March 5, 2013

How many Quakers does it take?...

It seems that one per Philly suburb will do.  Another town?  Another Quaker founder.  I think this makes the Better Half's head swell a bit since his whole family IS Quaker.  We just happen to fall in the "non land baron" side of the family tree apparently.



"Yardley Grist Mill"
Yardley, PA


It's hard to venture far in the Philly area without running right into a Quaker meetinghouse or Quaker history. It's the proverbial "you don't appreciate what you have" mentality because growing up in this area...I only thought of that funny looking man in the ridiculous hat on the "Quaker Oats" box when the word Quaker was mentioned.


 Disclaimer:  This is NOT what the Better Half looks like...most days.



"Main Street Yardley"


If Philly was a Monopoly game, the strategy to a no fail win would be to quickly scarf up all the Quaker-owned squares on the board.  One of which would be Yardley.  It meets the qualifying criteria because it was founded in 1682 by Quaker minister William Yardley.  Not sure what you'd have to pay for it.  But Yardley bought it from another Quaker, William Penn, for 10 pounds sterling.  The downside is you couldn't put hotels on this square in Monopoly because the main part of town has maintained it's historical integrity.   But perhaps a colonial Motel 6 might be okay.  We'll leave the candle on for you.







Yardley is located on the Delaware River.  The canal and it's towpath bisect the borough.  Quakers, towpaths, and canals...oh my.  Seems to be a winning trifecta in this area.





Like quite a few other Philly areas founded on Quaker pacifism, Yardley was a stop during the Civil War on the Underground Railroad.  It provided hiding and safe haven for escaped slaves.  But today, it is a fun town to stroll and to admire it's charm.













But our best find of the day came as a result of me drastically underestimating how cold and windy it was outside.  Okay, I suck at guess-timating temps AND distances.  So we took refuge in The Vault Brewing Company on Main street.  Yep, it's an old bank converted into a micro brewery.  Waaay cool. But warm.



"The Vault Brewing Company"
(taken with my i-phone 'cause my digits were numb)


'Cause even Quakers like to drink socially ya know.  How do you think they made all those deals to become founding fathers of the Philly area?  Probably over a cold brew.


Happy Tuesday.

--Kathy

linked to:   Tuesdays Around the WorldTones on TuesdayOur World TuesdaySweet Shot Tuesday52 Weeks of Happiness



27 comments:

  1. Ahhh, thanks for the stroll through a bit of my Quackerness! haha

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  2. Always enjoy your trips both here and abroad...did not know Quakers partook in alchohol, just thought they were teetotalers since they were rather strict.

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  3. What a lovely walk around Yardley - and the tour guide is SO whimsical!

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  4. Thank you for the lovely tour, sigh... I need to get out more...

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  5. You have such a great sense of humor!

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  6. I love these photographs, especially that first shot of the mill. The Quakers got it right, that's for sure - apart from the oats! ;-)

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  7. Here in Maine we have an historical Shaker Village nearby in Poland pretty darn near them Poland Springs where ya git that spring water from. I'll have to meander through that village one day. It was awful nice of you to show us some of the Quaker sights. Many thanks my PA friend.

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  8. Makes me homesick! Another place I'll have to wander again when I'm home for a visit...I love those old towns!

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  9. GORGEOUS! Your photos are insanely pretty!!! So enjoyed every single one of them!

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  10. Nice history lesson! Cracking up about the Quaker comment...too funny. My 2 fav pics are the clock & of course the beer. #lush lol

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  11. So much history, so much quaintness, so much Quaker (and I too think of the fella with the hat on my oatmeal) and that beer looks tasty and I'm not even a beer drinker.

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  12. I wish we lived in a history-filled city, but it all burned down! ;-) Love the quaintness.

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  13. Thanks for the tour! I am always in awe on how you make the ordinary not so ordinary (little basket w/ the cardinal ready to fall off <3). Whimsical... comes to mind. And oh, yes, there isn't a town in these parts that doesn't have a Quaker meeting house (only to be out done by a CVS on every corner).

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  14. Loved your tour through Yardley! Looks like a really charming quaker town! So many interesting things in your part of the country. I used to live in Rhode Island, and so missed all of the old historical buildings when I moved to Texas. every thing is so new here. Inspires me to come back to the area for a visit. Have a great day!

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  15. You live in a truly beautiful and history rich part if the country. I felt like I was there. Gorgeous photos.

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  16. Wonderful tour of Yardley... It's a beautiful place, and I enjoy your photography!

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  17. These shots are so beautiful!

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  18. Great post, great location. And yes, I have a meetinghouse just around the corner on none other than Meetinghouse Rd.

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  19. LOL, I've had my digits too cold to take an iPhone photo and I've wished for a pair of gloves where I could still use my phone. However, that's a dumb purchase for NC. I love that first photo.

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  20. Fantastic photos...I absolutely love your "eye" when you take pictures. You capture wonderful details!

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  21. A very interesting tour, thank you as usual. It was coincidental to your part about the Underground Railroad as that is exactly what we're reading about in my yr 10 class (15/16 yr olds). That was a very touching post yesterday - I really do hope all will be well, or healed as much as possible, soon, Renee.

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  22. Cupolas, brick walls, aged six pane window glass... heavenly day with a camera. Enjoyed this.

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  23. I love your walks around town. You have such an eye for framing things : a steeple, a gaggle of geese, a bridge ... I look forward to your posts. Cheers!

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  24. Thanks for the tour and the commentary you always bring a smile to my face. Awesome shots!

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  25. Thanks so much for the tour. I enjoyed every minute of it. So much history there.. I That is the perfect way to end the tour. I would partake with you but its 5 in the morning. Thats coffee time in my world.

    Hugs~

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