The Christiana Historical Society will present an open house at the Zercher Hotel, 11 Green St., Christiana, on Saturday, Feb. 25, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Attendees will be able to hear the story of the Christiana Resistance, a slave rebellion that took place in Christiana on Sept. 11, 1851.

The historic events occurred that day when slave owner and farmer Edward Gorsuch came from Maryland to retrieve four runaway slaves, whom he deemed to be his property. He arrived at the Christiana home of William Parker, an African American who was giving the slaves refuge. The black community took a stand and refused his demands. With the black residents receiving help from their Quaker neighbors, a confrontation ensued, ending with the death of Gorsuch. About 40 people - both black and Quaker - were arrested and held for trial on the charge of treason. A team of lawyers, led by Congressman Thaddeus Stevens of Lancaster, came to their defense and won.

Those who visit the museum on Feb. 25 will also be able to view exhibits, artifacts and photographs. "There is a map of all the Underground Railroad stationmasters from our area that we have documented," said Darlene Colón, society president. "There is also a storyboard with photos of the son of Edward Gorsuch, photos of the three Quaker gentlemen who were at the Parker home when the event took place and the last two gentlemen who were alive when the home was torn down."

"We also have some artifacts from an archaeological dig we did in 2016," she continued. "That was done by Kutztown University on the site where the house used to stand on Lower Valley Road."

This is the first open house being held at the site since the pandemic, and it is taking place during Black History Month. "Before COVID, we used to have open houses once a month from April to September leading up to our September (anniversary) events," said Colón, who is a descendant of one the participants in the Resistance.

The museum is now open by appointment only. The society is planning to launch a new website at the end of February, which will allow people to make reservations for tours online. "We get a lot of calls from people who want to stop in with groups, and we are interested in (volunteers) who want to learn the story and learn how to tell it," she noted. "Some people who live in the area still don't know about (the Christiana Resistance), and we have people visiting the area who have never heard of it."

She also reported that progress is being made on the Brinton House, which will become the society's headquarters when repairs are completed at the property. The two-story house, located at 17 Green St., next to Latta Memorial Presbyterian Church, is owned by the Borough of Christiana, but it has been leased to the historical society.

"We are still working on getting grants," Colón noted. "We are doing what we can with volunteer labor. We recently had a group come in and take out debris."

For more information about the open house or the Brinton House project, search for "The Christiana Historical Society" on Facebook or email Colón at Quamony@aol.com.