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The Feature Room at the Palmerton Area Heritage Center is the room located directly beyond the Permanent Exhibit and features exhibits that change over time. Past exhibits featured the New Jersey Zinc Company, the history of the local churches, and the rich ethnic cultures of the Slovak, the Ukrainian, the Portuguese, the Polish, the Mexican, and the Pennsylvania Dutch immigrants.
In 2008, the Center created a retrospective of the works of local Palmerton etcher, Irving Jelly, who arrived in Palmerton from a Newark, New Jersey orphanage. Jelly built upon his engineering and drafting skills acquired as an employee at the New Jersey Zinc Company when he popularized many of the local scenes from 75 years ago. More than 40 of his original etchings formed the basis of the exhibit, many of which were never before on public display. This display was discontinued at the end of June, 2008.
The next exhibit which started in July was entitled, "A Salute to Veterans". Mr. George Duell, who is an expert on the military and owns an extensive collection of military memorabilia, coordinated the display. He designed the exhibit using items from his own collection and included additional items from the Palmerton Area Historical Society Archives.
One of the items, displayed from the archives, was a jacket belonging to Laura Stanley Shepherd from her service in the American navy during World War I. The jacket was donated to the Palmerton Area Historical Society by Mrs. Shepherd's daughter, Barbara.
Laura Stanley Shepherd held the rank of Yeoman F - the F designated female. While serving in the navy, Laura earned a daily wage of $2.00 plus an additional $3.00 to cover living expenses. She was from Lynn, Massachusetts and met her husband, Harold Shepherd, when they attended the same Junior High School in Lynn. Mr. and Mrs. Shepherd arrived in Palmerton in 1923 where he took the position of a chemical engineer for the New Jersey Zinc Company.
To enhance the exhibit, a call went out to the public for donations and/or loans of military memorabilia to add to the display. Military photographs of Palmerton Area veterans were among the items requested. In addition, a special request was made for anyone willing to participate in a military oral history project.
The "History of Palmerton Sports" was a featured exhibit in 2009.
January 2010 - The current exhibit, "A History of The Palmerton Area Historical Society" … Click on the Calendar Link for images of the exhibit.
The society encourages people at all times to lend, or donate, memorabilia and family items and photographs to the society for the society to use at the Heritage Center and/or add to the archives. Photographs can be copied if donating is not acceptable.
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For additional information about the Heritage Center, return to the main page and click the various links, or call 610-824-6954, or Email: contactus@palmertonhistorical.org.
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