The Susquehanna County Historical Society, located in the county seat of Montrose, isthe oldest and largest of the county’s historical organizations, and has, for 113 years, collected and preserved the history of the Susquehanna County, from its beginning in 1787 to the present day.
It was during the Centennial of the county, in 1887, that a few forward-looking residents realized the need to organize a society to house the historical records and artifacts of the county. On May 31, 1890, at a meeting in the Court House of Montrose, 25 people laid the groundwork for an organization to do just that. Among the 25 persons who attended the first meeting was Emily C. Blackman, author of our first county history. Soon the mumber of gifts, bequests and donations required charter members to make plans for a permanent meeting place. Toward that end, ground was broken in 1905 between the Court House and the high school. Before construction began, however, Francis R. Cope, Jr., of Philadelphia, notified those involved that the Cope family wanted to provide a memorial public library. (In the 19th centruy the Cope family owned large tracts of land in Susquehanna County and they maintain an estate here to the present day). Through a combination of Society funds and the Cope’s donation, a larger site was acquired to house both the library and historical society on Monument Square in Montrose. The building was dedicated on Nov. 8, 1907, the same year the Susquehanna County Historical Society and Free Library Association was chartered. In 1957, an annex to the building was added, providing the Historical Society with an additional exhibit room. In January 1994, another addition was built, housing an elevator, which allows access to all patrons to our museum and genealogical collections. Realizing the great need for more space to expand the Library and Historical Society, our Board of Directrors has formed a committee to consider our future options.