Harrisburg, PA – Representatives from The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC), and the Pennsylvania Lumber Museum Associates (PALMA), today held a grand reopening and rededication ceremony for renovations to the Pennsylvania Lumber Museum.
The museum, located in Galeton, Potter County, interprets the colorful heritage of the state's prosperous lumber era when white pine and hemlock were the wealth of the nation.
The 7,000 square foot addition to the museum includes a new ADA-compliant entrance, expanded exhibit galleries and a state-of-the-art collections storage area. The renovated visitor center also houses museum offices, meeting spaces for community groups, visitor amenities, a library and a gift shop.
PHMC’s Director of Historic Sites and Museums Brenda Reigle and PALMA President Robert Miller were joined by elected officials including Senator Joseph Scarnati, Representatives Martin Causer and Matthew Baker, Potter County Commissioner Doug Morley and other tourism, business and community leaders to celebrate the completion of this important project.
In honor of this milestone, admission to the museum, exhibits and grounds is free Friday, May 15, through Sunday, May 17. The Department of Forestry will lead guided walks along the museum’s Sustainable Forestry Trail at 1:00 PM today and again at 11:00 AM and 1:00 PM Saturday. Live music, featuring classic banjo and guitar tunes from the logging camps, will be provided on Saturday, and the museum’s new birch still will operate all three days. Author, songwriter and filmmaker Bill Jamerson will perform a special presentation of “Dollar a Day Boys,” a fun and nostalgic look at the 1930’s Civilian Conservation Corps at 3:00 pmSaturday. Food will be available.
Participants in today’s ceremony were among the first to view “Challenges and Choices in Pennsylvania’s Forests,” a new permanent exhibit chronicling the history of Pennsylvania’s lumber industry and forest conservation efforts.
The museum’s new addition features rough-sawn board and batten hemlock siding, which was used at many lumber camps, and stone cladding. The new entrance, now at ground level, features an elevator to the gallery on the main floor above making the facility more accessible to all visitors. The renovation budget was $5.4 million and took approximately 17 months to complete.
The Pennsylvania Lumber Museum is one of 25 historic sites and museums along the Pennsylvania Trails of History® administered by PHMC. The museum, operated in partnership with the Pennsylvania Lumber Museum Associates, is located on 160 wooded acres in Potter County.
PHMC is the official history agency of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Visit PHMC online at www.phmc.state.pa.us.
MEDIA CONTACT: Howard Pollman, 717-705-8639