Expansion begins at the Francis J. Lemoyne House
Courtesy of the Washington County Historical Society
The expansion of the Francis J. LeMoyne House is underway.
Courtesy of the Washington County Historical Society
A artist’s rendering of what the front of the Francis J. LeMoyne House will look like once the expansion is complete.
Courtesy of the Washington County Historical Society
A side rendering of the new Francis J. LeMoyne House.
Courtesy of the Washington County Historical Society
Another view of the work during the expansion of the Francis J. LeMoyne House
Expansion is underway at the Francis J. LeMoyne House, one of Washington’s historic treasures.
The Washington County Historical Society (WCHS), the local nonprofit that administers the National Historic Landmark, recently broke ground on its upcoming Research & Education Center at 48 E. Maiden St. in Washington.
The expansion will extend WCHS’s operations across the street. The properties were previously acquired with a view toward redevelopment to accommodate the growing number of tourists, students, and researchers who visit the LeMoyne House.
In addition to the conference, meeting and teaching space, the new facility will provide storage space for WCHS’s growing archival/artifact collections. Preparations for the WCHS Research & Education Center began in 2018.
Perhaps the most striking element of WCHS’s project design will be the preservation of the historic home built in 1826 by John J. LeMoyne, father of Francis J. LeMoyne.
The project will restore the house’s facades to their original 1826 specifications, preserving all original features that remain, and reproducing necessary others. The house’s interior will maintain its original features, where they remain, and be used as offices for WCHS.
The second element of the project is the construction of a 6,000-square-foot structure added to the John J. LeMoyne House to the south. This addition will be the home of WCHS’s library, research, and collections preservation operations.
The facility also will function as a programming venue and a modern collections storage facility, furthering WCHS’s mission to collect, curate, and interpret materials pertinent to the region’s history.
Downtown staples and organizations are thrilled at this construction.
“WCHS is such an important asset to have in our downtown,” said Shana Brown, Main Street manager. “Our history is an enormous part of our image, and the implications of this expansion and construction cannot be overstated.”
The historical society aims to welcome the public to its new facility in mid-2023.
The completion of the project is viewed as a transformative improvement not only for WCHS, but also for the heavily traveled and highly visible area of Washington’s historic downtown business district.
Clay Kilgore, historical society executive director, said the appreciation and devotion to local history runs deep.
“I think this is a testament to how amazing the Washington community is that we were able to continue our fundraising and planning for this project during a global pandemic,” Kilgore said. “It takes a lot of dedication to do that, and I’m grateful both to the WCHS project team that kept this moving forward and to everyone in our community who supported us.”
The Washington County Historical Society is a center for preservation, research, and education that inspires the discovery and sharing the extraordinary history of Washington County and Southwestern Pennsylvania. Check out more of what they offer by visiting: https://www.wchspa.org/.