A newly-announced grant will go toward the preservation of several historical structures in Lehigh County. WDIY’s Sarit Laschinsky has more.
State Sen. Pat Browne’s office recently announced that $100,000 has been secured through the 2022-2023 state budget for the Lehigh County Historical Society.
According to a release the funding will help the Society make capital improvements to the Lehigh Valley Heritage Museum, and will also assist with repairs to several historic sites that are overseen by the organization.
Browne’s office said this includes renovations to the 1756 Pennsylvania German Farmhouse at the Troxell-Steckel Farm, and the 1893 Claussville School, which was the county’s last operating one-room schoolhouse.
The funding will also help the society create new programming and attract new speakers, with the release noting that prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the organization held more than 50 programs annually at the Heritage Museum and outlying historical sites.
In a statement, Browne called the Lehigh County Historical Society, “the driving force behind our region’s efforts to preserve and share our history.”
According to its website, the nonprofit is one of the largest historical societies in the country.
The Lehigh County Historical Society organization also administers several additional historical sites including the Haines Mill, Trout Hall, the Lockridge Furnace Museum and the Saylor Park Cement Kilns, in addition to the Heritage Museum – which includes six galleries and over 13,000 square feet of exhibits.
(Original air-date: 10/28/22)