Our Mission Statement
Formed in 1970, the Southern Lancaster County Historical Society, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational organization with a mission:
To research local history and ancestry;
to educate members and the public about the significance of Southern Lancaster County;
to preserve and maintain historical documents, records and artifacts of our local heritage so that these treasures are not lost to future generations; and
to preserve, maintain and provide tours of the Robert Fulton Birthplace, listed on the National Register of Historic Places (#66000670) in 1964, as well as other historic buildings on the Birthplace property.
Origins
Beginnings. The Southern Lancaster County (“Solanco”) Historical Society was formed in 1970 and was born out of an effort to write a book documenting the histories of the churches of southern Lancaster County in the late 1960s. Meetings were originally held in members’ homes and items that belonged to the Society were stored wherever space could be found. In December 1977, documents were filed with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to incorporate the Society as a nonprofit educational organization. That was followed by filing as a federal 501(c)(3) corporation. Society members began collecting photographs, documents and information relating to local history. Birth, marriage and death records were compiled. A library of books that relate to the history of the area was begun. Local citizens donated old utensils, railroad items, Native American relics and a variety of tools to form a collection of historical artifacts.
Birthplace Management. The Southern Lancaster County Historical Society reached an agreement with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s Bureau of Historic Sites and Museums to manage the Robert Fulton Birthplace property in 1978. Then in May, 1982 a formal long-term management agreement between the Commonwealth and the Society was signed and both entities benefitted from the agreement. Through the years, members of the Society have volunteered their time as tour guides at the Robert Fulton Birthplace and have provided general upkeep of the five buildings and surrounding grounds in exchange for use of the archives warehouse. Fundraising events such as concerts, craft fairs, calendar sales and holiday greens sales have been held to provide funds for general maintenance. The Commonwealth had contributed funds towards the upkeep on a regular basis until the recession of 2008. Since then occasional grants had been provided for major repairs such as slate roof reconstruction.
Strategic Planning. Under the direction of former Schools Superintendent Martin Hudacs, a series of strategic planning meetings were held in the winter of 2013 for the purpose of identifying the Society’s strengths and weaknesses and to form an action plan for the future. Not only Society members but assorted members of the community were invited to participate and add their comments and suggestions. The plan was finalized and the Society’s Board of Directors accepted the plan in May, 2013. The Society’s officers and committee members took steps to implement various proposals in the plan. Their actions aimed to focus on the planning objectives, increase membership, strengthen the Society’s commitment to its mission and broaden its presence in the community.
Ownership Transfer. In February 2017 the deed to the Robert Fulton Birthplace property was transferred to the Southern Lancaster County Historical Society by the Commonwealth’s legislature and signed into law by Governor Thomas Wolf. The Society is now fully responsible for the preservation and upkeep of the five buildings on the Birthplace property, as well as for continuing to keep the Fulton house open to the public. Included in the deed are several restrictive covenants required by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission to ensure the continuing care of the Birthplace buildings and property and the continued education of the public as to its historical significance.
