Events & Current Exhibitions
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY ART EXHIBIT
June 6 through July 25, 2008
Opening Reception: First Friday, June 6, 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Once again, the museum will showcase the works of area artists in this special exhibition sponsored by the Lycoming County Arts Council. The show will include artwork of various media.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HISTORY COFFEE HOUR
The Broom Maker's Craft
Speakers: Steve, David and Howard Liddic
Thursday, June 12, 2008; 10:00 a.m.
The craft of broom making has been a tradition with the Liddic family since at least the 1870s when their great-grandfather Jacob made brooms to sell. He practiced the craft where he lived, east of Williamsport in present day Loyalsock. Jacob’s descendants continued to make brooms well into the 20th century. The last Liddic listed as a broom maker in the city directory was Walter who was there until the early 1940s. Another descendant made brooms as a paying hobby until the early 1960s. In this presentation, during which the gentlemen will use antique broom making equipment and tools, they will show the audience each step of the broom making process, from stripping the straw to shaping the finished product. Marcia Myer of Manheim, who has been making brooms for 36 years, will assist with the demonstration. Please join us!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SOCIETY PROGRAM
Roosevelt's New Deal in Lycoming County during the 1930s
Speaker: Professor Richard Morris, Ph.D., Lycoming College
History Department
Sunday, June 15, 2008; 2:00 p.m.
In the 1930s, the United States was struggling through the Great Depression. Beginning in 1933, President Franklin Roosevelt initiated a series of government programs designed to help the nation’s economy. Collectively, these programs were called the New Deal. There are many reminders today of the impact of the New Deal in our area, including the work of the Civilian Conservation Corps in public recreation areas; post office murals (such as the one in Muncy); and models of historic buildings created through the Museum Extension Project for instruction in schools (including a model of Philadelphia’s Independence Hall, currently on display at the Taber Museum). Dr. Richard Morris, a professor of history at Lycoming College, will talk about the effect of the New Deal on the country, and in Lycoming County.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SOCIETY PROGRAM
The Restoration of Park Place (originally the
Herdic House Hotel)
Speaker: Anthony H. Visco, Jr., Architect
Sunday, July 20, 2008; 2:00 p.m.
Built in 1864-1865, the
building at 800 West Fourth Street has had a varied history. It
began life as the Herdic House Hotel, built to accommodate travelers
coming in by railroad. Decades later, it was converted to a home
for elderly women, and changed its name to the Park Home. When the
residents of the home were moved to other facilities, the building
at 800 West Fourth Street sat empty for several years. In 2000,
William C. Brown, Allen E. Ertel and Anthony H. Visco, Jr. bought
the building and began the painstaking process of restoring it to
its former grandeur. Architect Anthony Visco, Jr. will talk about
this process, using slide illustrations and some historical
artifacts.
Mr. Visco has been providing architectural services throughout
Pennsylvania, most notably the central Pennsylvania area, and
neighboring states for over 28 years. He has personally been
involved with renovations within the Millionaires’ Row Historic
District in the city and serves on the board of Preservation
Williamsport, as Vice Chairman of the Historical Architectural
Review Board, and on the IBC Review Board.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------