IN Monroeville Winter 2017 | Page 41

THE SOCIETY NEWS All the latest information on the Monroeville Historical Society. k By Robert Elms Celebrate the Season with MHS T he Monroeville community is very fortunate to have three historical buildings owned by the Municipality of Monroeville and managed by the Monroeville Historical Society. The Monroeville Historical Society, an all-volunteer organization, has two general missions: to help preserve the community’s heritage and to educate the public as to our common history. As we come to the end of another year, it is interesting to reflect on these community historical buildings and grounds, the significant investments in the properties and how they have been used. The two historical houses, McGinley Stone House and McCully Log House, are open to the public for tours either by appointment or through the Monroeville Parks and Recreation Department. Guided tours of these houses are also offered to local school districts. The houses are the site of MHS’ Heritage Festival held each fall. This year the McGinley House has had its over 40-year-old roof replaced and the windows/doors painted. The other historical building, the Old Stone Church, is also available for tours through the Monroeville Parks and Recreation Department. The church mainly serves as the site of about 20 weddings, funerals or meetings each year. The fees collected for these events are all used to finance the repairs, annual maintenance and upkeep of all the historical buildings, in addition to supporting community activities like the Heritage Festival and the Community Tree Lighting held in November of each year. The Community Tree Lighting is MHS’ last event of 2017. This year, on November 21 at 7 p.m., the Monroeville Chorus and MHS will jointly host this event at the Old Stone Church. Local scouting organizations and the public are invited. The program will include recognition of local officials, seasonal music by our local Monroeville Chorus and will conclude with an interactive tree lighting ceremony. Each year, the Monroeville Chorus always adds a few special features to their exceptional musical presentation. At the conclusion of the choral presentation and prior to the actual tree lighting, Scouts are encouraged to decorate the tree in front of the church with their own hand-crafted decorations. The mayor will turn on the tree lights and the Scouts are then invited back into the church for a visit with Santa. The MHS can always use volunteers to help with the building and grounds upkeep, to assist with community events and to participate in meetings/leadership. MHS meetings are held the third Tuesday of every month, except during the months of July and August, in the Monroeville Public Library at 7 p.m. The public is welcome to attend these meetings. For more information about the Monroeville Historical Society, visit monroevillehistorical.org, e-mail [email protected] or call 412.856.1000. Monroeville | Winter 2017 | icmags.com 39