Philadelphia’s Headhouse Square: A Marketplace for Three Centuries

Michael Schreiber will also lead a guided walking tour of Headhouse Square on Saturday, Sept. 24. Tickets are $15 each.

Join the Historic Gloria Dei (Old Swedes’) Preservation Corporation on Thursday, Sept. 8, for an illustrated lecture on Philadelphia’s Headhouse Square, led by researcher and writer Michael Schreiber. The event will take place at Gloria Dei (Old Swedes’) Church, Christian St. and Columbus Blvd.

This area of South Second Street, became a central marketplace in the 1740s, serving the fast-growing area around Society Hill. In subsequent years, a colorful assortment of men and women could be seen within the market shambles — farmers from the “Neck,” French and Haitian pastry cooks, Irish revolutionaries, gentlemen merchants, foreign diplomats, and tavern brawlers and thieves. Schreiber will describe many of these characters and their adventures.

This free program will take place inside the church sanctuary, followed by a reception in Riverside Hall. For a modest donation, enjoy gourmet desserts paired with wine, coffee or tea.

Advance registration is required for in-person attendance.