Winters Heritage House Museum seeks to preserve local history by engaging community support to identify buildings of historical significance; developing educational experiences that recognize contributions of early cultural groups in the greater Elizabethtown, PA area; and acquiring artifacts, texts, and documents of historical value.

Using history to build community has always been central to the mission of Winters Heritage House. The year 2005 marks the 15-year anniversary of the first guided school tours of a partially restored Heritage House. Although yet incomplete, restoration was well underway to generate community excitement for the project.

In 1988, a group of Elizabethtown-area preservationists united to save one of the town's original log structures from imminent demolition. As a result, Elizabethtown Preservation Associates, Inc. emerged as a nonprofit membership association governed by a Board of Directors. The dedicated group of local citizens salvaged a one- and one-half-story log house, built circa 1750's in the Scots-Irish tradition. The property became known as Heritage House in 1991, at which time the fully restored historic house opened to the public. The opening followed one year of documentary, archaeological and historical research and another two years of restoration work. Generous community support from individuals, businesses and service organizations moved the project to fruition.

A series of living history programs and historic walking tours interpreting the period 1750-1850 evolved soon thereafter, as did the nucleus of a genealogy library for researching both family and local history. Today, the living history center houses the Nogging Shop, a museum store, and the Seibert Library and Resource Center, which was dedicated in November 1998.

Our teaching museum was establish in 1991 and offers year-round educational, interpretive, and cultural programs.