Welcome to Germantown!

The Germantown Historical Society is an educational and research center dedicated to preserving and interpreting the history of the original German Township in northwest Philadelphia. Encompassing the contemporary neighborhoods of Germantown, Mt. Airy, and Chestnut Hill, greater Germantown is a dynamic and diverse community. The Society houses a unique collection of artifacts, books, manuscripts, maps, and images documenting Germantown’s many stories. Community residents, historians, scholars, anyone interested in  experience this history by visiting our museum exhibition and exploring the resources in the Pat Henning Library and Archives.

Volunteers!

Each week, our volunteers contribute over 40 hours of assistance to the library, museum and administrative offices, the equivalent of a full-time staff person! Our volunteers assist researchers, transcribe oral histories, conduct research, re-house collections, catalog and scan digital photos, care for and maintain our library, artifact and archival collections, support membership and administrative functions, and work together to make GHS an amazing resource to our many neighbors and audiences.

We are so grateful for our volunteers and the support they provide for our collections!

If you have a few free hours each week and are interested in joining our group of wonderful volunteers, please let us know by email: library@germantownhistory.org