submitted by Gregg Carroll
Congressman John Faso will join many residents, town officials and members of the press to celebrate the grand opening of the enhanced Lebanon Valley Heritage Center, at an open house on Saturday, March 25, 2017 at noon, in the Valley Plaza Mall, New Lebanon.[private]
The Heritage Center’s mission is to showcase the rich 250-year history of the Town of New Lebanon and to serve as a local tourist information bureau.
A year ago, the Heritage Center lost its lease and was forced to close its doors. Fortunately, the Center was able to secure even larger and more suitable space and has prepared an expanded and redesigned collection featuring the many important contributions to history made by the Lebanon Valley community.
Using hundreds of donated or loaned photographs, books, periodicals, pamphlets, artifacts, maps, furniture and other antiques, with permanent, rotating, or topical displays — the Center acquaints residents and visitors with:
• Mount Lebanon Shaker Society, the first and most important Shaker community in the United States;
• Lebanon Springs, the world-famous warm water spa that was frequented by presidents, kings, tycoons, and celebrities;
• Samuel J. Tilden, New Lebanon’s leading citizen, the Governor of New York State who won the popular vote for the Presidency in 1876 but lost the election by a corrupt single vote in the Electoral College;
• Tilden Pharmaceutical Co., the first such enterprise in the United States;
…and much much more.
In its visitor information role, the Heritage Center can boast the creation of a handsome “Historic New Lebanon Map & Guide,” tens of thousands of copies of which have been distributed in 200 locations throughout Columbia, Berkshire, and Albany Counties. The Center also provides information of all kinds on local attractions, hiking trails, businesses, restaurants, and B&Bs.
The Heritage Center is an independent NY non-profit corporation. The Center and its brochure were initiated by the New Lebanon Economic Development Committee in 2013.
The New Lebanon Economic Development Committee, has been constituted since July 1, 2013 as a non-governmental task force (currently 15 members) of business owners or consultants, representatives of non-profits, current or former town officials, and interested citizens, with a mission to promote economic activity in the Town. [/private]