Heritage and Cultural Society

2025 Meeting Dates

February 18 · April 15 · June 17 · August 19 · October 21 · December 16

2 PM – Bernville Borough Hall

(Backup Location: Friedens Church)

2025 Standing Agenda

1. Meeting Call to Order
2. Roll Call of Attendees / Welcoming of Guests
3. Review of Meeting Minutes from the Prior H & C Meeting
4. Treasurer’s Report
5. Discussion of Current and Future Projects
6. Status updates and action items/required motions
7. Consideration/discussion on future projects
8. Open discussion on topics of importance
9. Required actions/motions not yet taken
10. Concluding remarks by attendees
11. Announcement of Next Meeting Date
12. Call for Adjournment

2025 Meeting Dates

February 18 · April 15 · June 17 · August 19 · October 21 · December 16

2 PM – Bernville Borough Hall

(Backup Location: Friedens Church)

Standing Agenda

1. Meeting Call to Order
2. Roll Call of Attendees / Welcoming of Guests
3. Review of Meeting Minutes from the Prior H & C Meeting
4. Treasurer’s Report
5. Discussion of Current and Future Projects
6. Status updates and action items/motions required on current projects 
7. Consideration/discussion of future project proposals
8. Open discussion on topics of importance
9. Required actions/motions not yet taken
10. Concluding remarks by attendees
11. Announcement of Next Meeting Date
12. Call for Adjournment

Bernville’s Past in Photos

These 30 photos were originally taken by Spencer Watts, long-time Borough resident and photographer. The photos date to the 1970s and 1980s. The Bernville Heritage & Cultural Society Committee has received Spencer’s permission to share these photos as a glimpse into Bernville’s past. Perhaps you may recognize a familiar face, recall a local scene, or have a memory to two brought back by viewing these photos. Members of the Heritage & Cultural Society Committee hope that you enjoy a stroll down memory lane by reviewing these photos. We apologize for any photo that may be incorrectly labeled. Additional photos will be posted sometime in 2022. Thanks are also extended to Steve Gable for his assistance in technically converting Spencer’s original slides to photos.

The Pennsylvania Dutch

The term Pennsylvania Dutch refers to a group of Americans of German ancestry. All Germanic languages were referred to as “Dutch” in English (from the German, “Deutsch”) and thus those groups, living in Pennsylvania and speaking German, were referred to as the Pennsylvania Dutch. These individuals are sometimes referred to as the “Fancy Dutch” and the “Plain Dutch.”

The Fancy Dutch blended into the American culture and are less well known today compared to Amish and Mennonite people, who are referred to as the Plain Dutch.  The Plain Dutch, mostly the Amish today who practice a simple and plain lifestyle, continue to speak the original German dialect. Because many of the Fancy Dutch assimilated into American society, they speak very little of the original PA Dutch/German language.

The Fancy Dutch kept their German heritage and culture alive in a number of ways: through gatherings known as Fersommlings, through the creation of utilitarian items with color and decorative elements (such as Frakturs), and through their food.

Here you will find several items from our collection that exemplify the PA Dutch culture: booklets and favors from Berks County

Fersommlings, Frakturs, and PA Dutch recipes.

(Note: information for the first three paragraphs has been summarized from an article authored by Madison Whipple and published in The Collector on April 22, 2023.)

A Fersommling (also spelled Versammling or Fersammling) is a Pennsylvania Dutch social event in which food is served, speeches are made, and one or more g’spiel, which are plays or skits, are performed for entertainment. (Definition taken from Wikipedia.)

At many Fersommlings, an item was provided to those who attended as a souvenir (favor) from the event.  Below are examples from our collection of favors given at various Fersommlings.

A distelfink, an example of German folk art, is a stylized goldfinch, probably based on the European variety. It frequently appears in Pennsylvania Dutch folk art.  It represents happiness and good fortune and the Pennsylvania German people, and is a common theme in hex signs and in fraktur. The word distelfink (literally ‘thistle-finch’) is the German name for the European goldfinch. (Information taken from Wikipedia.)

PA Dutch Distelfink

Fraktur is a highly artistic and elaborate folk art created by the Pennsylvania Dutch, named after the fraktur script associated with it.

Most fraktur were created between 1740 and 1860.

Baptismal records, land deeds, certificates, bookplates, birth registries, and sometimes Valentines were lettered in German-language fraktur and decorated with hearts, vines, and tulips that came to be characteristic of fraktur art.

(information taken from the internet.)

We are grateful to all those who have donated items to our collection of Pennsylvania Dutch artifacts.