 19, 2013
Length: 1 hour, 8 minutes

Ed Rendell chronicles his storied political career with his trademark candor while making a strong statement about the state of American leadership.

Greg Prichard: Overbrook to Paoli - Main Line Train Stations

Date: January 8, 2013
Length: 59 minutes

Radnor Historical Society Board Member Greg Prichard presents the history and architecture of these storied Main Line train stations, as well as the successes of recent preservation efforts.

George W. Boudreau on Independence Square

Date: October 23, 2012
Length: 1 hour, 9 minutes

Penn State Professor George W. Boudreau explores the history of Independence Hall and the areas that surround it as reflections of the society and culture of 18th century Philadelphia.

Sally Bedell Smith: "Elizabeth the Queen: The Life of a Modern Monarch"

Date: October 9, 2012
Length: 58 minutes

Sally Bedell Smith draws on extensive research and interviews to portray Elizabeth II as both a monarch and a lively individual with a sense of humor.

The History of the Radnor War Memorial

Date: May 15, 2012
Length: 52 minutes

This presentation followed the re-dedication ceremony held 5/15/2012 at the Memorial.

Re-Dedication Ceremony of the Radnor War Memorial

Date: May 15, 2012
Length: 36 minutes

The Radnor War Memorial is re-dedicated on its 90th anniversary.

History of the Francisvale Home for Smaller Animals

Date: April 29, 2012
Length: 45 minutes

Learn the history and present status of this no-kill animal shelter in continuous operation since 1909.

DeWitt Henry: "Sweet Dreams: A Family History"

Date: January 10, 2012
Length: 1 hour, 5 minutes

"Sweet Dreams" chronicles the early years of the author's life growing up in post-war Wayne, PA, and has been described as "a remarkable feat of memory delivered in extraordinary prose."

Tunnell Park Flagpole and Flag Dedication Ceremony

Date: February 19, 2012
Length: 33 minutes

Dedication ceremony at Emlen Tunnell Park, Garrett Hill, Rosemont, PA in Radnor Township's 7th Ward.

A History of Open Space in Radnor

Date: February 8, 2012
Length: 1 hour, 29 minutes

A panel of pioneers tell their stories about a time when the community enthusiastically endorsed the concept of preserving the rapidly diminishing green lands in Radnor Township.

Edward "Babe" Heffron

Date: November 9, 2011
Length: 1 hour, 30 minutes

An evening with Edward "Babe" Heffron, co-author of "Brothers in Battle, Best of Friends."

Bennett Hill on Old St. Davids Church

Date: October 8, 2011
Length: 45 minutes

Bennett Hill, a retired teacher, member of the RHS Board, and a guide at Historic Waynesborough, talks about the church’s history and its connections to the family of Anthony Wayne.

An Evening With David and Julie Nixon Eisenhower

Date: September 21, 2011
Length: 1 hour, 11 minutes

The authors talk about their newest best-selling book, "Going Home to Glory: A Memoir of Life with Dwight D. Eisenhower 1961-1969," in which they deliver a warm and personal recollection of the retirement years of David Eisenhower's grandfather, Dwight D. Eisenhower. You will also learn how Julie and David met, and how Ike once fired David from a summer job!

Gene Hough on Gravestone Restoration

Date: June 25, 2011
Length: 42 minutes (part 1), 41 minues (part 2)

Gene Hough, owner of Heritage Guild Works, explains and demonstrates various gravestone and marker restoration techniques at the Radnor Baptist Cemetary in Wayne, PA.

Octavius Catto: "Tasting Freedom"

Date: May 10, 2011
Length: 1 hour, 35 minutes

Former Philadelphia Inquirer writer Murray Dubin and Philadelphia Inquirer editor and Pulitzer Prize winner Daniel Biddle discuss their book "Tasting Freedom," which rescues the intrepid Catto from obscurity and brings to life a leader of the Civil War-era struggle against slavery and for equal rights.

Sister Jane Rearden: History of the Wootton Mansion

Date: April 6, 2011
Length: 1 hour, 6 minutes

Sister Jane Rearden shares the history of this 50-room neo-Tudor Mansion, which was completed by George W. Childs in 1881. Annie Robinson reviews the architectural history of this and other Peabody & Stearns country and seaside cottages.

Beth Earle Gallmeyer: Life on the Willows Estate

Date: April 3, 2011
Length: 1 hour, 5 minutes

Beth Earle Gallmeyer shares a fascinating glimpse of life growing up on the Willows Estate from 1937-1976.

Dennis McIlnay: The Horseshoe Curve: Sabotage and Subversion in the Railroad City

Date: March 2, 2011
Length: 1 hour, 22 minutes

Author Dennis McIlnay recounts the details of an interrupted Nazi plot during WWII to blow up this strategic section of the Pennsylvania Railroad near Altoona.

Craig TenBroeck: Genealogical Research

Date: February 8, 2011
Length: 58 minutes

Craig TenBroeck, Founder of the Main Line Genealogy Club, shares his knowledge of how go about conducting genealogical research. His lecture covers fundamental and more advanced research techniques.

Art on Conserving Art

Date: January 25, 2011
Length: 1 hour 27 minutes

Art Forster, who has owned Forster’s Custom Framing in Wayne, PA since 1974, explains the basics of art, photograph, and paper conservation; why these treasures deteriorate; and how to prevent that from happening.

Cardy Crawford Reads David Sedaris

Date: December 19, 2010
Length: 41 minutes

Cardy Crawford, retired Radnor teacher, author, local artist, and RHS Board member, read from David Sedaris’ holiday writings, which are filled will irony and sardonic humor. The reading took place in the parlor by the fire, but it is not for traditionalists or children!

Foul Bodies: Cleanliness in Early America

Date: October 27, 2010
Length: 1 hour, 5 minutes

Dr. Kathleen M. Brown talks about this unusual cultural history that traces attitudes towards dirt through the mid-nineteenth century, demonstrating that cleanliness, and the lack thereof, had moral, religious, and sexual implications.

History of the Willows Cottage: Farm Life in Radnor

Date: October 10, 2010
Length: 1 hour

The history of the Willows estate, formerly known as Rose Garland, including the Willows Cottage with its agricultural beginnings, is presented by Dr. Clarissa Dillon and Sara Pilling.

Jim Garrison: History of Presbyterian Children’s Village

Date: September 26, 2010
Length: 1 hour, 7 minutes

Jim Garrison, a noted local architectural historian, lectures about the estate originally known as Glencoe, now the Presbyterian Children's Village.

Harriton House: Tour by Bruce Gill

Date: June 19, 2010
Length: 1 hour, 17 minutes

Bruce Gill, Exc. Dir. & Curator, provides a lecture and tour of Harriton House, home of Charles Thomson, first and only Secretary of the Continental and Confederation Congresses.

RHS Annual Dinner: A History of Haverford College's Landscape Design

Date: March 9, 2010
Length: 40 minutes

At the Radnor Historical Society's annual dinner, held in Founders Great Hall at Haverford College, Bill Astifan, Manager of the College Arboretum, presented the history of the College's landscape design.

Lisa Fischer: Reconstructing Williamsburg for a Second Time

Date: February 16, 2010
Length: 43 minutes

Lisa Fischer, Director of the Digital History Center of The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, speaks about how digital technologies are helping reconstruct the 18th century Williamsburg.

Businesses in Radnor - An Oral History

Date: January 12, 2010
Length: 53 minutes

Cardy Crawford moderates a panel of leaders of long-standing area businesses who share a perspective of their businesses over the years. Panelists include Vince Cappelli, Lou and Bob D'Amicantonio, John Braxton and Art Forster.

Bennett Hill reads Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, 2009

Date: December 27, 2009
Length: 1 hour, 30 minutes

Bennett Hill takes the Radnor Historical Society back to Dickens' era with this heartwarming ghost story. Read at the Society's headquarters, the Finley House.

Laura Beardsley: Historic Photos of Pennsylvania

Date: December 2, 2009
Length: 1 hour, 5 minutes

Laura Beardsley returns to the Radnor community to provide the background of vintage photographs of farmlands and waterfalls, coal mines and steel mills, museums and universities in Pennsylvania. The images in this collection pay tribute to the people who have made up Pennsylvania’s storied past.

Dr. Allen Guelzo: The Lincoln and Douglas Debates

Date: November 8, 2009
Length: 1 hour, 2 minutes

The Radnor Historical Society and the Friends of the Radnor Library co-sponsored a presentation by Dr. Allen Guelzo, author, professor at Gettysburg College (former professor at Eastern University), prominent Lincoln historian, and two-time winner of both the Lincoln Prize and the Abraham Lincoln Institute Prize. His presentation honors the Library’s bicentennial and Lincoln’s bicentennial and is based on his book (which just came out in paperback), "Lincoln and Douglas: The Debates That Defined America."

2009 Memorial Day Parade

Date: May 25, 2009
Length: 26 minutes

The Radnor Historical Society continues its participation in the 2009 Wayne, PA Memorial Day Parade. President Ted Pollard and ex-President Bennett Hill (garbed in traditional colonial clothing complete with firearm) escorted the Conestoga Wagon in the parade. Mishap befell the wagon's tongue as the wagon was being returned to the barn after the parade had concluded.

Anthony Wayne, Hero of Two Wars

Date: May 3, 2009
Length: 35 minutes

At The Radnor Historical Society's Annual Meeting on May 3, 2009, at historic Waynesborough (Paoli, PA), Bennett Hill, a retired teacher, member and former President of the RHS Board, and a guide at Waynesborough for many years, delivers a talk on Anthony Wayne.

Larry Ziglar: History of the Radnor Fire Company

Date: March 3, 2009
Length: 1 hour, 5 minutes

Larry Ziglar, the retired Kea Professor of American History at Eastern University, discusses the history of the Radnor Fire Company. Mr. Ziglar has studied and has come to admire the people who provide such a valuable community service, and believes the Company is an important asset to Radnor.

Laura Beardsley: "Historic Photos of the Main Line"

Date: January 14, 2009
Length: 46 minutes

The Radnor Memorial Library and the Radnor Historical Society hosted this book talk with Laura Beardsley, author of "Historic Photos of the Main Line." The author discusses her new book and presents the black and white images collected in this handsome coffee-table book that details growth of the Main Line from its early days up to recent times.

Cardy Crawford reads "A Christmas Memory"

Date: December 28, 2008
Length: 33 minutes

Cardy Crawford, retired Radnor teacher, author, and RHS Board member, reads Truman Capote’s "A Christmas Memory," the classic memoir of Capote’s childhood in rural Alabama during the Depression when he lived with distant relatives.

Tuskegee Airman Eugene J. Richardson

Date: April 23, 2008
Length: 1 hour, 41 minutes

The Tuskegee Airmen were America’s first black military airmen and served during World War II. Eugene J. Richardson spoke to an audience at the Radnor Memorial Library.

Radnor Oral History

Date: March 11, 2008
Length: 1 hour, 11 minutes

Marilyn Caltibiano, director emerita of the library, moderated this oral history panel of older Radnor residents who have lived in the area their entire lives. This event was co-sponsored by the Radnor Historical Society and the Radnor Memorial Library. Participants were Margaret Dolan, George Aman, Charles Crawford and Steve Pendergast.

Bennett Hill Reads 'A Christmas Carol'

Date: December 30, 2007
Length: 1 hour, 23 minutes

A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens: Bennett Hill reads an abridged version of this classic Christmas tale by the fire in the front parlor. A Radnor Historical Society tradition.

Phil Ritter - History of Wayne Station

Date: March 21, 2006
Length: 1 hour, 1 minute

Phil Ritter, Pennsylvania Railroad historian, gives a detailed talk to the Historical Society about the history of Wayne train station. The historic structure, which has been undergoing renovations recently, was just one station to serve the town.

Audio: Freedom's Prophet: Bishop Richard Allen

Date: February 11, 2009
Length: 1 hour, 6 minutes

Richard Newman, author of "Freedom’s Prophet," speaks about Reverend Richard Allen, founder and first Bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church.

Audio: History of Our Lady of the Assumption Church

Date: November 16, 2008
Length: 1 hour, 7 minutes

Our Lady of the Assumption was founded as a parish for Italian immigrants to the Main Line. Its history is the subject of the book "From Humble Beginnings, A Journey of Grace: A Centennial History of Our Lady of the Assumption Parish 1908—2008." The book’s authors and parish historians, Celia Paolantonio and Christine Gaeto, gave this presentation on the church's history.

Audio: History of the Radnor Memorial Library

Date: April 24, 2007
Length: 1 hour, 1 minute

Former Library director Marilyn Caltabiano speaks on the history of the library as well as her experiences as its director. Present director Barbara Casini also speaks about the future of the Library.

Audio: History of the Wayne Art Center

Date: February 27, 2007
Length: 32 minutes

Nancy Campbell, Director of the Wayne Art Center, talks on the history of the Center as well as the recent expansion. She is joined by Frank McPherson, Vice President of the Board of Directors and Treasurer of the Center.

Audio: Dayton Lummis

Date: January 11, 2007
Length: 59 minutes

Dayton Lummis speaks at the Winsor Room of the Radnor Memorial Library on his new book, When Earl Was King Neptune. The book includes many of Mr. Lummis's personal recollections about living on the Main Line throughout most of its history.