In a ceremony held at 100 East Main Street, Elizabethville, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, on 19 April 2017, three officers of the Gratz Bank, Aaron Klinger and Kevin Laudenslager, Senior Vice Presidents, and Wesley Weymers, President and C.E.O., presented the deed to the old V.F.W. property to Marilyn Henninger, President of the Elizabethville Area Historical Society, with society officers Don Raffensperger and Dennis Henninger looking on along with Cynthia Stout, Washington Township Supervisor, and Elizabethville‘s Mayor Justin Challenger. Approximately two dozen members of the Society were present to witness the event along with several members of the press. The property, which includes a large historic building along with a parking lot and grounds, was an unrestricted gift to the Society from the Gratz Bank, which had allowed the Society to use the building rent-and-expense-free for the past two years in preparation for the Elizabethville Area Bicentennial.
Following the deed presentation, the Bicentennial Committee held their Founder’s Day event in a large tent in the parking lot. The program featured students from the Upper Dauphin Area High School band and local history class, a video presentation, and remarks from Marilyn Henninger, Mayor Challenger and Mike Miler, Elizabethville Bicentennial Chairman. The video presentation, which was compiled by students of the local history class, included memories of Elizabethville as told by “old timers.” An overflow crowd of about 200 people was present, and the side of the tent had to be opened so that all could witness the program.
The building and grounds that was donated to the Historical Society occupies a prominent corner in the borough as it is one of the first properties seen when entering from the east on Route 209. Prior to the bank obtaining it, it was the home of the local V. F. W., where a memorial to veterans of all wars surrounded the flag pole on the front edge of the property. The memorial was moved into the borough park and the property remained vacant for more than a year, when the bank offered it rent-and-expense-free about two years ago to the Historical Society for use through 2017. Interior and exterior renovations were made to the building by the Society during this time period, and several months ago, in a gesture of good-will and philanthropy, the Gratz Bank decided to deed the property to the Elizabethville Area Historical Society. The property is now the first permanent home of the Society, which has been in existence for many years.
The Historical Society building and museum will be open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the first and third Saturdays in May, June, and September, all Saturdays in July and August, as well as additional hours during the week of the Bicentennial celebration, 12 to 19 August 2017. Times will be posted on the web site. For those who cannot visit during those hours, special arrangements can be made by calling Marilyn Henninger at 717-362-8991. There is no admission charge to the museum, but donations are gratefully accepted.
After receiving permission to use the building and grounds rent-and-expense-free through the Bicentennial Celebration of 2017, the Historical Society erected a sign on the lawn which recognized the Gratz Bank for its generous gesture. The above photo shows the Borough Park to the left and the swimming pool. While owned by the V.F.W., an addition was made to the front of the original two-story house and extensive renovations were made, all without regard to the original architectural style of the house. At this time, more research needs to be done on the original building, and photographs are sought to determine what it looked like prior to the construction of the addition.
The above photo was taken about 2011, near the end of the time that the V.F.W. owned the building.
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