Telford, PA – An official marker commemorating shoofly pie, one of Pennsylvania’s most notable dishes, has been erected at the historic farmhouse on campus at Lutheran Community at Telford (LCT).
Thanks to a grant from the William G. Pomeroy Foundation’s new Hungry for History^® program, PA’s first marker in this series celebrates the origin and history of a traditional Pennsylvania Dutch food favorite.
As the Commonwealth’s inaugural grant recipient, LCT will display the marker outside its historic farmhouse at 345 E. Church St. in Telford indefinitely, following upcoming renovations to both the farmhouse and neighboring barn as part of its Capital Campaign. The site will also be included on an interactive worldwide map at www.wgpfoundation.org and a national tour program offered by the Pomeroy Foundation.
The inscription on the 10-foot marker alleges that the recipe originated in 1876 as “Centennial Cake,” first introduced at the 100th anniversary celebration for the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia. This is fitting context, given the first PA marker is getting its start during America’s Semiquincentennial, or 250th anniversary, this year. The original dish is believed to have later been renamed shoofly pie while it grew to become a staple of Pennsylvania Dutch baking since 1920.
Grace Inspired Living, parent owner of Lutheran Community at Telford, and the Pomeroy Foundation are both 501(c)(3) organizations with a shared commitment to preserving local history for future generations to understand. Shoofly pie is an iconic food item found throughout Bucks and Montgomery County, which now sits firmly embedded in the fabric of Telford’s culture and history.