On Wednesday, March 16, 2011, the Mill at Anselma will host a lecture about Sara Vickers Oberholtzer, a beloved Chester County poet and activist.
“We’re thrilled to bring a new facet of the history of this National Historic Landmark to life,” said Programs Coordinator Jennifer Green. “Even beyond the remarkable authenticity of the grist mill and the buildings around it, there is a story about the people who lived and worked here that begs to be told. Sara Oberholtzer is a great place to start.”
Sara Louisa Vickers was born in 1841 in Lionville, Chester County, to a Quaker abolitionist family with a long history of fighting for civil rights. In 1862 she married miller John Oberholtzer and moved to the Mill at Anselma. Her new surroundings provided abundant inspiration, and her poetry ranged from observations of the mill and the Chester County countryside, to her family’s experiences with the Underground Railroad and events like President Garfield’s assassination. Later in life, Sara helped to spearhead social movements like the Women’s Christian Temperance Union and School Savings Bank program, and worked tirelessly on behalf of women’s suffrage and equal rights.
Historian Nancy Webster will tell the story of Sara’s life, and set it in context with the Chester County Quaker lifestyle in which she was raised and how her world outlook affected her views of the Civil War and civil rights. Copies of Sara’s most highly regarded poems will be available to view.
The lecture will take place on Wednesday, March 16, 2011 at the newly restored Abraham Fetters White Schoolhouse. Admission is free, but donations will be gladly accepted. Light refreshments will be served from 6:30 to 7:00pm, with the lecture starting at 7:00pm. As seating is limited, reservations are required. Please call The Mill at Anselma at (610) 827-1906 or email [email protected] for reservations.
The Fetters White School is located at 723 N. Pottstown Pike in Exton PA. Parking is available in the lot behind St. Paul’s UCC, which is located next to the schoolhouse at 101 Worthington Road, Exton, PA. For directions, please call or visit www.anselmamill.org.
All contributions benefit the ongoing preservation and programs of The Mill at Anselma, a National Historic Landmark.
