Daniel Boone Homestead

March 25, 2018

I enjoy reading biographies of famous historical persons and surprisingly, one of my all-time favorite books was “Boone” by Robert Morgan. Although his name is as American as apple pie, previously to reading the book, I was not sure of what he really did to merit such legendary status, at least not the details. Boone’s personality and adventuresome spirit engaged me in the narrative of our country’s westward drive. He’d be the guy you’d want to hang out with if you were dropped in the middle of the wilderness; sharp yet gentle, brave yet diplomatic, resourceful yet risky. After reading the book, I remembered that on my way to my parent’s house I would pass the Daniel Boone Homestead, located in Birdsboro nearing Reading, PA which was the birthplace of the famous frontiersman. One weekend when my mom was meeting me halfway to pick up her grandkids for the night, I suggested we check out the Homestead for a quick tour.

Nestled in the foothills of Mount Penn, the Homestead is a wonderful place to picnic and hike, so I recommend visiting on a fair weather day in spring, summer, or fall. Grazing sheep greeted us upon arrival, delighting the children. The visitor’s center is open free of charge and includes the ticket counter, small gift shop, restrooms, short video presentation, and 18^th century artifacts display. My children made a beeline for the box of costumes where they could dress like a pioneer. Kids always appreciate anything that is hands-on. We enjoyed stroking the pelts and tinkering with the colonial-era toys.

Squire Boone, Daniel’s father, purchased the land in 1730 and constructed a log cabin, spring cellar, and various out-buildings on the site. Young Boone grew up here roaming the woods, until his family moved to North Carolina in 1750. The third owner constructed a stone structure on the foundation of the original Boone home. This is the house that is preserved today, however the spring cellar is original to Boone’s family and is very unique. We were fascinated to learn about 18^th century refrigeration and water supply. The grounds contain 8 historic structures you can explore, including the Bertolet family buildings which were built off-site in the early 1700’s but were transferred to the Boone Homestead for preservation. The Boone/DeTurk home is the featured house museum, complete with costumed interpreter and 45 minute guided tour.

Our tour guide, I’m pretty sure, was Daniel Boone himself who apparently never died. It was funny because he actually resembled the portraits of the aged Boone! We went through each room of the house, learning about the typical family in the Oley Valley in the 18^th century. I always enjoy the kitchen, finding out what all the contraptions were used for. Sort of unique for house museums was the textile room where we learned about the process of making clothing from “sheep to shawl” (and we complain about the hassles of shopping for clothing today!)

We enjoyed a picnic lunch in a shady grove near a lovely man-made lake. If you are ever out this way, do plan to stop, even for just a picnic spot. It’s an idyllic little slice of colonial era-pastoral heaven.