Coming Soon -

Pine Grove Furnace is located in the South Mountain, Cumberland County’s most natural region, but even this landscape is affected by human activity.  Miles of forest vanish and reappear as the land transitions from industry to conservation.  People come and go with intentions ranging from secret interrogation to recreation.  The one constant throughout all these stories is a sense of place and lasting legacy.

March 16^th is the opening date for the exhibit Pine Grove:  A Lasting Legacy.  This exhibit will address how the natural resources affected the area’s history and use of the landscape.  The exhibition will focus on the history of four distinct activities in the Pine Grove area:  the iron industry at Pine Grove Furnace; Pine Grove Furnace Civilian Conservation Corps Camp #51; Pine Grove Furnace Prisoner of War Interrogation Center, 1942- 1946 and finally Camp Michaux Church Camp, 1946-1972.

We will also represent the history of recreation, including the Appalachian Trail, the Pine Grove Park in the late 1800s, the Carlisle Indian School’s Camp Sells, the YMCA’s Camp Thompson, and private cabins.  Other notable themes for the area include the ice industry on Laurel Lake and the tragic history of the Babes in the Woods. 

Exhibit related events this year include a lecture series called “Wednesdays in Winter”, the first four Wednesdays in February starting at 12:15 p.m. at CCHS.  Our next event, on May 20^th, is a day of tours and fun activities at Pine Grove Furnace State Park, and finally, a day of family activities on September 8 at Two Mile House.

The exhibit is funded by the Mary Swank Kramer Trust.   The events of May 20^th are funded in part by the South Mountain Mini-Grant program.