Union County Historical Society recognized by Preservation PA
Sep. 24—LEWISBURG — The Union County Historical Society was recognized by Preservation Pennsylvania for its acquisition and work on the former Packwood House.
The Union County Historical Society Gallery & Museum was the recipient of the Leadership Award for Grassroot Advocacy through Preservation Pennsylvania, a statewide preservation nonprofit. The Historical Society purchased the historic building at 15 N. Water St., Lewisburg, in May 2023.
"We're proud and happy for the recognition the group of volunteers was able to get for their work over the period of about a year," Mike Molesevich, a society board member who oversees the properties, said. "We're doing the job of the historical society to preserve and protect the history of Union County. We're proud of what we've done in a short amount of time."
The Grassroots Advocacy Award is for "innovative examples of assistance that helped communities protect and preserve the historic places that matter to them," according to Preservation PA.
"The Union County Historical Society has been recognized by Preservation Pennsylvania with a 2024 Pennsylvania Historic Preservation Leadership Award in Grassroots Advocacy, honoring innovative examples of assistance that helped communities protect and preserve the historic places that matter to them," Preservation Pennsylvania Executive Director Mindy Gulden Crawford said. "Our award review committee was impressed that the Union County Historical Society stepped up to become the new owners of the Packwood House properties and reimagine the role of these buildings for the community."
The Society's "creative partnership with the Lewisburg Arts Council was a positive step to reactivate 15 N. Water St. and build a lively community gathering place," Crawford said.
The building that faces Market Street started as a tavern in 1790. It expanded in the 1800s and turned into a hotel. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. The annex, which faces Water Street, was built in the 1830s or 1840s, according to Bruce Teeple, historical society president.
The Fetherston family purchased the property in 1936. Following the deaths of John Fetherston in 1962 and Edith Fetherston a decade later, the home was turned into the Packwood House Museum and opened to the public in 1976.
After Packwood House closed in 2020, Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in Lewisburg received the assets of the Fetherston Trust, including the Packwood House Museum. Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church auctioned off the contents and sold the property to the Union County Historical Society in May 2023 for $375,000.
The building is the headquarters of the Lewisburg Arts Council and is used for art receptions and other events. The second floor is also used for storage and organization of Union County's history and society archives.
Preservation Pennsylvania was established by the Commonwealth's General Assembly in 1982 as the Preservation Fund of Pennsylvania, a statewide revolving fund to assist in the acquisition and rehabilitation of historic properties. Since then, Preservation Pennsylvania has grown into its role as a private, nonprofit membership organization with a statewide mission to protect and preserve Pennsylvania's irreplaceable historic places.
