Last updated: 5/1/2008
250 East Market StreetYork, PA 17403
Historical Society Museum/Library & Archives--Museum Shop & Book Store
Tuesday-Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Year round
250 East Market Street, York, PA
Agricultural & Industrial Museum--Museum Shop
217 West Princess Street,York, PA
Tuesday-Saturday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., Year round
Colonial Complex (Gates House, Plough Tavern, Bobb Log House, & Colonial Court House)
157 West Market Street, York, PA
Tuesday-Saturday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., Tour given on the hour
Close mid-December through March 31
Bohham House
152 East Market Street, York, PA
Saturdays, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Closed mid-December through March 31
Fire Museum of York County
757 West Market Street, York, PA
Saturdays, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Closed mid-December through March 31
$6 - Children 12 and under free, Seniors & students $5.
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Joan Mummert
phone: 717-848-1587 x217
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Susan Smith
phone: 717-848-1587 x215
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Jennifer Hall
phone: 717-848-1587 x228
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Scott Royer
phone: 717-846-6452
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Carol L. Himes
phone: 717-848-1587 x216
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Currently, YCHT oversees three museums, a research library and archives, four historic properties, one replica building, and the Murals of York.
Via these resources, YCHT can interpret more than 250 years of York's history on all levels (political, cultural, social, religious, industrial, agricultural) and in all educational formats (lectures, exhibits, publications, programming, online). The breadth of its collections allows YCHT to place York County history within the larger context of state and national historical trends. YCHT's mission benefits the community and visitors through cultural enrichment, pride in heritage, and preservation of that heritage for future generations as well as aiding the County's economy with increased visitation.
YCHT traces its roots to 1895 when interested citizens formed the Historical Society of York County (HSYC) to collect, preserve, and interpret the history and culture of York County and its people. Since then, HSYC has merged, partnered, and evolved into the entity that it is today.
Currently, YCHT oversees three museums, a research library and archives, four historic properties, one replica building, the Murals of York, the Clark Avenue Warehouse, and the Baker Building.
In 1959, HSYC's growing collections needed more space; the Library & Archives and Museum found a new home at 250 East Market Street in downtown York, once the home of the Richley automobile dealership showroom, now YCHT headquarters. In the 1960s, four historic properties--all located in downtown York--came under HSYC's umbrella: the Golden Plough Tavern (c.1741); the Horatio Gates House (c.1751), the Barnett Bobb Log House (c.1830)-all of which are on the National Register of Historic Places; and the Horace Bonham House, a Victorian townhouse (c.1855-1875, owned by Horace Bonham, a York painter). In 1991, the York Agricultural Museum was founded; in 1993, the Industrial Museum. These two organizations merged to create the Agricultural & Industrial Museum (AIM) and then merged with HSYC in 1999 to form the York County Heritage Trust. YCHT continued to grow. In 2000, the Fire Museum of York County, housed in the 1903 Royal Fire House, joined the Trust. In 2002, the York Bicentennial Commission merged with YCHT, bringing with it a 1976 replica of the 1754 Colonial Court House. Its most recent heritage addition, the Murals of York, is a collection of twenty-four large outdoor paintings, showcasing the historical richness of the County.
The artifact collection of the York County Heritage Trust represents the history of the region now comprising York County from its pre-history to the twenty-first century. Currently, the collections contain over thirty thousand items, including household furnishings and utensils, glass, ceramics, textiles, agricultural tools, industrial equipment, early vehicles, drawings, paintings, engravings, and firefighting materials as well as four historic properties. The strength of the collection lies in its diversity; the artifacts embody all classes, periods of history, and aspects of York County's extensive history and culture. The collection represents the fine and decorative arts; historic events and people; industrial, commercial, and agricultural history; military history; and education, politics, religion, recreation, and everyday life in York County.
The Historical Society of York County was founded in 1895. In 1999, it became part of the York County Heritage Trust. The Library/Archives of the York County Heritage Trust houses an extensive and varied collection covering a wide range of topics including genealogy and family history, local history, the decorative arts and military history; focusing on York County. This collection contains a wide variety of materials including over 8,000 family file collections, manuscript files, over 100,000 photographs, 25,000 books, over 3,000 rolls of microfilm, architectural drawings, business records, maps, motion picture film, and audio/video recordings.The Library/Archives receives over 300 researchers a month from over 20 different states with the majority interested in genealogy.
YCHT offers the following programming and resources:
. Educational tours of its museums and historic sites as well as the walking or motor coach tours of the Murals of York and historic downtown York.;
. Educational programming for adults and children-exhibitions, lectures, hands-on workshops, Act 48 Teachers Credit courses, trips, concerts, living history demonstrations, history camps, etc.;
. The YCHT library and archives, boasting a tremendous genealogical, document, and photographic collection, serves researchers from all over the country.
. YCHT also responds annually to 4,000 plus telephone, e-mail, and written requests for information on York County history.
. Because YCHT is one of the largest cultural attractions in York County, it maintains memberships in the York County Convention & Visitors Bureau and the York Chamber of Commerce. YCHT staff sits on the boards of the YCCVB, Main Street York, the Lancaster-York Heritage Region, and the York County Community Foundation's YorkScape Endowment Fund for City Beautification. YCHT works closely with the City of York on special projects such as Patriot Days and the interpretation of the home of 19th-century African American businessman William Goodridge. It also works closely with the York County Parks & Recreation Department as well as numerous smaller historical and nonprofit organizations (service groups, veterans groups, etc.) to promote history and civic education.
501 (C)3 not-for-private private educational organization. Board of Trustees, 32; Staff, 12 full-time, 7 parttime. 550 Volunteers.
Access: General Public, Students, Scholars, Members
Appointment required: No
More than 12,000 "virtual visitors" learn about the Trust and its programs via the Trust's website, www.yorkheritage.org.
YCHT produces a newsletter, The York County Chronicle, which reaches the 80,000 readers of the York Daily Record and the York Dispatch, four times per year. YCHT has a quarterly newsletter, Trust Talk, for its 1,630 members.
YCHT publishes/co-publishes books and monographs on York County historical subjects on a regular basis.
York Chronicle, quarterly public newsletter, cir. 80,000 per issue
Trust Talk, members quarterly newsletter, cir. 2000 per issue
Annual Report, yearly
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