Our History
giving the Past A Future
The Luzerne County Historical Society is the oldest county historical society in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, continuing to pursue its mission through exhibits, events, lectures and tours at its museum, library and historic houses, as well as by stewarding its comprehensive local history collection of objects and documents.
On February 11th 1858, General E. L. Dana suggested the founding of a historical society. A resolution passed unanimously, and in May the Wyoming Historical and Geological Society was incorporated.
The Society acquires rooms in Odd Fellows Hall and was able to open its collection to the public on Friday evenings.
Isaac Osterhout directed that space for the Society be included in the free library that was to be established under his will. The building opened in 1893.
Archeology pioneer Frances Dorrance was named the first
Executive Director in 1922. She would remain in that position until 1930.
The Society acquired the Wilkes-Barre Institute across the street from the Museum on Franklin Street. Special exhibits were housed there until 1940.
Swetland descendant, Dorothy Dickson Darte, along with her daughter and son-in-law, Kitty and Ned Darling, and their children, Ed and Dorothy, donated the house to the Society.
The Edward Darling House, built around 1890, was a caretaker’s home for the Swetland Homestead. It was given to the Society by the estate of Dorothy Dickson Darte.
Purchased through a generous donation by Elma and Bessie Bishop, two sisters from Berwick who were passionate genealogical researchers, the building would house the Society’s library and archival collections.
The basement in the Museum was inundated with water and mud after the water receded. Approximately 4,000 items were damaged and destroyed.
The Society adopts a new name: the Luzerne County Historical Society. This reflected the Society’s expansion of its mission to
interpreting and collecting the history of the entire county.
In celebration of their 150th year, the LCHS holds a year long series of events, including a gala, museum exhibit, specialty tours and a cocktail reception.
Home to Col. Nathan Denison, built in 1790. Tours are given by Society staff and volunteers, the home also hosts several special events each year.
The Society emerged from the COVID-19 Pandemic with a new logo, and a long range plan for a new, consolidated site to lead the LCHS into it’s next 160 years.
The Society purchases the former St. Cecilia's Church in Exeter, and plans to restore the building owned by the 123-year-old parish into a modern and cutting edge historical community space.