Steven Mooradian, a Harborcreek native who just finished his senior year as a public history major at Mercyhurst University, focused his senior project on the history of Buffalo Road. His final product is a four episode podcast that highlights different aspects of the road, which serves as a main transportation artery for the Harborcreek Township community; they are agriculture, business, tourism/recreation, and transportation.

To listen to the podcast episodes, visit https://anchor.fm/steven-mooradian

The Society’s new Vintage Wedding Album will be on display at the annual open house Saturday, December 8th 10:00 am – 2:00 pm.  And while you’re there, browse our gift shop for great holiday gift ideas.

HHS Begins Vintage Wedding Album
The Society is inviting residents to bring or send their wedding photo to our office to be displayed in a photo album.  Please include the day you exchanged vows, name of the church or place of the wedding, your attendants and honeymoon destination.  Other information you might wish to add could be where you resided or reside in Harborcreek Township, number of or names of your children and any special notations you would like to include.

We look forward to receiving wedding photos either through our harborcreekhistory@gmail.com or by your bringing them to 5451 Merwin Lane to be scanned during office hours; original stays with YOU.  This project will bring a new dimension to HHS and our purpose to preserve the exchange of marriage vows as township residents began their married lives together.

You’re invited to join the Harborcreek Historical Society and Harborcreek Township in dedicating a new historical marker at Shades Beach Saturday, May 20th at 10 am. The marker, which was funded in part by the Erie County Gaming Revenue Authority, celebrates the history of Harborcreek’s shoreline.

Guest speakers for the dedication include Honey Stempka, Founder and CEO of Undo Undone and Project Manager for the Lake Erie Quadrangle National Marine Sanctuary Designation, and Jeanette Schnars, Executive Director of the Regional Science Consortium and member of the Pennsylvania Archaeological Shipwreck Survey Team (P.A.S.S.T.). Together, they will talk about recent efforts to identify, survey and document all shipwrecks in PA waters.

Refreshments provided.

Dear members and sponsors,

It’s been a long time since the Society has had a place to call home, but we’re finally in our forever home. It’s gorgeous. We thank the Harborcreek community, Dean Pepicello, Joe Peck, Tim May and the Blanchfield family for their support after our offices at Knowledge Park closed and providing a new home. With their encouragement, the board never lost sight of the mission developed 20 years ago.

The Gifford-Blanchfield House will be open weekly for the community to visit and use. Please consider volunteering with us. A new building comes with new responsibilities, and we’ll need volunteers to help care for the house and during special events.

The Gifford-Blanchfield House is ideal for gatherings of 15 people or less, so keep it in mind if you need a space to meet.

Be sure to add to your calendar the following two events: the Shades Beach historical marker dedication on May 20, 2017, and the official dedication of the Gifford-Blanchfield House on July 15, 2017. We’d love for you to join us!

~ Lori Sheridan, President

At the 2017 Annual Meeting on January 28th, the Harborcreek Historical Society honored Harborcreek Township Supervisors Joe Peck, Tim May and Dean Pepicello for their unwavering commitment to the community and their investment in the Gifford-Blanchfield House. They orchestrated the transfer of the Blanchfield property from the Rick Blanchfield family to the Township and then oversaw the renovation of the house, all of which was done in partnership with the Society and Blanchfield family.

In January, the Harborcreek Historical Society was one of several local organizations to receive a donation from the East Erie Moose Lodge #593 from their games of chance fund. The donation of $500 will be used to support activities and projects at the new Gifford-Blanchfield House that will take place in 2017. We thank the Lodge for their generous donation, and invite them to visit our new headquarters and see the work made possible by their gift.

On Saturday, May 31, 11:00 am – 12:30 pm the Harborcreek Historical Society hosted a dedication for the Gauge War historical Marker. The presentation took place at the Harborcreek Municipal Building (5601 Buffalo Road) in the upper meeting room. We were joined by guest speaker Paul Foust. Mr. Foust wrote his graduate thesis on the “war” and discussed the December 1853 confrontation that took place in Harborcreek between railroad laborers and residents.

The new historical marker is installed in Harborcreek Township’s Roadside Park. The project is supported in part by the Erie County Gaming Revenue Authority.

View event photographs by clicking here.

Greetings HHS members,

Happy 20th Anniversary! Harborcreek Historical Society is turning 20 this year. During the last two decades many changes have taken place – and more changes are to come.

If you have visited Knowledge Park recently, you might have noticed a great deal of activity. Penn State Behrend is growing and needs more space to house their programs and offices. In the Fall of 2013, the Society was notified that our office space was needed. Penn State Behrend has graciously found another space for us, but it is extremely small. Therefore, until a larger space is acquired, we will not be able to have office hours or programs at our Knowledge Park office.

Harborcreek Historical Society’s Board of Directors is committed to the vision and mission that was developed 20 years ago and the Society will continue to be a presence in the community. Harborcreek Township Supervisors have found space for the display cases and will allow us to use the Township Building for meetings and programs. HHS Directors are in the process of creating a Speakers Bureau of various topics that can go to your meetings and events. Also, we will continue with The Harbor View, our website and Facebook presence.

While we are in the process of moving into a smaller space, we remain focused on the security and safety of the HHS acquisitions – the documents, photos and memories that have been given to us.

If you have any comments or questions please email us at harborcreekhistory@gmail.com or call (814) 899-4447.

Lori Sheridan, President