Luzerne County Historical Society
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The Luzerne County Historical Society is one of the oldest continually operating local historical societies in America. It was founded on February 11, 1858, in recognition of the 50th anniversary of the first successful burning of
anthracite coal Anthracite, also known as hard coal, and black coal, is a hard, compact variety of coal that has a submetallic luster. It has the highest carbon content, the fewest impurities, and the highest energy density of all types of coal and is the high ...
by
Jesse Fell Jesse Fell was an early political leader in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. He was one of the first Pennsylvanians to successfully burn anthracite on an open air grate. Anthracite differs from wood in that it needs a draft from the bottom, and Judge ...
, and was originally named the Wyoming Historical and Geological Society. The organization operates the historic
Swetland Homestead The Swetland Homestead is an historic, American home that is located in Wyoming, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. History and architectural features The original section of this his ...
in
Wyoming, Pennsylvania Wyoming is a borough in the Greater Pittston area of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located north of Wilkes-Barre, along the Susquehanna River. The population was 3,097 as of the 2020 census. Etymology The name "Wyoming" de ...
and the Luzerne County Museum which also features a separate research library in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. It also administers the Nathan Denison house.


History and development

On February 11, 1858 a group met at the Old Fell Tavern in Wilkes-Barre to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the first known successful burning of anthracite coal in an open grate by Judge
Jesse Fell Jesse Fell was an early political leader in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. He was one of the first Pennsylvanians to successfully burn anthracite on an open air grate. Anthracite differs from wood in that it needs a draft from the bottom, and Judge ...
. During the ceremony, General Edmund L. Dana suggested the founding of a historical society. A resolution was passed unanimously, and the Wyoming Historical and Geological Society was incorporated in May 1858. By 1877, the Society had acquired rooms in the Odd Fellows Hall and was able to open its collection to the public on Friday evenings. It later added a meeting room and library, and memberships and donations increased. In 1882, Isaac Osterhout directed that space for the Society be included in the free library that was to be established under his will. The
Osterhout Free Library The Luzerne County Library System (LCLS) is an organization that administers ten libraries in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1984, it is headquartered at the Osterhout Free Library in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Along with hosting vario ...
trustees voted to erect a separate building behind the library to house the collections of the Society. The money was appropriated, and building opened in 1893. With the acquisition of the Swetland Homestead in 1958 and the Bishop Library in 1971, the Wyoming Historical and Geological Society reached its present stature.


Society's mission

The Society strives to promote and preserve Luzerne County's collective history. In 2000, the Society adopted a new name to better reflect its mission: the Luzerne County Historical Society. The Society maintains the storehouse for the collective memory of Luzerne County and its environs. It records and interprets the history, traditions, events, people and cultures that have directed and molded life within the region.


Museum admission

Throughout most of its existence, admission to the museum has been free at all times to anyone. Recently due to economic situations, The Luzerne County Historical Society has begun charging an admission fee of $3.00 for children & $5.00 for adults to its downtown museum and research library. Members are still admitted for free.


See also

*
Pennsylvania Federation of Historical Societies Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...


References

* Oscar Jewel Harvey, ''The History of Wilkes-Barre and Wyoming Valley''


External links

* Historical societies in Pennsylvania Buildings and structures in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania Museums in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania History museums in Pennsylvania {{Pennsylvania-stub