Historic Preservation Trust of Lebanon County

05/02/2026

05/02/2026

12/10/2025

For more context on how important General Alexander "Sandy" Patch, Jr. - who spent most of his boyhood at the Donaghmore-Patch Mansion - was to the success of the allies in WWII, check out this video, as well as others listed in the comments.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjcGx0wWmFg&t=900s

National Archives and Records AdministrationARC Identifier 2569729 / Local Identifier 111-TV-472Big Picture: The Seventh Army StoryToday the major American g...

11/23/2025

07/24/2025

Alex Patch, the great-nephew of General Alexander M. Patch wrote a nice letter in LebTown with more history of the influential Patch military family and their connections to the old homestead at Donaghmore, the former Lebanon Catholic High school site.

Alex Patch, great-grandson of Capt. Alexander Patch, appeals to preserve the 150-year-old Lebanon Catholic School property where his decorated military family once lived.

07/23/2025

𝗢𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝟭𝟴𝟱𝟮, 𝗔. 𝗦𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗸 & 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗲𝗯𝗮𝗻𝗼𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝗲𝗺𝗶-𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸𝗹𝘆 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱𝘀 𝘃𝗶𝗮 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗖𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗹, 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗹'𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗵.

As one of only a few structures to receive the designation of National Historic Landmark in Lebanon County, and boasting the distinction of being the oldest existing transportation tunnel in the U.S., the tunnel and its parks (north and south of Tunnel Hill Road) collectively act as an exceptional treasure for the county, and make up one of the best-preserved parts of what remains of the once approximately 80-mile-long canal. Take some time this summer to visit this fabulous site and marvel at the skill of early American engineers and canal workers.



Photo Credit: Newspaper clipping of ad by A. Shirk & Col, Lebanon Courier and Semi-Weekly Report, July 23, 1852, pg. 4, newspapers.com.

07/21/2025

𝗠𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗯𝗲 𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲. 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗹-𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗻, 𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗝𝗮𝗻𝗲 𝗝𝗮𝗰𝗼𝗯𝘀.

The Pennsylvania-born housewife and mother-turned-urbanist was the model of effective grassroots activism. In the 1960s, she spurred a movement that led to the saving of many charming New York City neighborhoods - including Greenwich Village - from wholesale destruction that city planner Robert Moses touted as “urban renewal.” She wanted to save the unique things that made the city great. Her trailblazing 1961 book “The Death and Life of Great American Cities” changed how the public perceived cities and a sense of place.

𝗟𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝘁𝗼 𝗝𝗮𝗻𝗲 𝗮𝘀 𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝘂𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗼𝘄 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗲𝗯𝗮𝗻𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗿𝗲𝗮 𝗙𝗮𝗶𝗿 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗼 𝗖𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿, 𝗧𝘂𝗲𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗝𝘂𝗹𝘆 𝟮𝟮𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝟲-𝟴𝗽𝗺 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗯𝗲 𝗮 𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗵𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲/𝗣𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻.



Photo Credit: Jane Jacobs in action as chairman of the Comm. to save the West Village, holding up documentary evidence at a 1961 press conference at Lions Head Restaurant at Hudson & Charles Sts. Courtesy of World Telegram & Sun by Phil Stanziola, from the Library of Congress.

07/14/2025

𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝘂𝘀 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗲𝗯𝗮𝗻𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗿𝗲𝗮 𝗙𝗮𝗶𝗿 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗼 𝗖𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗻 𝗧𝘂𝗲𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗝𝘂𝗹𝘆 𝟮𝟮𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝟲-𝟴𝗽𝗺 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 “𝗦𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘆” 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝘆𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗵𝗼𝗺𝗲, 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗽𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗲𝗯𝗮𝗻𝗼𝗻 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝘀𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.

Shown here are Lieutenant General Alexander M. Patch, Jr. (“Sandy,” left) and his older brother, Major General Joseph D. Patch (right) visiting then-Lebanon High School (today’s Lebanon Intermediate School) for “Sandy Patch Day” in 1945. A parade was held in town for this hometown hero, followed by ceremonies in the school auditorium and stadium. Although “Sandy” only attended Lebanon High for one year, we still consider him to be an illustrious alumnus of the Lebanon School District, and someone whose legacy is worth remembering.



Photo Credit: An undated clipping from the Lebanon Daily News, courtesy of the Patch Family.