elcome to the online home of The Historical Society of Dauphin County and the John Harris-Simon Cameron Mansion. The Historical Society of Dauphin County (HSDC) was founded in 1869 and has been headquartered at the Harris-Cameron Mansion, a National Historic Landmark, since 1941.
The mission of the HSDC is to collect, preserve, exhibit, publish, and promote interest in the history of Dauphin County for the education, enjoyment, and benefit of the public.
We welcome your interest in our efforts, programs, and services.
Woodstock Blast from the Past Tickets Now Available
Join us for a celebration of the 40th anniversary of Woodstock on Sunday, July 19, 2009 from 3 PM to 8 PM at Camp Reily off of Fishing Creek Valley Road. Get more information or for tickets click the "Buy Now" button below to be added to our guest list.
Help support the Historical Society while getting a little something in return. Our online store includes two recently published postcard books containing hundreds of images of Harrisburg. Also available are Publications from the Past, which include transcripts of addresses given before the Society that cover topics such as transportation, industry, military and church histories.
Summer Hours
- Alexander Research Library
- Monday through Thursday
- 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM
- Closed on Fridays
- Research Information
- Mansion Tour Start Times
- Monday through Friday
- 11:00 AM and 1:00 PM
- Tours last about 1 hour
- Tour Information
- Second Saturdays
- On the 2nd Saturday of each month from June 13 to October 10, the Library will be open from 10:30 AM to 2:30 PM and Mansion tours will start at 11:00 AM and 1:00 PM.
- Society Office
- Monday through Thursday
- 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Volunteer at HSDC
Volunteers are vital to the breadth and success of HSDC efforts. Volunteer opportunities are available in all of our programs and services and in any time frame that suits your schedule. We especially need volunteers to help with two major projects: one involves transcription and data entry work, which can be done from home at your own pace; the second is assisting with cataloging artifacts in the Harris-Cameron Mansion, which can be done on-site during Society office hours.
Contact us for details.
Building Harrisburg
We are now taking orders for Ken Frew's epic account (450 illustrated pages) of the history of Harrisburg’s architects, builders and buildings. The pre-order price is $75.00, and the book will be available in November, 2009.
Historic Harrisburg Association's Architectural Library at HSDC
HHA has placed their architectural library on long-term loan with HSDC. A wonderful resource for building and preservation enthusiasts, the library's online inventory of books, magazines, videos, and newspapers is available for browsing.