NEWS
MONTGOMERY COUNTY OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS
COURT HOUSE, NORRISTOWN, PA., BOX 311, 19404-0311
PHONE (610) 278-3061 FAX 278-5943
COMMISSIONERS:
JAMES R. MATTHEWS, Chairman, JOSEPH M. HOEFFEL, Vice Chairman, BRUCE L. CASTOR, JR, Commissioner
RELEASE: IMMEDIATELY 03/04/09 PR#09-15
Congressman Jim Gerlach Presents Federal Grant to Montgomery County Commissioners for Peter Wentz Farmstead
WORCESTER — Congressman Jim Gerlach (PA-6th District) joined Montgomery County Commissioners Chairman Jim Matthews and Commissioner Joseph Hoeffel at the Peter Wentz Farmstead to congratulate the staff on receiving a $6,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.
“The Peter Wentz Farmstead is one of the many historical treasures in the region that allows generation after generation to learn about Montgomery County’s role in the founding of our nation and the hard-working families that helped build our young country,” Gerlach said. “I strongly support federal efforts to preserve our rich history in Southeastern Pennsylvania and congratulate Montgomery County and the Farmstead staff on securing this grant.”
The grant will support consultation with a conservator and the purchase of equipment for monitoring humidity and other environmental conditions so that staff can preserve household furnishings and decorative arts displayed in the Wentz family home, which was built in 1758.
In addition to providing a glimpse of what life was like on an 18th Century Pennsylvania German farm, the site also served as a headquarters for General George Washington as he prepared for the Battle of Germantown in the fall of 1777.
(left to right): Congressman Jim Gerlach, Peter Wentz Curator Morgan McMillan, Peter Went Historic Site Supervisor Dianne Cram, Montgomery County Commissioners Chairman James R. Matthews and Montgomery County Commissioners Vice Chairman Joseph M. Hoeffel.
