Self-Guided History and Courthouse Tour Launches in Downtown Lewisburg

A new self-guided history and courthouse tour now guides visitors through downtown Lewisburg, centering on the Union County Courthouse at 103 South 2nd Street and its role as an architectural and archival anchor for the borough.

The courthouse, sited on the southwest corner of South Second and St. Louis Streets, is a striking example of Richardsonian Romanesque design. The tour materials note the building’s rough red sandstone façade, broad round arches and a squat, square tower that together produce a “massive appearance featuring roughly textured horizontal forms.” The walking route lists the courthouse as stop 8 in the Notable Architecture of Downtown Lewisburg loop and encourages passersby to “Look up, Lewisburg! Look up!” to appreciate façade details and night lighting.

Inside the courthouse the Union County Historical Society maintains a first-floor office and research library that contains genealogical resources, history publications and a microfilm newspaper archive. The society also hosts exhibits, community programs at the restored Gallery at 15 N. Water Street, and tours of local historic properties including the 1793 Dale-Engle-Walker House and the Kantz Log Cabin on Strawbridge Road. The society’s phone number is (570) 524-8666; contact emails listed by the society include info@unioncopahistory.com and hstoricl@ptd.net. Visitors are asked to “please email or call prior to visit.”

The tour also frames the courthouse within Lewisburg’s 19th-century social and political life. Interpretive notes reference nearby Independent Hall, dedicated in 1857, and a July 1859 lecture by abolitionist James Miller McKim, underscoring the courthouse collections’ value for research on local abolitionist activity and Civil War era tensions. A historical marker on the St. Louis Street side of the building directs visitors to additional context and to the society’s holdings: “A historical marker on the St. Louis Street side of the building describes the Courthouse further. Also, the Union County Historical Society, containing additional information about local abolitionists, is located on the first floor of the Courthouse.”

The courthouse sits within the Lewisburg Historic District and is subject to local preservation review. The borough’s historic district ordinance stresses that the district exists to protect “the portions of the Borough which recall the rich and architectural and cultural heritage of the Borough and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,” and the Lewisburg Historical and Architectural Review Board offers early-stage consultation to property owners and project planners.

Practical notes for would-be walkers: the tour begins at Market and North 5th Streets and advises caution when crossing at Market and Water Streets where no pedestrian signal exists; the walking materials also suggest trying the route at night when downtown buildings are lit. The historical society’s published hours conflict across materials - one listing shows Monday, Tuesday and Thursday 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. (closed noon to 1:00), while another lists Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (closed noon to 1:00) - so organizers urge prospective visitors to confirm times in advance.

For residents and visitors, the tour knits visible architecture to deep civic history and points to the courthouse as a living resource for research, education and preservation work. Check with the Union County Historical Society by phone or email before visiting to confirm hours, programming and volunteer opportunities.