HARRISBURG – A group of PA legislators gathered in the Capitol Rotunda yesterday to memorialize the day 342 years ago when King Charles II granted the Charter of PA to William Penn to settle a debt owed to his father. Rep. Dave Zimmerman of Lancaster & Berks Counties said Penn welcomed settlers of all faiths to PA as each of the other American colonies had established an official church, while Penn had not. The charter allowed William Penn to realize his vision of religious tolerance for all. The state became a safe haven for those looking to escape the intolerance of the English Church and Crown – Quakers, Huguenots, Mennonites, Amish, Lutherans and more. Each lawmaker present read portions of the charter until the entire document had been read aloud. The original document on parchment is on display at the State Museum in Harrisburg, but due to the damage light can cause, it is only displayed once a year. The Penn Charter will remain on display at the museum until 1 p.m. Friday, March 17, when the documents will be returned to the vault for another year.
REP. DAVE ZIMMERMAN