Before the school is redesigned as a commercial space, LebTown reflects on the school’s history and status in 2020.
History
The life and legend of Joseph Johns, escaped slave and Union Township mountain man
Over a century after his 1906 death, charcoal producer Joseph Johns (also known as “Old Black Joe”) continues to draw fascination.
Lebanon’s lost “Little Hollywood” sector and the Lebanon County Housing Authority
In a decade of change, a new local authority transformed one of Lebanon’s poorest neighborhoods into one of the city’s first public housing projects.
[Photo Story] A look at the historic cottages of Mt. Gretna
The hundreds of cottages throughout Mt. Gretna showcase the area’s unique history.
Local historian Bruce Bomberger on documenting the history of today
History isn’t just the past. It’s a collection of moments. It’s happening as we speak. How will history remember the coronavirus?
Lebanon Catholic property contains the Donaghmore Mansion and the historic Patch estate
Once the home of an iron furnace manager, the Donaghmore Mansion has connections with Robert W. Coleman, Captain Alexander Patch, and, since the 1950s, the Lebanon Catholic High School.
St. John’s Episcopal Church in Washington, DC, has Lebanon County ties
The adjacent parish house was home to several members of the prominent Coleman family of Lebanon.
Light’s Fort a poster child for need of local historical preservation
Light’s Fort is Lebanon’s oldest standing structure. Local historians and preservationists would like to see it restored and turned into a museum.
Recounting Lebanon County’s brief UFO frenzy of the 1960s
In the summer of 1965, Lebanon residents reported a number of UFO sightings that spurred local interest.
Former Lebanon reporter still unsettled by Palmyra slaying, 25 years after trial
During his time on the crime beat at the Lebanon Daily News, Les Stewart reported on plenty of atrocities. Covering the trial of Carolyn King and Bradley Martin, however, was an unrivaled experience.
Reflecting on the Gingrich Memorial Pool, Pt. 2: Work & play
In this two-part feature, LebTown explores the history of the Gingrich Memorial Pool, located in Coleman Memorial Park, and the people who designed it, managed it, and visited it.
Past Calling: A factory and the boys who worked there
This month on Past Calling, we reveal the story of the founder of a historic AME church in the county, and take a peek inside a factory.
Reflecting on the Gingrich Memorial Pool, pt. 1: Early history & design
In the first half of a two-part feature, LebTown examines the Gingrich Memorial Pool in the context of designer Wesley Bintz’s nationwide legacy.
How Lebanon welcomed the motorcycle fad of the early 1900s and provided riders for World War I
In the first two decades of the twentieth century, Lebanon took part in a vehicular fad that influenced leisure, work, and war.
100 years ago, Lebanon grappled with a very different pandemic—the Spanish flu
When the Spanish flu swept into Lebanon in October of 1918, businesses, schools, and more shut down. Here’s how we got through it then.