Two Museums, One Mission

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The LeRoy Heritage Museum (LHM) and the Bradford County Historical Society (BCHS) have successfully completed a merger, marking a significant development for both organizations. Under this new arrangement, the Bradford County Historical Society acquired ownership of the LeRoy properties and collection, assuming responsibility for their ongoing care. The LeRoy Heritage Museum will maintain its current operations while also functioning as a satellite museum for the Bradford County Historical Society.

Matthew Carl, who has served as the Executive Director of BCHS and the Founding President of LHM, serving in the latter position for 25 years, will continue his management responsibilities for both locations. Additionally, Robert Storch and Theodore Tomlinson, two members of the LeRoy Heritage Museum Board of Directors, have been appointed to the Board of Trustees for the Bradford County Historical Society. The resulting combined board will oversee the properties at Towanda and LeRoy.

Carl proposed the merger after a year of thorough consideration. In the fall of 2025, he presented the concept to the boards of both organizations during individual meetings. For 19 years, he has overseen both entities concurrently, one as a full-time paid position and one as a volunteer officer of a non-profit board. Balancing the leadership of two non-profit organizations has required him to invest countless hours during evenings, weekends, and vacations to manage the LeRoy site, which includes responsibilities such as grant writing, overseeing two significant multi-year construction projects, developing exhibits, organizing member events, producing publications, and conducting fundraising activities, among other tasks.

“The LeRoy Heritage Museum has experienced significant growth over the years, beginning with a personal collection that originated in my teenage years. This collection evolved into the formation of a nonprofit organization when I was 18 years old. That organization was responsible for opening a museum in the former Open Hand Grange Hall and subsequently expanded into the former Lewis Hotel.” Carl further noted that, “over the past 25 years, every other organization in southwestern Bradford County dedicated to preserving local history has disbanded, transferring their collections to LeRoy.”

Since 2001, Carl has attended more than 50 estate auctions, sometimes using his own funds, to acquire and preserve local history from the collections of area historians, that might otherwise have been forgotten. Hundreds of donors have contributed pieces to both the LeRoy museum and the research library, including many items rescued from dumpsters. Over the past 25 years, the LHM has successfully raised over $1 million to support various building projects and achieve its objectives.

Deeply aware of his responsibility to ensure that all efforts made thus far would not be in vain, Carl was determined to also safeguard the invaluable research collection within a more secure facility. In early 2026, the two boards convened at LeRoy to discuss the logistics and implications of a potential merger.

The museum at LeRoy will maintain its regular operating hours, while the research collection will transition to the BCHS Research Library, enhancing public accessibility in the future. These items will be cataloged in the BCHS online Past Perfect inventory system, allowing researchers to locate them easily online. The publication schedule for the LHM semi-annual magazine, the Monogram, will remain unchanged. The combined memberships will receive both The Settler and the Monogram throughout the year, along with additional benefits. Last June, members were provided with a full-color magazine detailing the merger and its advantages, which is available for download at leroyheritage.org/merger. 

Carl noted that, “merging the two organizations will result in significant cost savings by eliminating duplicate efforts, leading to a more efficient operation behind the scenes, a reality well understood by those serving on nonprofit boards.”

The LeRoy Heritage Museum did not move forward with the merger because of any financial struggles. The museum has been well supported, has its own Endowment Fund at the Community Foundation for the Twin Tiers, and could have continued to operate independently. The best interests of the collection, including the buildings, were the primary concern. 

With the merger complete, the two LeRoy properties have been deeded to the Bradford County Historical Society and will both be used for continued local history preservation in Bradford County. The LHM Board of Directors recently convened for its final meeting, marking the end of the corporate entity known as the LeRoy Heritage Museum; however, the site will retain its name, with the Bradford County Historical Society added to the signage. Given the rarity of nonprofit mergers in rural Pennsylvania, the LHM sought legal counsel from an attorney in southern Pennsylvania to navigate the merger process and the review by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, which included a comprehensive examination of both organizations by the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s office. 

Members and supporters of the LeRoy Heritage Museum are encouraged to direct future donations to the Bradford County Historical Society at 109 Pine Street, Towanda, PA 18848, with checks made payable to the Bradford County Historical Society. Donors may designate their gift to support the LeRoy site if they wish. LHM members have become BCHS members automatically for one year following the merger. They will renew at the BCHS rates thereafter. These members will be notified soon of their new expanded membership benefits.

“I am excited with the merger of these two exceptional organizations,” stated J. Kelsey Jones, President of BCHS. “The Bradford County Historical Society is recognized as the sixth oldest historical society in Pennsylvania, boasting a distinguished and notable history. A recent visitor, who has explored various historical societies, remarked that our Research Library surpasses all others he has encountered. By leveraging our common interests and strong community ties, the Bradford County Historical Society will optimize essential services and provide even greater benefits to the community. Our endeavor of preserving the past is linked to our commitment for the future.” 

For more information about the Bradford County Historical Society and the merger, reach out through either website: bradfordhistory.org or leroyheritage.org.