Centre Township near Newport in Perry County, Pennsylvania — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)

The Perry Historians

Airy View School, Harry Lenig Library & Hoverter Archives

— Perry County Bicentennial 1820-2020 —

The Perry Historians Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), February 23, 2024

1. The Perry Historians Marker

Inscription.
The Perry Historians began in 1976 as a grass-roots organization, largely through the efforts of Harry A. Focht and Jerry A. Clouse, to preserve the oral and genealogical history of Perry County that was slowly slipping away. The group set out to focus on the lives of county residents, both mighty and humble who had contributed to making the county what it is today. Begun before the age of the computer, the internet and Ancestry.com, some of the programs and initiatives were groundbreaking at the time of the organization's founding and served as an example for other historical establishments.

Tracing family roots at that time meant long hours of painstaking search through often unorganized records at different county and state repositories. An early goal was to concentrate these sources of information at one location. This was accomplished through the systematic copying of the county's cemeteries, the microfilming of county newspapers, church records, and justice of peace dockets, and the indexing of source documents.

Another goal was to maintain, continue and enhance the family research of long-time genealogist

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Harry W. Lenig. In 1977, Focht purchased Airy View School, which had been converted to a four-room house in the 1950s, and later he donated the property to the Historians. After two years of largely volunteer restoration/renovation work, the Historians' library was dedicated in 1979 as the Herry Lenig Library. By 1985, sufficient money was raised to enable construction of the 30 × 40 foot vault to the east side of the school. In 1993, a brick-faced, search-room wing was added to the south side of the vault. The Historians were designated the county's official records repository in 2003, and the climate- controlled Hoverter Archives was completed in 2006 to house the records. The Historians have been blessed with many faithful and dedicated volunteers over the years. It is through them that the library's holdings and outreach have grown to make it a regional research center.

Erected 2020 by The Perry Historians; Historical Society of Perry County.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Charity & Public Work • Education • Notable Buildings. In addition, it is included in the Pennsylvania, Perry County Heritage Trail

Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), February 23, 2024

2. The Perry Historians Marker

series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1976.

Location. 40° 26.181′ N, 77° 9.785′ W. Marker is near Newport, Pennsylvania, in Perry County. It is in Centre Township. It is on Dix Hill Road south of Keystone Way (Pennsylvania Route 34), on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 763 Hollow Rd, New Bloomfield PA 17068, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in South-Central Pennsylvania, in the Susquehanna Valley,

and in Greater Harrisburg.

It is also in the American Northeast,

in the Mid-Atlantic,

in Appalachia,

and specifically in Northern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy

and also one of the original Thirteen Colonies.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Blue Ball Tavern (approx. 1½ miles away); New Bloomfield (approx. 1.7 miles away); Carson Long Military Institute (approx. 1.7 miles away);

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The Center of Perry County Government (approx. 1.7 miles away); a different marker also named New Bloomfield (approx. 1.7 miles away); Perry County (approx. 1.7 miles away); New Bloomfield World War I Memorial (approx. 1.7 miles away); Perry County Civil War Memorial (approx. 1.7 miles away).

Credits. This page was last revised on February 26, 2024. It was originally submitted on February 26, 2024, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 300 times since then and 40 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on February 26, 2024, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.