The Society operates a museum in an Old Methodist church building. The Museum displays both permanent and changing exhibits on local history.
The society offers educational programs, lectures, and occasional recreational and educational events; the museum offers exhibits.
John Turner, a manager of program development at Colonial Williamsburg, talks about the place of religion in colonial society, looking at the Great Awakening, African American participation in religious institutions, and the different denominations represented in Williamsburg.
James Ingram, a character interpreter at Colonial Williamsburg, describes the life of Gowan Pamphlet, a colonial tavern slave who, influenced by the Great Awakening, became a Baptist slave preacher. For the first part of this interview, click here.
Note: this podcast is no longer available. To view a transcript of the original podcast, click here.
The Moravian church founded Schoenbrunn ("beautiful spring") in 1772 as a mission to the Delaware Indians. The settlement grew to include sixty dwellings and more than 300 inhabitants who drew up Ohio's first civil code and built its first Christian church and schoolhouse. Problems associated with the American Revolution prompted Schoenbrunn's closing in 1777. Schoenbrunn's story features a rare meeting of Indian and European cultures and a fascinating perspective on the American Revolution. Today the reconstructed village includes 17 log buildings, gardens, the original mission cemetery, and a museum and visitor center.
The village offers a short film, exhibits, and tours.
Kathryn Kish Sklar of SUNY-Binghamton describes women's rise in political and social power and activism in response to encouragement by antebellum churches. Sklar looks particularly at women's actions in forming anti-slavery societies and circulating petitions.
To view this clip, select "Women Churches and the Development of Antebellum Social Reform Movement" under "Religion and Culture Video."
John Mack Faragher of Yale University discusses the significance of religion to antebellum settlers in Illinois. He looks at the diversity of sects represented and the importance of religion in community-forming.
To view this clip, select "Religion on the Illinois Frontier" under "Religion and Culture Video."
John Mack Faragher of Yale University describes the religious environment in central Illinois during Abraham Lincoln's lifetime, focusing on the importance of church involvement to communities.
To view this clip, select "Lincoln's Religious Beliefs" under "Abraham Lincoln's Biography Video."
Historian Gail Sylvia Lowe discusses the importance of artifacts in preserving and interpreting history. She uses a church fan as a theoretical example, looking at what could be gleaned from examining such an object.
To view this video, select "Scholars," followed by "Gail Sylvia Lowe." Choose one of the Windows Media options.
Professor Salvatore Nick reviews the life of C.L. Franklin (1915-1984), African-American Baptist preacher and civil rights activist. Nick looks particularly at the greater social context within which Franklin spoke and worked—that is, the daily experiences of the African American communities to which he spoke and which he spoke for.
The Memorial is housed within the Church of St. Mary the Virgin, Aldermanbury, a 12th-century church from the middle of London, redesigned by Sir Christopher Wren in 1677, that was relocated to Fulton. The undercroft of this historic Wren church is a museum filled with a treasury of artifacts and information relating to the life and times of Sir Winston Churchill.
The site offers exhibits, tours, research library access, educational programs, and occasional recreational and educational events.