I have been the Commission liaison to the Historical Society of Mount Lebanon for more than five years. This 501(c)3 organization was founded in 1998 and relies on its dedicated, hardworking volunteers, and financial support from individuals, foundations and governmental agencies. The mission of the organization is to archive relics of the story of our town for people to enjoy now and into the future. They produce many programs, such as the annual (for more than 20 years) walking tour of the Washington Road Business District for Mt. Lebanon’s second graders, along with their teachers and parent chaperones. The students get a chance to learn about their community and its history.

The building that serves as the history center is located at 794 Washington Road across from Southminster Presbyterian Church, and was built around 1930. Originally a single-family home, the last of the three families to live in the structure were Dr. Donald and Ms. Christine McMillan and their family, who purchased the home after World War II. Another goal of the organization is to reveal as much of the original home as possible, meaning removing layers of paint to reveal parts of the original wallpaper and undoing other changes to the structure.

In the early years, the group used the basement floor of the building because the upper floor was still being used as Mt. Lebanon’s tax office. In 2015, the society signed a 20-year lease-purchase agreement with Mt. Lebanon for the entire building. Contractors and volunteers began to upgrade the building essentials, modernizing the roof, plumbing, heating and electrical systems. The first floor has been open to the public since 2018 for exhibits, meetings and lectures. Upgrades to the second-floor space allow the society to store the archival collection in a more climate-controlled manner. The group continues to raise money to repair their second-floor deck with its wonderful view of Washington Road, and they wish to better utilize the basement space.

The history center has hosted a number of exhibits such as Shaping Mt. Lebanon – Why Our Town Looks the Way it Does, and Then and Now Along Washington Road: 1964 and 2019. It also hosted the fundraiser/kickoff event for the 2025 South Hills Memorial Day Parade, a presentation on Trooping the Colour, in association with Britsburgh and a lecture by the Director of the Frick, Amanda Gillen, about the thought process behind the current presentation at that site. An upcoming exhibit will focus on Mt. Lebanon’s seven elementary schools.

The current exhibit at the center is called Barrier Breaking Women, which is a tribute to the women of Mt. Lebanon who were standouts in several fields. For instance: Mary Larsen who was Mt. Lebanon’s first female commissioner; FBI agent Martha Dixon, one of the first female FBI SWAT team members, killed in the line of duty at age 35. Dixon Field is named in her honor; Ruth Reidbord, Mt. Lebanon’s first female city planner; and Virginia Phillips who founded Mt. Lebanon Magazine. There is information about all 12 of Mt. Lebanon’s female Commissioners. The exhibit is constantly evolving, so it is worthwhile to stop in even if you saw it earlier this year. The exhibit ends in July.

The society is also hosting a walking tour of St. Paul’s Episcopal, Southminster Presbyterian and Mt. Lebanon Lutheran churches, all of which are celebrating their centennials.

I hope you will visit our history center and learn more about their work preserving our past and educating residents about Mt. Lebanon. Their hours are 9 a.m.  to 3 p.m. on Saturday, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday evening and other hours by appointment at 412-329-8595. Their website is LeboHistory.org.