The Many Lives of This Old House: From Home To Office To History Center celebrates the recycling of our History Center over the past 90+ years as it transformed from a warm house for raising four families; to an office space for the Mt. Lebanon Tax office and SHACOG (The South Hills Area Council of Governments); to it’s current use as your History Center.
Past Exhibits
This exhibit celebrates twenty-five years of acquisitions and honors all those who have contributed to our collections. The fifty “treasures” included in this exhibit represent the range and breadth of our holdings. Some are old (the earliest dating from the late 1800s), and others are relatively recent. Some are serious, while others are whimsical. But each of them adds to the tapestry that is Mt. Lebanon’s history and enhances the Society’s ability to fulfill its mission of “preserving and interpreting” our community’s history to the public.
As a companion to the 2023 fundraising event, this video celebrates the 25th anniversary of the Historical Society of Mt. Lebanon and introduces our newest exhibit, Unpacked and Rediscovered: 50 Mt. Lebanon Treasures.
Shaping Mount Lebanon: Why our town looks the way it does
(October 2022 – September 2023) Watch our behind the scenes program featuring a special interview with Jon Delano and our Exhibit Curator and Local Historian, John Conti. Sit back and relax as Jon and John chat about the exhibit, Mt. Lebanon history and so much more!
Mt. Lebanon’s Historic Home Styles
From Tudor to Ranch (June 2014 through December 2015) – We explore historic residential architecture in our community; identifying characteristics of various home styles found in Mt. Lebanon. The exhibit displayed 1940s vintage advertising signs from the Hall Real Estate Company; giving a glimpse of the “roles” people had that were the norm in the 1940s and 1950s. We also have on display a section dealing with the National Historic District designation for a portion of Mt. Lebanon, including a map of the district and material explaining the impact this will have on the community.
What We Wore
(June 2009 through September 2009) – This was our first exhibit. It was a look back into time that showed lace dresses and dark suits and shoes with buttons instead of Velcro.
Washington Road
(October 2009 through March 2010) – We displayed a series of photos from our collection of Uptown Washington Road from 1964 and the current day. It was almost a “Things that aren’t here anymore” exhibit.
Washington School
(May 2010 through September 2010) – This exhibit told the story of Mt. Lebanon’s first “modern” school building which opened in 1922. On display were early report cards from the 1930s and photos of all the principals who served at Washington.
A Glorious Game: Soccer in Mt. Lebanon
(October 2010 through March 2011) – The many years of Mt. Lebanon Soccer history was on display from the early years of club teams to a long list of WPIAL and PIAA Championship teams and everything soccer in between. We worked with the Mt. Lebanon Soccer Association to present a history of the sport and organization.
Trains, Trolleys, and Automobiles
(May 2011 through December 2011) – This exhibit traced all the various modes of transportation through our community and how it affected Mt. Lebanon’s development. We read about how the opening of the Liberty Tubes and then the Liberty Bridge caused an explosion of development in our “automobile suburb.”
Mt. Lebanon: The First 100 Years
(February 2012 through January 2013) – 2012 was the Mt. Lebanon’s Centennial Year. We celebrated in a big way with an exhibit that covered over 100 years of local history. We displayed medical equipment from the first doctor in the area, Dr. Cyrus Schriener; hand written minutes from the first Mt. Lebanon Commissioners’ Meeting; photos of the Mt. Lebanon Band marching in President Eisenhower’s inaugural parade. Our walls were covered with all sorts of other firsts including the first golf game; the first mass in the new St. Bernard’s Church and the first library located within the Municipal Building.
Mt. Lebanon Goes to War
(March 2013 through April 2014) – This exhibit focused on the impact WWII had on our community. Displayed around the exhibit were photos and the stories of 59 Mt. Lebanon residents who sacrificed their lives in the war. Rationing, scrap drives and air raid procedures were parts of the exhibit. You could page thru the December 8, 1949 Pittsburgh Post Gazette. This exhibit, for the first time, included music (Glenn Miller!) and video (WWII Newsreels) to the exhibit.
