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Village Improvement Association of Doylestown records, 1895-2014 (inclusive)

Extent:

25.0 linear feet

Abstract:

The Village Improvement Association (VIA) was founded in 1895 by a group of women in Doylestown, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, with the goal of improving and beautifying Central Bucks County. The VIA founded Doylestown Hospital in 1923 and is the only women's club to own and operate a community hospital. As of 2015, the VIA is headquartered at the James-Lorah Memorial Home, has a membership of over 350 women, and continues to undertake projects relating to health, welfare, community improvement, education, and the arts in Bucks County. The Village Improvement Association of Doylestown records, 1895-2014, consist of administrative records, scrapbooks, membership materials, photographs, audiovisual materials, blueprints, newsletters, ephemera, and other materials relating to the Village Improvement Association of Doylestown. There is also a small amount of materials from the Junior Women's Club of Doylestown.

Held at: Village Improvement Association of Doylestown [Contact Us]

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James and Lorah families papers, 1833-1954 (inclusive)

Extent:

12.0 linear feet

Abstract:

Oliver P. James (1815-1894) was a prominent doctor and community member in Doylestown, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. He, his wife Sarah (1824-1906), and their three children Oliver (1860-1890), Martha (1862-1918), and Sarah (1864-1954) lived at what is now known as the James-Lorah Memorial Home at 132 N. Main Street in Doylestown. In 1896, Dr. James' daughter, Martha, married George H. Lorah (1863-1945), a minister at the Doylestown Methodist Episcopal Church. Martha's sister, Sarah James was a charter member of the Village Improvement Association of Doylestown (VIA), and upon her passing in 1954, the family home and its contents and property, as well as a trust fund for maintenance were bequeathed to the VIA. The James and Lorah families papers, 1833-1954, consist of original manuscript documents from the James and Lorah families, primarily Dr. Oliver P. James (1815-1894), Sarah (Sallie) James (1864-1954), Martha (Mattie) James Lorah (1862-1918), and Dr. George Lorah (1863-1945). The...(see more)

Held at: Village Improvement Association of Doylestown [Contact Us]