A project ten years in the making is now complete. This newly constructed 13,000-square-foot Heritage Center is an extension of the original Stroud Mansion in downtown Stroudsburg, where the Monroe County Historical Association is headquartered.

Locals and tourists have long visited the Stroud Mansion to learn about Monroe County's history. But overtime, more exhibit space was needed to bring stowed away artifacts donated by the community to life. The new Heritage Center delivers just that, along with climate control and an elevator for ADA accessibility.

“It’s hard to operate a modern organization out of a 231-year-old structure. We have been collecting Monroe County's history for over 100 years, and we were simply running out of space,” said Amy Leiser, executive director, Monroe County Historical Association.

Exhibit rooms have grown from seven to fourteen, featuring artifacts from the 1700s through 1970s. In addition to a spacious research and genealogy library, there are rooms dedicated to women's history, the Lenape, military and medicine, and “Vacationland” featuring an iconic heart shaped tub and relics related to the Poconos’ resort industry.

In another room, artifacts discovered during an archeological dig at the Stroud Mansion in 2019 are on display.

“We've doubled our storytelling space and that's been wonderful. We’ve had the opportunity to reimagine what stories we want to tell and how we want Monroe County's history portrayed,” Amy added.

The “We the People" room will highlight noteworthy groups across Monroe County. Currently, Jewish history is on display. David Koster spent years researching the vibrant Jewish community that shaped this area. In the 1930s, his grandparents founded Koster's Variety Store on Crystal Street in East Stroudsburg.

“I think the history itself is very important. I think that it's interesting to speculate what the town would be like if this hadn't come through, if this hadn't been part of our history,” said David Koster, research volunteer.

The Heritage Center includes a community room for lectures and public programs. A temporary quilt exhibit in the space honors America’s 250th anniversary.

Linda Post Bushkofsky organized the quilting challenge. Her design honors her grandmother and great grandmother, quilters who ran summer boarding houses in the Poconos and sold their creations to tourists.

“Quilts have always been made since colonial times here in the United States. It's a way to create art, tell stories, and allow people to express themselves in some way,” explained Linda Post Bushkofsky of Henryville.

In 1795, Stroudsburg’s founding family built the Stroud Mansion as a home. When the structure eventually fell into disrepair, a group of concerned citizens saved it. The Stroud Community House, as the mansion became known, housed non-profits including the Monroe County Historical Association

“And as those organizations grew and expanded, they moved off-site. The historical association has always had a presence here in this building since 1921. And I think that's what's so special, that even though this building has been though a lot of changing hands, it's still standing. There are still original floors, original woodwork, and this building has been loved for centuries,” Amy smiled.

And loved a century more.