Book Talk and Signing at the David Library

Today is the last day of my fellowship at the David Library of the American Revolution in beautiful Washington Crossing, Pennsylvania. It has been a very productive stay. I almost finished reading all the letterbooks of the missionaries of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, made a lot of photocopies, spent early mornings walking along the historic Delaware Canal, and spent a bit too much time at two great pizza joints: Dominick’s and Gabriel’s. Meg, Kathie and Greg–my hosts at the library and the guesthouse–offered great hospitality. I hope to come back soon!

Yesterday I did an informal book talk and signing for The Way of Improvement Leads Home in the David Library “Rose Garden.” It was a small, but very interested crowd who were quite engaged with Fithian’s story and asked a lot of great questions. After the signing I had a chat with Mike, a teacher who recently finished a masters degree in history and is interested in local early American religious history. I also met John, another recent M.A. graduate who is very knowledgeable about some of Fithian’s teachers and fellow students at revolutionary Princeton. He is soon going to retire to central PA, so perhaps our paths will cross again when he and his wife open their bed and breakfast!

I will spend the better part of today in the library and then it is back home to prep for a trip to Tennessee (more on that later).