The Rose Valley Museum

History Lives at The Rose Valley Museum

The Rose Valley Museum collects, preserves, publishes and interprets the history of Rose Valley for the benefit of the public. We offer lectures, tours, workshops and the occasional party! We are located at the historic Thunderbird Lodge. Our collection focuses on the artists, artisans, architects and residents of Rose Valley, founded by William Lightfoot Price in 1901 in order to create a utopian Arts and Crafts community.

But -- the beloved Great Minquas Path Monument with its bronze beaver was stolen!! Help us replace it!!

Before                                                                                                               After

Dedication in 1926 with (L toR) Charles Stephens, Albert Laessle, Ojibwa Chief Strong Wolf and Albert Myers of the PA Historical Commission.

Almost 100 years ago, the Rose Valley community dedicated a monument to commemorate the Great Minquas Trail, a path that ran from the Susquehanna River to the Schuylkill River.  The trail was used by the Susquehannock Indians (called the Minquas by the local Lenape tribe) to bring beaver pelts to trade, starting with the Swedes in the 17th century.  The trail, parts of which are still visible today, went across Ridley Creek in what is now Rose Valley. 

In 1926, led by Charles Stephens, Rose Valley resident and Native American expert, and the Pennsylvania Historical Commission, the community installed a bronze statue of a beaver by sculptor Albert Laessle, and a bronze plaque, designed by Charles Stephens, to commemorate the native Americans who trekked from the Susquehanna through Rose Valley and the Great Minquas Path they traveled on. 

The monument stood until in 2021 when the beaver and plaque were pried off their stone base, probably to be melted down. They have never been found. The beaver and plaque are a sad loss and are missed by the community, especially children, and those who used to see it as they passed by on Rose Valley Road.

 The Rose Valley Museum & Historical Society, along with others in the community, are raising funds to commission a reproduction of the statue and plaque, based on historical plans.  We hope to install them at the original location using the original stone pillar and with appropriate security precautions to prevent future theft.  

Our goal is to dedicate the new monument in September 2026, exactly 100 years after the original dedication.

 Your donation will help us achieve that goal!

Once the new beaver and plaque are installed, we hope you’ll come by to see it!

What We Are About

In today's digital world, do you yearn for a personal community connection and outlet for artistic expression?  The Rose Valley Museum takes you back to just such a time.  William Lightfoot Price was an architect who loathed the industrial revolution's focus on material gain to the detriment of quality goods and humane working conditions.  In response, inspired by the Arts & Crafts Movement, he founded the utopian Rose Valley Community in 1901 as a small local enclave in Delaware County that still exists today.  He longed for society to return to simpler times where communities thrived on personal connections, for example doing musicals together, ...

... and artisans and artists were motivated by the timeless beauty of their crafts.

Join us.  Become part of The Rose Valley Museum community and support the preservation of our shared local history through your donations.  Become a member or volunteer – experience the continuing history of Rose Valley by participating in our celebrations of the past and present through educational lectures, workshops, tours and community events.

Experience William Price's pursuit of a utopian community and help us preserve the history of Rose Valley.

RoseValleyMuseum.org 

To hear how members and volunteers got involved click on their names below

Allison Smith                                                                                  Carl Finkbeiner

A message from our curator, Ryan Berley