John Philip Boehm (1683-1749)

Philadelphia, PA · est. 2004

In 1694 the German mystic Johannes Kelpius led a band of learned followers to the banks of the Wissahickon, drawn by William Penn's promise of religious liberty. Known as the "Hermits of the Wissahickon," they wrote poetry and music, studied the stars and plants, built one of the colonies' early pipe organs, and waited for the millennium they believed near. Notably tolerant for their age, they welcomed people of every background, including Native Americans, until the community faded after Kelpius's death in 1708.

Philadelphia, PA · est. 1998

Isaac Leeser served as minister of Philadelphia's historic Congregation Mikveh Israel and became one of the most influential Jewish leaders in antebellum America. He founded The Occident, an early Jewish periodical, and in 1853 produced an English translation of the Hebrew Bible for American Jews. As a teacher and scholar he helped shape Jewish religious and communal life across the young republic.

Upper Dublin Township, PA · est. 2002

Founded in 1910 by Jane Bowne Haines and a "congress of women," this school was among the first in the nation to train women for professional careers in horticulture and agriculture. It became a seedbed for organized women's work in the field, hosting the founding of the Woman's National Farm and Garden Association in 1913. During both world wars its students taught women to grow and preserve food for the war effort before the school merged with Temple University in 1958.

North Wales, PA · est. 2008

William Trego built a national reputation as a painter of American history—dramatic canvases like "March to Valley Forge" and "Rescue of the Colors"—and he did it while paralyzed in both hands, gripping and guiding his brushes through sheer determination. He learned his craft here alongside his father, the artist Jonathan K. Trego, who was both parent and mentor. Their Montgomery County home was where a remarkable talent was nurtured against long odds.