Lower Paxton Township Historical Commission

07/04/2023

Just a reminder our presentation is this Thursday at 630. The presentation is held at the Lower Paxton Township building at 425 Prince Street

06/25/2023

April 1956 a Navy F4D Jet Skyray, (picture is not actual plane that crashed), crashed on farmland owned by Anna Sheesley. Today it would be around where Costco is located. The flight originated at Baltimore's Friendship airport and was to return there upon completion. Jack Stephenson, a civilian pilot employed by Westinghouse Electric Corp., ejected and landed near what was then Central Dauphin High School. Helicopters were immediately dispatched from Olmsted Air Force Base to secure the area since the plane was carrying secret equipment that was being tested. The pilot was taken to State Police Herr Street Barracks and he later flew back to Baltimore aboard a commercial airliner.

05/11/2023

Well it might be a few months before Christmas but here is a little fun nostalgia from the Colonial Park Mall

05/08/2023

Lower Paxton Township Historical Commission Presents Hoffman Ford: A History (5/4/23)

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05/05/2023

We had a great presentation last night about Hoffman Ford. Ryan Hoffman told some great stories and had a lot of interesting photos. Our next presentation will be in July and it will take you back to the Civil war to talk about the fate of a soldier from Linglestown

05/02/2023

Don't forget our next presentation is this Thursday May 4th

Come join us on May 4th. Our meetings are held at the Lower Paxton Township building at 425 Prince St. Our meetings start at 6:30. The building is currently being renovated so depending on the status we will have people and or signs to show you where to enter.

05/02/2023

So much history is attached to the Colonial Park Mall

04/12/2023

Artist Nick Ruggieri painted the proposed 145 bed non-profit Community General Osteopathic Hospital to be built at Londonderry and Arlington roads Lower Paxton Township. This was on an old postcard advertising the hospital.

04/08/2023

Come join us on May 4th. Our meetings are held at the Lower Paxton Township building at 425 Prince St. Our meetings start at 6:30. The building is currently being renovated so depending on the status we will have people and or signs to show you where to enter.

03/27/2023

The Capitol Motel in the 1960s. Also a picture of a free pack of matches so you can go back to your room and smoke.

03/26/2023

This is the oldest picture we have of the Running Pump tavern, or home. You can see one chimney, for sure, possibly another in the back. Also a double fireplace which might have been used in the kitchen and a common room. Mr. Berryhill was killed during a Native American raid and is buried on the property which is located along Linglestown road just West of St Thomas Church

03/20/2023

Uncle John's Pancake House was an iconic family fixture in our township

02/26/2023

Come join us for a free presentation by Paster James Person on the history of Shoop's Church. Thursday March 2 at 6:30. The meeting is held in the Lower Paxton Township building at 425 Prince St. We hope to see you there

02/12/2023

Black cemeteries in central Pa. provide reminder of overlooked history | Column

Black cemeteries in central Pa. provide reminder of overlooked history | Column

Groups of volunteers are working to preserve and restore long-neglected African American burial grounds. Could these hallowed sites offer a means of racial healing?

02/04/2023

02/03/2023

Join us in May for the presentation on the history of Hoffman Ford

02/03/2023

The LP Historical Commission is selling these three showcases for $150 each. The contents do not go with the cases. If interested please pm me. I put them on marketplace and scammers were trying their best

01/30/2023

Our February meeting will not be having a presentation so we will be holding a business meeting only. The business meeting will start at 6:00 PM and not 6:30. We will be having some great presentations at our March, April and May meetings: March 2nd Rev. James Person - History of Shoop’s Church
April 6th Marjorie Martin - Charlton Church and Brown's School
May 4th History of Hoffman Ford

01/24/2023

The United Brethren Church held Rally Days. This invitation was for October 19, 1930.

01/18/2023

Harrisburg Drive-In was once an icon of the area. Movies at night and flea market during the day

01/10/2023

Mark your calendars!!
Our Commission has been working hard to bring you some great presentations in 2023.

March 2nd Rev. James Person - History of Shoop’s Church

April 6th Marjorie Martin - Charlton Church and Brown's School

May 4th History of Hoffman Ford

July 6th Don Goss - Wenrich "Civil War Soldier"

December 7th Denise Deimler and Kristy Kessler - How Land Was Originally Purchased in Pennsylvania

We have other presentations to announce once we firm up all of the details. The Commission is also working on a couple of fun programs that can be enjoyed by the whole family. So stay in touch for further information.

12/15/2022

2026 is not too far off and it will be our Country's 250th birthday!. Come join us on January 5th at 6:30 to hear Bill Minsker discuss all of the special events that are being planned for this grand celebration. Bill will focus mainly on the events and importance of Lower Paxton Township as a part of Dauphin county celebrating the 250th birthday.

12/01/2022

Capitol Motel- 115 attractively furnished rooms with color TV and air conditioning. Coffee shop, dinning rooms and cocktail lounge. On Route 22 four miles east of Harrisburg PA

11/04/2022

Waiting for the trolley near the Charlton Church circa 1918

10/04/2022

The Historical Commission will host a Business Meeting on Thursday, October 6, at 6 pm at the Municipal Center.

There will be no historical presentation this month.

Please be on the lookout for future posts about our 2023 presentations!

08/03/2022

There will not be a presentation at our August meeting this Thursday. The commission will be holding a business meeting only and it will begin at 6 instead of 6:30

07/05/2022

06/23/2022

CCNB at the north east corner. Shell (?) station on the south west corner. Intersection of Union Deposit rd and East Park Dr (Scenery to the north)

06/23/2022

How many of you visited Denny's for a Grand slam breakfast or banked at Commonwealth National Bank?

06/02/2022

It's Meeting Day!

Today's meeting is a general business meeting only, no presentation this evening.

04/16/2022

When thinking of President Eisenhower many think of him being from Kansas, which is true, yet the Presidents’ early roots come back to Pennsylvania and specifically to Dauphin County and Lower Paxton Township. This presentation will trace his family ancestral roots back to his original immigrant Great-Great-Great Grand Parents who settled in “Lancaster County” in 1741, in what today is Fredericksburg, Lebanon County. From there we will follow his ancestors as they purchase farms and build homes in Lower Paxton Township in the late 1700’s and early 1800’s; the home of Ike’s Great Grandfather, Frederick Eisenhower, still stands in the township and will be featured in the presentation. Finally, we’ll follow the growing Eisenhower family as it expands into northern Dauphin County, where Ike’s Grandfather’s house still exists. The family leaves Dauphin County and moves to Kansas in 1878 and the rest is American history. Please join us for this rare opportunity to connect our local history with a President of the United States. Who knows (we do), you might be living on Ike’s ancestral land! Who knows (some do), you might even have a family ancestral connection of your own!

04/15/2022

This spa was located on Jonestown road beside what is now Aldi's

04/04/2022

We can't wait to see you this Thursday for our April presentation!

"Lower Paxton School Heritage: History & Stories of the Past"

Municipal Center
6:30 pm

All are welcome!

04/04/2022

Intersection of Prince St, Houcks Rd and Jonestown Rd. You can see Kiddie City and the Capital Motel. There was still a lot of open fields in the area.

03/23/2022

Our Commission is always looking for artifacts from the Harrisburg Drive-in. We were excited to find this piece

02/07/2022

Come join us in March for our in-person presentation

01/31/2022

Pete Wambach's had a sports bar with Associated Press Teletype to bring you up to date news and sports, a Press club (for men until nine and ladies accompanied thereafter) and a family delicatessen. Pete also broadcasted his WCMB daily show from the Celebrity Room. His family told us that the Colonial Park Mall was originally to be built along Jonestown Road and he felt it would offer much needed exposure from the road. Unfortunately the contracts were signed prior to learning the mall was changed and would be built where it sits today.

01/20/2022

Lower Paxton Jr High faculty from late 60s or early 70s. My father Regis Doyle is third from the right last row.

01/20/2022

Lower Paxton Faculty. A young Mr. Brightbill sits in the middle of the front row. Mr. Brightbill was principal of CD HS for many years after serving at LP