A Legacy of Historic Preservation

New Hope 
Historical Society
New Hope 
Historical Society
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Mission

To attain, preserve and interpret the diverse historical influence of New Hope and its realm of influence for the benefit of the public through its stewardship of historic buildings and collections, research, publications and educational programming. 

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Our History

The New Hope Historical Society was organized in 1958.
Our mission is to "inspire people to explore New Hope's past, understand its present, and envision a better future." In 1966 the Society located to the historic Parry Mansion, built and owned and built by Benjamin Parry (the "Father of New Hope") and later his descendants ​until the 1960's.

From the original settlers, the Lenni-Lenape Indians, to the Dutch and English followed by the Quakers to today’s varied population; New Hope maintains its historic status as a place where diversity is celebrated. We take great pride in New Hope’s (then, Coryell’s Ferry) role in the American Revolution and our three hundred years of history from the early ferry boats, mills and canal boats to world-class artists, actors and writers and to the magnificent variety of galleries, shops and restaurants today.

The New Hope Historical Society’s office is located in the elegant eighteenth century Georgian-style Parry Mansion at 45 South Main Street in the heart of New Hope’s historic district. It was the home of the “father of New Hope”, Benjamin Parry, and five generations of the Parry family. The New Hope Historical Society purchased this beautiful structure from Margaret Parry Lang in 1966 and, arguably, saved it from the wrecking ball. It is located across the street from the Parry Barn, which our founding members had saved from demolition in 1958.

Our members and supporters enable us to preserve and maintain these historic buildings for present and future generations. In 2007 we replaced the roofs of the Parry Mansion, the ice house and the Parry Barn. Now we turn our attention to the interior of these buildings for further development and preservation.

In 2008, the New Hope Historical Society celebrated its 50th anniversary. We look back over the past fifty years with pride and a sense of real accomplishment; and we look forward to a future in which much has to be done to enhance the legacy of those who have contributed so much to keep the sense of New Hope’s history vibrant and alive. Please join us as we prepare for our next fifty years of promoting the achievements of the past and growing the awareness of our rich history for the future.
 

The Society's holdings include photographs, letters, family papers, minute books, organizational records, oral history recordings, and other  documents relating to the people, properties, businesses, and organizations ​of  New Hope. Prominent local families the Parrys and Coryells are well-represented in the collection.

Board of Directors

President

Second Vice President

Second Vice President

Frank Policare

Second Vice President

Second Vice President

Second Vice President

Kay Weeder

Secretary

Secretary

Secretary

Mary Ellen Mason

Historian

Secretary

Secretary

Roy Ziegler 

Fred Logan

Ralph Fey

Abrey Light

Eric Reisenwitz

Eric Reisenwitz

Eric Reisenwitz

Eric Reisenwitz

Eric Reisenwitz

Vivian Francesco

Board Member’s Bios
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Our Team

Cindy Hall, Executive Director

Cindy is a highly engaged non-profit leader with a passion for helping others appreciate, experience and learn through their life journey.  She brings her unique breadth of experiences in non-profits, as an educator, and as a business leader to help organizations promote and advance their vision and mission, and strengthen the financial sustainability through programming, events and grants.

Cindy is an avid hiker and explorer, promoting a respect for the environment and creating events to help others enjoy the beauty of Pennsylvania and surrounding areas.  Her professional background includes working with the Road Scholar organization in developing high quality educational programming.  She designed an innovative educational tool that was adopted by Road Scholar for their domestic and international lifelong learning programs.

Cindy and her husband Craig current live in the Lehigh Valley where they enjoy the views, the people and their adopted Yorkshire Terrier Chloe.  

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Volunteers

Joanne Reszka, Docent & Event Planning

Joanne Reszka, Docent & Event Planning

Joanne Reszka, Docent & Event Planning

I’m Joanne Reszka, a Solebury resident, with a strong interest in local history and story-telling and meeting people from all walks of life.  I really appreciate how much the Parry Mansion can teach us about local history and our place in the history of our nation.  Bucks County is such a glorious place to live or visit, with its access to nature, culture, and history and the events at the Parry reflect this so well.  My personal interests are volunteering for many different local and community groups and institutions, singing, hiking, reading, travel, and gardening. 

Abrey Light - New Hope Walking Tour

Joanne Reszka, Docent & Event Planning

Joanne Reszka, Docent & Event Planning

I am Abrey Light (pronounced a-brie). Susan and I have been residents of New Hope for five years, but I've been a visitor to New Hope my entire life.  I love doing walking tours for the New Hope Historical Society, because I enjoy sharing the ever-evolving history of our town, dating back several hundred years.  My other hobbies include biking, golf, photo journaling, and touch football, which I've now played most every Sunday morning for 32 years.  My wife, Susan, and I are very proud of our two adult sons, Mike (married to Simone) and Jason (engaged to Amanda), who we raised in West Windsor, NJ. and have their own successful careers.  Professionally, I consult to the Life Sciences industry, as an expert in software innovation used for clinical trials.  My consulting business is called ClinScape, and I use my middle name (Ken)."

Tom Williams

Joanne Reszka, Docent & Event Planning

Tom Williams

Fairfield University BA

St Louis University JD

Practiced law in NY and NJ 47 years

Adjunct professor at Ramapo College, NJ

Fine art dealer 

5 children & 13 grandchildren 

Hobbies & interests: Biking, sailing, cooking & writing 

The Parry Mansion Museum Historic Horticultural Team

Ross Heutmaker & Anna Davis

Ross Heutmaker and Anna Davis of A Garden in Thyme specialize in historical horticulture and landscape restorations. Ross developed a love of plants as a young boy, when he would collect and dry various plants to create “potions”, and enjoyed nibbling on “onion grass” from the front yard. He delighted in learning how food could be grown from the soil. He studied philosophy at the College of New Jersey, with a concentration in environmental ethics. His thesis focused on the importance of land stewardship in agriculture. Anna is an Ethnobotanist with a background in Anthropology and Herbal Medicine. She has 7 years experience in Historical Horticulture and a lifetime of gardening. Ravenous for learning experiences, she is
continually growing the vast knowledge of plants, plant medicine, and
historic landscapes. Ross met Anna at Washington Crossing Historic Park, together they designed and implemented a brand new 18th century Kitchen Garden at
the site where Washington crossed the Delaware in Pennsylvania. Since  their business began they have been working hard on various historical sites including the Parry Mansion in New Hope PA and the Captain TImothy Hill House in Chincoteague VA.

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New Hope Historical Society

45 South Main Street

215-258-8590

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