York Town Square

No, this isn’t the real cast of the PBS drama ‘Downton Abbey.’ This is a promo photograph for an upcoming York County Heritage Trust tea, and those are staff and board members of that local history society.The backdrop is not the Downton Abbey in the British countryside, but the former Hahn Home at Springettsbury Avenue and South George Street (now Kuhner Associates Funeral Directors.) The group is wearing costumes courtesy of York Little Theatre. And they are posing for a photographer from Hayman Studio. Oh yes, this scene comes from York, Pa., not Yorkshire, England, from which York County takes its name. Also of interest: Former Hahn mansion: ‘I thought it would make the most spectacular funeral home’.

‘Downton Abbey’ shows how a fictional family intersects with world events.

So it fitting that the York County Heritage Trust ties an event to the hit show featuring programming on tea and a high tea.

Here’s the call for the tea, courtesy of the Trust’s FB page:

” Shut the front (castle) door! Here we are, tongues firmly planted in cheeks, posing as the Crawleys and friends (and servants) to promote Tea Tuesday at the Trust for Downton Friends & Fans, Tuesday, Feb. 19th, 5:30 – 7 p.m. at the Historical Society Museum! Tickets (sold in advance only) are $10 at http://teatuesday.eventbrite.com/.” (Update, 2/20/13: The tea was a hit with a capacity crowd of about 160 happy tea sippers, many in period costume at the museum.)

That’s not the only Trust entertainment event tied into history in February.

An event “Our Sights, Our Sounds:  A Cultural Heritage Experience” will feature the music of Extremity as part of Black History Month observances on Feb. 9.

“The band will perform a combination of jazz, rhythm & blues, and blues,” a Trust release states. ” Throughout their set, band members will provide a commentary on the history of the music and songs they play.”

The evening will also feature York native Milton Ritter’s artwork.  The artist will discuss his work at the event. (Details: www.yorkheritage.org.)

I wonder if Downton Abbey will ever intersect with the Jazz Age.

A highlight of York County Heritage Trust programming of black history themes cames in 2002 when Daisy Myers and George Leader addressed the 25th annual conference on Black History in Pennsylvania. The trust helped coordinate the conference. Leader was governor of Pennsylvania when the Myers family was harassed after moving into Levittown, Bucks County. Leader sent in the state police to protect the family and quell racial violence. Also of interest: Future Yorker Daisy Myers’ harassment in Levittown part of NYT mag article.

Also:

Check out these yorktownsquare.com posts with York County Heritage Trust tags.

And see all black history posts from the start.

*Photos courtesy York County Heritage Trust and York Daily Record/Sunday News