Baltzermeyer Historical Society

We need your help to save this building! Built in 1886 as the Zion Lutheran Church, it is now the home of Baltzer Meyer Historical Center. One asphalt roof on the rear of the building has already needed replaced and this year we need to replace a portion of the slate roof over the Church section of the building. To date the cost of these repairs has totaled $21,400.00 in the last two years. The Baltzer Meyer Historical Center operates the Paul Ruff Library which is focused on the history and lives of the people of Westmorland County. Our publishing department houses a catalog of more than 100 history and reference books available for publishing; we have a collection of files and artifacts on local history, as well as a digitizing operation which works to preserve the photos and artifacts. The purpose of the Baltzer Meyer Historical Society is the study, preservation and sharing of the records of the early settlements of Westmoreland County along with the photographs, artifacts and information pertaining to the people who have lived in here. Special collections maintained by the society include materials focused on the early Germanic, Swiss, French Huguenot, Swedish and other settlers and their descendants and the history of Hempfield Township and the entire county. The future Plischke Memorial Museum will display many of the collected artifacts and tell the stories and history of the residents from the 1700's till yesterday.