The Plymouth Historical Society, established in 1986, is a non-profit historical society and museum funded solely through donations. The Plymouth Historical Society research and museum facility is located at 115 Gaylord Avenue, Plymouth, Pennsylvania, in the former Welsh Presbyterian Church, built circa 1875 and entrusted to the PHS by the church members in 1994.

This unique Church has stained glass windows designed and installed by the Baut Stained Glass Company. All the moldings, pews, doors, and wooden decorative pieces were designed, built and installed by the original Welsh coal mining church members.

The Plymouth Historical Society, Inc., was founded in 1986 under the auspices of Mr. James Moses, Caterer and Owner of Jimeal’s Restaurant, Plymouth, with thirteen charter members and a lot of determination. Today, our membership has risen to over 400 members and although we are the second oldest, second largest, historical society in Luzerne County, we are very proud of all we have accomplished in the past and hope to accomplish in the future.

The Society itself has a variety of extensive holdings such as census records from 1800 to 1950, over 60,000 index cards, histories of current and early individuals, over 2000 family histories, vaccination records, local midwife records, cemetery records, church records, coal mining records, and local histories, past and present, that have been compiled in written and data form. We have many educational and historical displays including the Ashley Post Office, Mother Jones, Military history, old time kitchen items, anthracite coal mining room and a comprehensive educational classroom dedicated to the preservation of Governor James memorabilia, the only Pennsylvania governor from Plymouth. We also have generous donations from the public to our Civil War collection, and antique kitchen weaving, early telephones, early typewriters, and sport and Military memorabilia.

Our mission is to preserve, protect and project our local history, not just Plymouth’s but any history from Wyoming Valley that comes directly or indirectly, into our care. The research, documentation and preservation of materials related to anthracite coal mining is among our goals and we are actively formulating a new book on mining which will include photographs and histories of many local breakers. It will be our fourth published book.  We have previously researched and compiled the church histories and cemetery burial data from Plymouth’s churches: St. Vincent de Paul, St. Mary’s Nativity, St. Steven’s, First Methodist, and First Welsh Baptist.

The Society has presented and participated in educational and memorial programs, dedicated to the histories and disasters resulting from the anthracite mining industry.

The Plymouth Historical Society also takes an active role in preservation and maintenance of local historical properties including the Reynolds St., Davenport St., Shawnee and Shupp Cemeteries. The Society has raised funds for the placement of historical markers and the restoration of headstones. Recently, our generous membership donated the needed funds to side the three-story back of our society building.

We always strive to be at the forefront of preserving important local sites. In the recent past, after months of working with UGI and DEP on gating the Avondale Mine area and having an ecologically sound bat gate installed there, the PHS was gifted by Earth Conservancy with the land area of the Avondale Mine disaster site in Plymouth Township.

In the past, the Society, in cooperation with the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, placed historical markers throughout the town of Plymouth. For example, the Abijah Smith Historical Marker, commemorating the first successful anthracite coal mine in Wyoming Valley, and the Shawnee Fort marker, commemorating the site of the 18th century Fort that protected the southern end of Plymouth were both placed on the grounds of the 108th Field Artillery. Plymouth can also boast historical markers for Governor Arthur H. James, the only Pennsylvania governor from Plymouth, and for Sephaniah Reese, who built the first gas powered automobile in Plymouth.

Today our goals are focused on the continued expansion of historical and educational displays and in making our tours more comprehensive and enjoyable for our visitors. Each year we are visited by genealogical researchers from all over the county and occasionally, worldwide. Local news media people visit us frequently for historical information and/or photographs, to be used to educate others on topics which highlight people and events significant in local history.

Our hours are Thursday and Saturday from twelve noon to three pm and we invite you all down for a visit and a tour. The coffee pot is always on, and the company is always very friendly.