History Alive! Meet the Historical Penman

See historical penman Doug Roush demonstrate the beautiful and elegant style of 18th century handwriting. Have you ever been fascinated with the penmanship of a historic document? Stop by Fort Ligonier this weekend and see Doug write like our nation’s founders.

Doug’s interest in handwritten historic documents began as a 12-year-old boy after seeing the Declaration of Independence at the National Archives in Washington, D.C. Doug pursued a successful career in education and graphic design and combined his love for both by learning the penmanship we see during the 18th century.

According to the American Battlefield Trust, in the 18th century, handwriting was more than just a practical skill. It became a symbol of status. Penmanship schools emerged during this time to train future expert scribes. The elegance and refinement of one’s handwriting were highly valued.

History Alive! at Fort Ligonier is an engaging experience for visitors to learn more about the daily life of a frontier military outpost in North America during the 18th century. Through daily programming depicting typical activities of a military site such as soldiering, manual labor, tailoring, laundry, and cooking, and special weekend demonstrations from 18th century artisans, History Alive! portrays the people who fought and lived at Fort Ligonier during the Forbes Campaign of 1758.

History Alive! is made possible by a #PreservingAmerica grant from Americana Corner.

History Alive! programs are included with regular admission.

You may also like the following events from Fort Ligonier:

• Next Saturday, 5th July, 10:00 am, History Alive! featuring Forbes Road Frolic in Ligonier
• Next month, 11th July, 05:30 pm, An Evening of Discovery in Ligonier
• Next month, 12th July, 10:00 am, History Alive! Meet a Colonial Family in Ligonier