Madonna of the Trail in Bethesda, Maryland – one of many NSDAR tributes to Pioneer Women

 

 

Philadelphia Chapter History

1890 TO 1900

Since its organization in 1892, the Philadelphia Chapter, NSDAR, has been an active participant in achieving the goals of the society: historical, patriotic and educational. The City of Philadelphia gave our chapter permission to undertake the restoration of the second floor of Independence Hall including the banquet room and assembly chambers.

After raising $5,000 (an enormous sum for the day) and extensive historical research, T. Mellon Rogers, a prominent architect, was hired to execute the work. The restoration was completed in February 1897 and presented to the city.

 

1900 to 1949

Throughout its history, our chapter has always supported our troops in conflict. We raised the funds needed to build the Manila Club House in the Philippines during the Philippine-American War around 1902. For our World War I soldiers, we purchased an ambulance and a kitchen trailer to be used on the battlefields of France. Working with the Red Cross, canteens, and blood banks, members raised thousands of dollars and spent countless hours of volunteer work for Americans in military service in all wars.

 

1950 to the Present

The Philadelphia Chapter strongly supports the education of America’s youth. In the 1950s, we began a program to recognize exceptional youth in the Philadelphia area with the American History Award and the Good Citizenship Medal. By 1972, this program had evolved into an annual luncheon honoring the students with parents and faculty attending. This past year, sixty-two students were honored. In 1976, a Bicentennial Ball was held honoring the Declaration of Independence and Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) State Regents from the thirteen original colonies were invited. Debutantes were presented and colonial dances were performed. The proceeds were used to award scholarships to college students majoring in American History. Scholarships are still awarded as funds permit. We also sponsor students applying for state and national DAR scholarships.

Our chapter also focuses heavily on service to veterans. Some of our members are veterans; others have family members who are active and/or in the reserves. For several years, our chapter has sent packages to troops deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan. We send gift cards that are given to active soldiers in the military. Our Honorary Chapter Regent is currently the PSSDAR Service to Veterans Chairman. Serving as members of her committee, many of our members support efforts for her project, benefiting Alpha Bravo Canine, a non-profit that purchases and trains service dogs for veterans suffering from PTSD and other health issues.

 

Email: Philadelphia Chapter, NSDAR webmaster.

Photo credits: all images are courtesy of Elizabeth Campbell, Taryn Edmonds, & Jennifer Thorpe. The DAR logo is courtesy of NSDAR.