Eckley Miners' Village Receives American Eagle Outfitters Foundation Grant

On November 25, Eckley Miners' Village in Weatherly, Carbon County announced it has received a $15,000 American Eagle Outfitters Foundation grant to support the PA Historical and Museum Commission project to make the Village a sustainable, innovative heritage destination through the adaptive reuse of several historic homes.

American Eagle joins the Willary, Sordoni, Luzerne, CAN DO, and PPL Community Foundations, Earth Conservancy, PNC Bank, Mauch Chunk Trust, the Pennsylvania Anthracite Section of the Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration, and nearly 80 individual donors in contributing more than $53,000 toward the project. 

The National Endowment for the Humanities will provide a $48,000 matching grant that Eckley will use to design overnight lodging and a STEAM learning center in two of the village’s historic homes.

The STEAM center will build on Eckley’s legacy of offering high-quality heritage education by incubating research initiatives and public programs in science, technology, engineering, the arts and humanities, and mathematics. 

Short-term lodging rentals will support field schools and research projects at the STEAM center, immerse visitors in village life, and generate revenue to fund future site improvements and operations. 

The project will return two nineteenth-century homes to public use for the first time in the museum’s 50-year history.

Eckley site administrator, Dr. Bode Morin says, “we are thrilled with such a positive response to our fundraising efforts. This project is just phase one of our larger strategic plan to expand our education and preservation mission and ensure that Eckley continues to interpret the stories of people from all over the world who came to Northeast Pennsylvania and created the anthracite region. The STEAM center will be a huge draw for students, teachers, faculty, or others working on education projects in coal country.”

The Pennsylvania Heritage Foundation, the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission’s nonprofit partner, will serve as the project’s fiscal sponsor.

Holiday Events

Mark your calendars for other exciting Eckley news and events this winter season--

-- Christmas at Eckley – On Saturday, December 7, and Sunday, December 8, visit the village from 10am-4pm with your family for photos with St. Nick, crafts, raffles, hot cocoa, and more. Then, join us from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, December 7, for a fundraiser concert in the Episcopal Church.

-- Luzerne Foundation Wish Book – Eckley is featured in the Luzerne Foundation’s second-annual Wish Book, where you can show your support by making a special holiday donation to help us reach our $1,000 goal. Visit Luzerne Wish Book to donate.

-- Virtual Lecture – On Wednesday, January 15 at 1pm, tune in for the inaugural installment of Discovery Discourse Virtual Lectures to learn about “Foodways of the Past.” The virtual program will feature Dr. Justin Nordstrom of Penn State-Hazleton and will explore how food has been the catalyst for everything from community building to wartime propaganda. Tickets are free and can be reserved by visiting our website.

Eckley Miners’ Village is committed to preserving and interpreting the lives and culture of people from around the world who came to Northeastern Pennsylvania to mine anthracite coal and fuel America’s industrial might. 

Eckley is administered by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, the Commonwealth’s official heritage agency. 

Eckley’s regular hours are 10 :00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday.

Visit the Eckley Miners' Village website, their Facebook or Instagram pages for more information.

[Posted: November 26, 2024]  PA Environment Digest