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Active in living history for over 30 years, Bill is passionate about bringing history to life. His professional experience as a re-enactor began with Civil War living history. Bill was (and still is) active in the 116th PA Regiment, better known as the Irish Brigade, often taking part in historical site functions and, of course, Pittsburgh’s annual St. Patrick Day’s parade. But Bill is also actively involved in French and Indian War Era living history, and he is one of those re-enactors who project an 18th century persona so effectively that it is difficult to imagine him living in any other time. And actually, Bill does live in the past: he and his family live in one of the few early log cabins that remain standing from the days of the frontier in Western Pennsylvania – the old Staymates’ homestead near Murrysville, PA, built in the late 1700’s. |
| A skilled woodwright and an expert on frontier life, Bill has lovingly restored their 18th century home, and he and his wife have turned it into a wonderful educational resource for the local community. In addition to their annual open house, Bill and Cheryl conduct tours for local scout leaders, womens’ organizations, and teachers at the Mother of Sorrows Elementary School. Besides learning what the inside of a frontier cabin looked like—e.g. the open fireplace, the bake oven, the small rooms, the wide, planked floors, the massive oak beams – students are also surrounded by a fascinating collection of 18th century artifacts. In fact, Bill’s collection of artifacts is so impressive and his frontier persona so authentic that Hollywood often calls on him both as an actor and as a consultant/trainer. Some of Bill’s movie credits include Last of the Mohicans, Glory, The Patriot, and Gettysburg. | |
| Bill has a full time job restoring old churches, log cabins, and period homes, but since he owns his own business (The Housesmith), it is not difficult for him to arrange blocks of time for school and community presentations. In fact, Bill and fellow living historian Dan Kernan have recently begun to use their extensive collection of artifacts to design a fascinating traveling museum, a superb resource for any social science/history teacher who wants to excite their students’ curiosity about life in the backwoods of Pennsylvania during the French and Indian War era. So contact either Bill or Dan if you are interested in the following presentation:
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18th Century Traveling Museum
Transport your students back in time and make history come alive in your
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Contact Information Bill Williams
Phone:
724-733-8219
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