As 2023 comes to an end, the William Tennent House Association wants to look back on what we’ve accomplished this year. We continue to promote the importance of William Tennent and the Log College plus the need for funds to restore his house.
A look back on 2023
For our first fundraisers in 2023, Clint Flack and Annie Halliday from the Mercer Museum presented programs on the Doan Brothers gang in February and April. This gang of loyalists terrorized Bucks County during the American Revolution.
Walking tours in historic Philadelphia with Ben Franklin took place in May and October. Ben Franklin presenter, Robert DeVitis, guided us to the significant colonial sites of the city.
During the year, we took advantage of several opportunities to share the story of William Tennent and our goal to restore his home. In April, we set up our information table at the Crooked Billet History Fair. This was a great opportunity to connect with other local historical groups. In June, Mrs. Tennent spoke at Ivyland’s 150th Anniversary Celebration and in September, at Hatboro’s Union Library. In August, we participated with an information table at the Moland House Revolutionary War Reenactment. In September, we held our annual Open House, and we participated in Warminster Day.
Through several tours, we continued to promote our mission. A group from the Harrisburg area came to Neshaminy-Warwick Presbyterian Church for a tour. Tours were given to quester groups and a group from the Southampton Library. The Peaceable Kingdom Questers decided to help us after going on a tour, for which we are very grateful.
In October, we held our big fundraiser through the company, HundredX Inc. We raised over $2,300 for the William Tennent House. We also participated in the Giving Tuesday fundraiser in November.
The William Tennent House is in the district of State Representative Brian Munroe. Brian and his staff have been very helpful. He will try to secure funding from the state for our Historic Preservation Plan and will investigate the possibility of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives honoring William Tennent for his contributions to education and spiritual revival.
We ended the year with our annual banquet in December which was held at Giuseppe’s Restaurant in Warminster. Our speakers were Wendy Wirsch as Mrs. Tennent and author Patrick McFadden.
What’s ahead in 2024
Looking ahead at 2024, here’s what we have planned so far. In February, Sam Davis as George Washington will speak about the women of the American Revolution. We also want to sponsor a tour of the Mercer Museum Tile Works. We will be raising money to have archaeologist, Dr. Kenneth Basalik, return to open another test unit. We look forward to having another Open House, our Annual Banquet and, hopefully, another fundraiser through HundredX. We will also continue to participate in annual local events such as Warminster Day and the Moland House reenactment. Grants through the National Trust will be sought along with other means to raise money for the restoration of the William Tennent House. In 2024, we will concentrate our efforts to raise money for the Historic Preservation Plan ($39,000) and Archaeology ($8,000).
If you’d like to support us you can use the donation form below. Any contribution, no matter how big or small, will help us in our mission to restore the William Tennent House. Visit our support page to learn more about how you can support our cause and get involved. Thank you for all the support in 2023, and we’re looking forward to an eventful 2024!