I always love touring local museums, so I was excited to have a chance to check out the museum at the Historical and Genealogical Society of Indiana County.
Their museum is located in the historic Pennsylvania National Guard Armory in Indiana. This building was constructed in 1922 and was purchased by the historical society in 1999. They also own the adjacent Silas M. Clark House, which was constructed from 1869-1870.
While the Clark House is open for guided tours, the museum exhibits are located inside the historic armory and are open for self-guided tours. These exhibits are comprised of two separate areas, one serving as the Indiana County Historical Museum and the upstairs area being the Military Museum.
In reality, there is nothing more separating these museums than a set of stairs as both museums are open the same hours and run by the same group.
The Indiana County Historical Museum’s exhibits are located within the armory’s old Drill Hall, which also served as a gymnasium and still retains that look today. Unlike most museums where you visit a series of rooms, all of the exhibits in this area are in one large room, though it is laid out well within the space.
In this space, you’ll find a wide variety of topics covered from Indiana County’s history. Some areas have a lot of detailed signage while others are a bit lacking that department, but they are all interesting to see.
I thought the area telling the story of the county’s primary industries from the past, particularly lumbering and coal mining, was quite well done. It was interesting to see many of the tools used in these industries and learn more about how they were used and the impact that had on the region.
I also found the sections on both the local beauty queens and local sports hall of fame to be quite interesting. It was great to learn more about these stories, and the people in the community who were being honored.
Like most historical society museums, there is a lot of military history on display at the Historical and Genealogical Society of Indiana County. In fact, they not only have an entire wing of the museum dedicated to military items, but they also have some on display in the main part of the exhibit.
Most of the military items are located in a balcony area above the main museum floor, and here you’ll find items covering nearly ever war and conflict the US has been involved in since its founding.
In this space, you can browse past uniforms, equipment and weapons, and even items taken from the enemy after battle. There really is a lot to see here that shows the impact made in the US military by residents of Indiana County.
At the Historical and Genealogical Society of Indiana County, you can also tour the Silas M. Clark House next to the museum’s armory. Unfortunately, despite having been to the historical society museum twice, I wasn’t able to tour it either time.
According to their website, the house is set up to showcase life in Indiana County during the Gilded Age. Having toured other gilded age homes, I’d definitely love to compare and contrast the home to others from that time, so I’ll definitely need to visit again.
Of course, like all other county historical societies, the Historical and Genealogical Society of Indiana County is also home to many genealogical and historic records from the area’s history. While that’s not a focus of mine, for those that are looking to dive into the county’s history, this is definitely a great place to start.
Overall, I found my visit to the Indiana County Historical Society Museum to be quite interesting. Despite having no historic connection to the area, I always find museums like this to offer some intersting and unique items that help me to piece together the story of Pennsylvania and those that lived in the state over the years.
If you happen to find yourself in Indiana County, PA, I definitely recommend checking it out.
Looking for more places to visit in the area, check out the Jimmy Stewart Museum, the Blairsville Underground Railroad History Center, and the Saltsburg Historical Society Museum.
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