PA's 330th Birthday to be Commemorated
Harrisburg – The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission will honor the commonwealth’s 330th birthday by displaying the original Penn Charter in an exhibit that will open on Charter Day, Sunday, March 13, at The State Museum in Harrisburg. The Charter, in which Britain’s King Charles II granted the land that is now Pennsylvania to founder William Penn, is sometimes referred to as the state’s “birth certificate.” It was Penn’s personal copy. “A priceless document cared for by the State Archives, the charter possesses so much meaning to the commonwealth and its residents,” said Barbara Franco, PHMC executive director. “The fragile historical parchment is exhibited in a special protective Plexiglas case with low light and temperature levels.” The exhibit will also feature Penn’s Great Law of 1682 and the 1698 William Penn Family Bible, which was used by Gov. Tom Corbett in taking the oath of office. Franco said the Great Law established liberty of conscience, extended manhood suffra...