Wednesday Sep 1st, 2021
Sometimes when we really take a close look at an object, just to be with it in the present without our minds wandering, we see things differently. I have had that very opportunity lately.
Wednesday Aug 25th, 2021
Many of you have commented to us here at the History Center about the wonderful work being done on so many of the old homes surrounding our campus. Led by Mr. Tom Hagen, these old mansions are being beautifully restored and given new life as either apartments or businesses. The Erie community is thrilled and so are we who work on this wonderful street.
Tuesday Aug 24th, 2021
We are celebrating National Waffle Day here at the Hagen History Center with one of our favorite collections – Griswold! Thanks to the generosity of donor Alan Stone, we have 221 different waffle irons, and several can be seen on exhibit in the Watson-Curtze mansion kitchen.
Friday Aug 20th, 2021
Who hasn’t talked about the radio? Modern music still refers to the radio in songs, R.E.M. wrote about it in Radio Free Europe in the grungy 1990s, and Queen wrote the smashin’ hit Radio Ga Ga in 1984.
Wednesday Aug 18th, 2021
Our clothes today come in so many different styles and colors which was unimaginable to people back in the 1800s when clothes were sewn by hand and dyes had to come from natural sources. So, how did we get to the point where we could buy colorful clothing cheaply off the rack?
Friday Aug 13th, 2021
As you drive across the highways and byways of Pennsylvania, it won’t be long before you see the familiar blue and gold (Pennsylvania’s state colors) historic markers commemorating a person, place, innovator or event of note in that area. Over 2,300 of these cast aluminum markers dot the landscape of the commonwealth.
Wednesday Aug 11th, 2021
The earliest recorded instance of corsets in history is from the Minoan people. The Minoans were a group of people who lived in proximity of Greece on the island of Crete around 1,000 BC. The earliest image of a corset comes from a figurine of the Minoan snake goddess where she is depicted wearing a corset-like garment. The Minoans and other Grecian people desired the image of a small waist, so corset-like pieces were worn to achieve this effect.
Friday Aug 6th, 2021
Each August, the Borough of Girard, Pennsylvania, in western Erie County, celebrates Dan Rice Days, a community tradition named after circus owner, entrepreneur and clown. Who was Dan Rice?
Wednesday Aug 4th, 2021
Fashion during the 1890s accumulated all the changes and trends that had occurred during the 19th century.
Wednesday Jul 28th, 2021
1880s fashion was much more slender than the previous decades. In fact, women were often heavily restricted due to how slender these dresses were. There were two main styles of women’s dress in the 1880s, the first of which was the princess line. This style was extremely tight and body hugging which gave women a slender silhouette. It also focused on putting decoration on the lower back.
Our Hours:
Erie campus:
Monday: CLOSED
Tuesday: 10 am - 5 pm
Wednesday: 10 am - 5 pm
Thursday: 10 am - 5 pm
Friday: 10 am - 5 pm
Saturday: 10 am - 5 pm
Sunday: 12 pm - 5 pm
*****Girard campus is open for special events only
