The D&L Blog

On Friday, the Jacobsburg Historical Society (JHS) hosted the D&L’s board meeting on their grounds in Historic Boulton, PA. JHS staff led tours of the John Joseph Henry House, the Nicholas Hawk gun shop, and the Pennsylvania Long Rifle Museum. They also graciously provided space on the ground floor of the museum for the D&L’s meeting.

In the 1750s, William Henry established himself as one of the premier Pennsylvania Long Rifle makers, and Boulton, which is just north of Nazareth and west of Belfast, became an “industrial plantation,” housing workers and turning out large numbers of firearms, including the famous Henry Rifle. While the JHS celebrates the small arms heritage of Boulton with gunsmithing programs, historical research, and a high-tech museum, the staff also incorporates other Henry family accomplishments into their exhibits: Ann Wood Henry was the first Pennsylvania woman to serve in public office, James Henry drafted the first legislation protecting Pennsylvania’s wetlands and waterways, and William Henry was involved in early steam innovations. For outdoor enthusiasts, the historic site lies within Henry’s Woods, a section of old growth forest that is part of the Jacobsburg Environmental Education Center.

The D&L would like to thank the Jacobsburg Historical Society for their hospitality and encourage everyone to visit this historically-important and naturally-beautiful site.