The Webber Cabin was dedicated on Saturday, July 7th, 2018 during the 44th Bark Peelers’ Festival
Interpretive exhibit plans are currently underway.
The log cabin that was home to DCNR Forester Bob Webber and his wife Dotty for more than 54 years was originally located on a remote ridge top in the Pine Creek Valley, near the community of Slate Run. The Webbers loved living in this 500-square foot rustic space with no electricity or plumbing, and were always welcoming to friends, hikers and other guests curious about their unique “off-the-grid” lifestyle. Bob was an outspoken advocate for connecting people with the forest, which he viewed as PA’s greatest natural resource. Following Bob’s passing in 2015, an initiative was put forward to move the cabin to the PA Lumber Museum to preserve it and the story of the Webbers for future generations. The PA DCNR Tiadaghton, Tioga and Susquehannock State Forest Districts, along with Jack Duerer (a log home builder and friend of the Webbers,) labeled and dismantled the cabin and moved it to a temporary storage location. If all goes as planned, the cabin will be re-constructed at the museum in the summer of this year.
Bob and Dotty Webber are well known throughout the state as prominent naturalist. Bob personally (and in some cases, single-handedly) cut and maintained a long list of public trails during his tenure with DCNR including the Golden Eagle, Black Forest, George Wilski, Sentiero Di Shay, Francis Kennedy Ski, Pitch Pine Loop Ski, and the eponymous Bob Webber Trail. Acclaimed and respected by so many around the state and throughout the world, the accomplishments of Bob and Dotty Webber dovetail with the museum’s mission of educating the public about the ongoing care, management and recreational use of Pennsylvania’s forests. Once reconstructed, the cabin will be used to tell the Webber’s story; serving as an interpretive tool for teaching broader themes such as the history of trail hiking as a recreational activity, the development of DCNR as a government agency from the mid-20th century, and the challenges and benefits of living a conservation-minded lifestyle.
If you knew Bob Webber either personally or by reputation and would like to be involved with this project, please contact the museum.
Use the map below as a reference as you scroll through photographs of the museum’s exhibits and features.
Main entrance, along Route 6 at mile-marker 188.
The museum Visitor Center building.
Admissions desk, museum and tourist information, orientation film, core exhibit: Challenges and Choices in Pennsylvania’s Forests, gift shop and administrative offices.
Museum Gift Shop
In the 1880s Ephraim Shay, a Michigan lumberman, invented a unique gear-driven steam locomotive. The vertical cylinders and flexible drive shaft of the Shay transmit power to each axle, allowing it to traverse light and crudely-laid rails; climbing up to 15 percent grades with ease.
The museum’s 70-ton Shay locomotive was delivered to the Davis-Aken Lumber Company in Erbacon, WV, in 1912. Last used by the Ely-Thomas Lumber Company in Fenwick, WV, it was retired in 1962. It joined the museum exhibit in 1972.
Loader Shed
Loading log cars by hand was slow and labor-intensive. Large lumber companies moved to mechanized log loaders by the 1890s. This Barnhart log loader employed a rotating cab with stationary boom and cable pulley. Tongs at the free-end of the cable were hammered into a log. Retracting the cable brought the log under the boom and then elevated it over a waiting log car.
Log Cars
Early log cars were loaded by a dozen men using hand tools and draft animals. These cars had smaller wheels, making them lower to the ground for ease of loading. The added weight of mechanized loaders required heavier log cars with stronger axles and larger wheels, typically 28 to 33 inches in diameter.
Stable & Hay Storage
The average late-19th century lumber camp included 60 men, and half-as-many horses. Teamsters worked a pair of horses that would skid logs from where they were felled in the woods to where they could be loaded for transport to the mill.
Filer Shack: Crosscut saws required expert attention to maintain proper performance. A sawfiler could sharpen and repair about 12 eight-foot-long saws daily, for a wage of about $2/ day at the turn of the 20th century.
Blacksmith Shop: Because most lumber camps were remote, new tools were not always easy to come by. The camp blacksmith was essential in making and repairing iron tools and hardware needed in camp. Many blacksmiths also shod the horses. His average daily wage in the early 20th century was about $2.50.
Jobber’s Residence: The jobber was an experienced woodsman who contracted with landowners to cut a tract of timber over a specified length of time. Jobbers hired a crew of woodhicks based upon the size of a job and owned and provided most of the equipment the men used. The jobber was often the only man in camp to bring his family along with him.
Laundry Shed: Woodhicks were responsible for doing their own laundry, often on Sundays, the only day-off. Laundry was hung over branches or bushes to dry.
Bunkhouse & Mess Hall: During the 19th century, cook shanties and bunkhouses were often separate buildings to remove summer heat and risk of fire. By the 20th century, two-story buildings like this one were common.
Dining areas included long wooden tables and benches. Breakfast, served at sun-up, consisted of biscuits, steak, eggs, fried potatoes, oatmeal, cakes, donuts, prunes & other fruit, and coffee. Lunch was often taken out to the job site, and dinner was served when the men returned at sun-down. Meals were substantial to supply the massive number of calories needed for a full day of hard labor.
The kitchen at the end of the building includes a small room to house the cook. Good camp-food helped to attract the best workers. This along with the necessity for a cook to work seven days a week often made them the highest-paid employee, earning about $3.50 a day. If the cook hired a helper, they were called a “cookie.”
Sleeping quarters were spartan; bunks made of lumber nailed to uprights around the sides of the room slept up to three men. Straw-stuffed mattresses and woolen blankets were used as bedding, and seniority often determined proximity to the lone heating stove. Socks, shirts and other laundry were hung on lines near the stove to dry.
Circular Sawmill: Circular saws were invented in the late 18th century, but were not widely adopted until the 19th century. Steam-powered sawmills ranged in size from portable models requiring two men to large factories employing hundreds of workers.
The museum’s mill is typical of a medium-sized facility capable of sawing 12,000 to 15,000 board feet of lumber daily. Mills of this size became common in Pennsylvania following the end of the Civil War.
The mill is a two-story structure housing sawing equipment above and steam-powered drive engines below.
Logs are moved from the mill pond to the log deck using the jack ladder.
Logs are rolled onto the saw carriage, “dogged” in-place, and then run through the head saw, edger saw, and cut-off or “tail” saw. Boards would be stacked in high piles using the elevated lumber ramps in the mill yard to dry and cure for six months to a year.
Boiler Room: Steam boilers replaced water wheels in most Pennsylvania sawmills by the mid-1850s. Waste wood and sawdust from the mill were used to fire the boilers, often kept in a separate building due to risk of fire and explosion.
Log Holding Pond: Logs were easier to manipulate when floating in water. Keeping the logs saturated also helped to prevent cracking and splitting of timber waiting to be sawn.
Shingle Mill & Saw Carriage House
White pine shingles were a common roofing material in Pennsylvania during the 19th century. Shingle mills operated near sawmills to take advantage of left-over materials too small to be sawn into boards.
This large saw carriage, powered by steam, was used in a bandsaw mill during the early 20th century.
The museum’s Model T cut-off saw is stored in this building, and demonstrated during museum special events.
The Birch Still
Extracting birch oil known as “spirits of wintergreen” from the bark of black birch was done using expediently constructed box stills until the mid-twentieth century. After that, chemists were able to synthesize the same compound and the need for birch stills disappeared.
The Sustainable Forestry Trail
This trail passes through regrowth forests surrounding Commissioner Run. It is about one mile in length and can be completed in one hour.
Sixteen interpretive waysides explain elements of the Sustainable Forestry Initiative such as harvesting treatments, forest management practices, and ecological principles. Signage also identifies various tree species in the forest.
CCC Cabin: In 1933 President Franklin Roosevelt created the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) to help the unemployed during the Great Depression. In nine years CCC workers planted over 200 million trees, constructed thousands of miles of roads and trails, and helped to establish hundreds of historic battlefields, parks and other recreation facilities. These projects gave 2 million young men an income and an opportunity to serve their country through public works; restoring, maintaining and improving the nation’s natural infrastructure.
There were 153 CCC camps across Pennsylvania between 1933 and 1942. This cabin is one of eight built for public recreation purposes by enrollees at Camp S-135, known as Dyer Farm, located in southeast Potter County. It was scheduled for demolition in 1992 but was instead relocated to the museum. The worker statue is one of dozens of identical castings found across the U.S. placed to honor the legacy of the CCC.
Brookville Building: Brookville Locomotive Works manufactured this 15-ton switch engine in 1945. It was used to transfer cars of hemlock bark and animal hides at the Wilcox Tannery in Elk County, PA. Exhibits about hemlock bark leather tanning are presented inside.
The Eastern Loggers HO scale model railroad display depicts various facets of PA’s lumber industry from around the turn of the 20th century. It is operated during several museum special events through the year.
Picnic Pavilion: Have your lunch here and start your walk to the Webber cabin
Webber Cabin
This 500-square-foot cabin with no electricity, plumbing or running water was home to forester and outdoor enthusiast Bob Webber and his wife, Dotty, for more than 50 years. Exhibits tell the story of their contributions to Pennsylvania’s forests.
A variety of hiking trails connect with the museum campus, including the Lumberman’s Trail; located just downhill from the maintenance building, along US Route 6.
The Pennsylvania Lumber Museum relies strongly on volunteers to carry out its mission. Our volunteers are a diverse group of people who bring together a variety of skills and experiences to help the site. We are always looking for enthusiastic people interested in getting involved in the day-to-day activities at the museum. We are actively recruiting new volunteers to assist in the growing number of events, programs and partnerships we are administrating.
Here are a few of the ways you can help:
Tour Guide–Volunteer guides are needed to give tours of the museum to bus groups, students, and scouts. Guides will learn by shadowing guided tours by other museum staff and volunteers; they may also help with admissions and information at the front desk while on duty.
Historic Trades and Equipment Demonstrations–The museum has a variety of opportunities for interested volunteers to assist with historic trades and equipment demonstrations throughout the year like historic cooking, laundry, and shingle-making. Training is provided and we have apprentice programs for more involved trades like working in the sawmill, boiler room, blacksmithing, and running the birch still.
Assisting with On-Site and Off-Site Programs–The museum holds a number of on-site events throughout the year. Extra hands are always needed to help collect admissions, direct visitors, and assist with crafts or hands-on activities. Volunteers are also needed to represent the museum at outreach activities during community events, meetings, shows, and festivals. Volunteers staff information tables to distribute flyers, brochures, membership info, and schedules of events; with the possibility of conducting demonstrations and hands-on activities.
Caring for Collections–The site has a collection of thousands of historic photographs and documents, but only a small portion of them have been digitized. Volunteers with an affinity for photography and computer skills are needed to work on scanning images and entering info into a searchable database.
Library Organization and Research–The museum’s research library was moved/reorganized in 2020 and now volunteers are needed to help update its database with correct shelf locations. Opportunities to do research on a variety of lumber history topics also exist for volunteers interested in digging into the past.
Diesel Mechanic Skills–Volunteers with diesel mechanic skills are needed to work on repairing the museum’s Brookville Engine. It was in operable condition from the time of its restoration until around 2010.
Model Train Operation–The museum recently installed on exhibit an HO scale model train layout and are looking for volunteers interested in learning the ropes to operate and talk about the layout with visitors.
Grounds Keeping–Love to work outdoors? Volunteers interested in doing general landscape maintenance and grass cutting are always welcomed.
In addition, we can accommodate school and scouting community service projects of all types and size. In short, if you have a talent and a desire to help, please let us know. We can definitely find something rewarding for you to do here at the site. Volunteering at the Lumber Museum can help you build your resume, fulfill your school or organization’s service requirement or simply provide a place to meet new friends and make lasting memories.
If you would like to join us, please complete and return a volunteer application or call (814-435-2652) for more information.
PHMC Volunteers of the Year
The Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission was formed to play a key role in stewardship of the commonwealth’s historical resources. Since its beginning a century ago, the commission has depended on citizen volunteers to work in partnership with our dedicated paid staff to carry out preservation and interpretation programs of the agency. Every year the commission takes time to recognize the honorees selected as “Volunteer of the Year” by the various sites they serve in order to thank them for their efforts in service to history and to the state. Thanks to their work and dedication, we have been able to preserve the historical resources of these special places that tell Pennsylvania’s story for the citizens of and visitors to our commonwealth.
Pennsylvania Lumber Museum Associates
Volunteer of the Year for 2020/21: Mike Callahan
Dr. Michael “Mike” Callahan is a retired physician who joined the Board of Directors at the PA Lumber Museum in 2018. Over the last three years, Mike has become an invaluable asset to the museum team by lending a helping hand and providing historic expertise on a variety of projects. Mike had previously researched and written an article on the lumbering ghost town of Corbett for the Potter County Historical Society, and the museum was able to tap his knowledge and his collection of historic photographs to create an interpretive panel about this former community. As an avid hiker and cross-country skier, Mike helped museum staff develop “Hiking to History”- an off-site educational and recreational program. He also provides cross-country ski instruction to novice museum visitors during the annual “Winter in the Lumber Camp” event. Dr. Callahan’s most substantial contribution to the museum is his multi-year effort at scanning images from the museum’s historic photograph archive. To date he has scanned over 1,500 images and completed an attribute database entry for each photo. His concern for the health of the children in our community prompted him to purchase and donate a variety of wooden toys to be given out at the museum’s Halloween event instead of candy. Mike is also an active member of the Galeton Rotary and serves as a liaison between the Rotary and the museum, facilitating collaboration and cross-promotion of the annual Cherry Springs Woodsman Show event.
Pennsylvania Lumber Museum Associates
Volunteer of the Year for 2019: Dan Davis
Dan Davis has actively volunteered at the Pennsylvania Lumber Museum for over 25 years. He serves as the lead sawyer for the museum’s steam-powered circular sawmill. He was recruited into volunteer service by another long-serving volunteer (now deceased), Lester Jordan. His first volunteer duty was to assist other volunteers (namely Tony Mingo and Jean Supplee) with running the mill’s steam boiler and monitoring the drive belts. Dan was soon “promoted” to head sawyer, controlling the head saw blade and saw carriage for the mill. Dan decides how to best saw each log to derive maximum lumber yield. He also sharpens the teeth of the various saws in the mill, and those on the blade used for the museum’s shingle mill. The sawmill is run for demonstration purposes three times a year (April, July and October) during museum special events. Dan brings a tremendous amount of knowledge and skill to his volunteer position, having worked at McDowell Lumber Company for 29 years. He started there in 1987 at the age of 15. Dan served as the mill supervisor but was also a log truck mechanic and welder. Following the closure of the sawmill, Dan now works for BBU Bakery in Olean, NY, as a plant mechanic.
Dan really enjoys running the mill, and he does a great job at explaining the operation to visitors. He also enjoys teaching other volunteers the safe and proper way to run a mill; these volunteers include a cut-off sawyer, pond man, edger man and lumber stackers. The museum is truly grateful to Dan Davis for his continuing service and support; many thanks for all that you do to help bring our history to life!
Jack Deurer poses with the reconstructed Bob & Dotty Webber cabin at the museum, which he helped to rebuild.
Pennsylvania Lumber Museum Associates
Volunteer of the Year for 2018: Jack Deurer
Jack Deurer was selected as the Pennsylvania Lumber Museum Volunteer of the Year for his vital role in completing the Bob Webber cabin relocation project in 2018. This project would not have been possible without the many hours of volunteer time that Jack gave freely and diligently. Jack Deurer has been a professional log home builder for over 30 years. He was a life-long friend of Bob and Dotty Webber (from the age of 10) and helped the Webbers to build an 11 by 13-foot addition to their cabin in the 1980s to accommodate a piano that Dotty wanted in the house. After Bob Webber’s death in 2015, Jack was eager to see the cabin and Bob and Dotty’s legacy of service to Pennsylvania’s forests preserved. Jack was an early advocate for getting the Pennsylvania Lumber Museum involved in the project and joined a large group of supporters and volunteers who felt moving the Webber cabin to the museum would be a “good fit.” When it was decided that the cabin would be saved, dismantled and relocated to the museum, Jack supplied the know-how and determination to make the logistics of that move a reality. He numbered every piece of the cabin before dismantling it where it stood near Slate Run, PA. After the individual pieces were transported to the site, Jack made sure that everything was put back together properly. Some pieces of the cabin were too deteriorated to re-use, so Jack made replacement parts that stayed as true as possible to the original design and feel of the cabin. With his careful and focused supervision, the reconstruction was completed over the course of two months; from May through July 2018. In many ways, the cabin is now stronger than it was when the Webbers occupied it; a conscious decision that Jack made (one he calls a “labor of love”) to ensure the longevity of this new historic building exhibit at the Lumber Museum. Jack continues to be involved with the project, helping with information about the Webbers to be used on interpretive panels and loaning some objects they owned to be used in exhibits in the cabin.
PHMC Outstanding Service Award
The Outstanding Service Award is meant to recognize and honor exceptional, long-term contributions by an individual who has given unselfishly of his or her time and talents for the advancement of a PHMC site or museum. Emphasis should be placed on providing special recognition to individuals who, over a number of years, exemplified best practices in the field of museums and public history, supported the mission and goals of a PHMC site or museum and/or provided a long-term benefit to the institution or organization.
Pennsylvania Lumber Museum is pleased
to recognize Bob Greenman as one of the
PHMC Outstanding Service Award Winners for 2017!
Bob Greenman (center-left) with PHMC Executive Director, Andrea Lowery, and Commission Members Fred Powell and William Lewis.
Robert “Bob” Greenman has been volunteering at the Pennsylvania Lumber Museum since 1986; running and maintaining their steam-powered sawmill. Bob’s first visit to the museum was during a trip with his father to a plot of forest land owned by the family located near Hebron, just outside of Coudersport, PA. After that initial visit Bob would often return and find himself watching the sawmill in action, particularly the steam engines that power it. As a mechanical engineer, this was a natural fascination for him. At some point, the “engine guy” at the time, Lester Jordan, invited him in to take a closer look. The rest is history. Soon Bob was assisting Lester on a regular basis and then encouraged his son Nathaniel to join him, followed by his other son, Kent, in 1996. Bob & his sons learned how to run & maintain the steam engines and associated sawmill equipment, which allowed Lester to focus on other restoration projects. Over the years, Bob has also been involved in other projects at the museum, including the procurement of a Model T, restoration of the band saw log carriage, and a long-term closed circuit video project designed to enhance the visitor experience at the sawmill. A strong supporter of the museum, he always shares his enthusiasm with people he meets and lets them know that they really must visit the museum themselves and experience the history on display there.
Bob lives near Albany, NY, and has volunteered for countless organizations over the years. A driving force of Bob’s volunteerism is a passion to promote organizations that focus on education. When Bob picks a group to be involved with, it usually becomes a long-term commitment.
That educational focus drives Bob to teach a course called “55 Alive;” a New York State driver’s education program helping people age 55 and older refresh their driving skills through classroom training. Previously, he served as statewide coordinator for the program. He has volunteered in the public school system for 25 years as a Junior Achievement Mentor. Bob enjoys taking school groups through the nature area of the Five Rivers Education Center, teaching them about everything from trees to pond scum. He is a Cornell University-certified Master Forest Owner, and enjoys “Woods Walks” with landowners to discuss options for sustainable forestry and the legacy of family land plots. The lumber museum’s mission regarding lumber history and forest management has certainly complimented Bob’s efforts to preserve and maintain his own family forest land on Greenman Hill in Potter County.
Since the mid 1950’s Bob has been a supporter & volunteer within the Boy Scouts of America. He has volunteered at the troop level, teaching merit badges up through council positions, and currently serves on the Eagle Scout board of review. He also works to ensure Boy Scout camp facilities meet safety & program requirements. Bob has earned scouting’s highest honor, the Baden Powell award.
Bob puts his financial expertise to use by serving as treasurer for a local nursing home, an engineering society, a state environmental education support organization called “Friends of Five Rivers,” and The Veterans Scout Association. He previously served as his church’s financial secretary and is currently their treasurer.
The New York State Museum in Albany also benefits from Bob’s service. On Saturday, two times a month you’ll find Bob’s friendly presence at the front desk helping museum patrons find their way to interesting exhibits. His strong desire to help others succeed led him to Albany’s chapter of SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives). This federal organization supports new business owners, helping them to formulate and execute their business plans to ensure success.
Perhaps the volunteer activity that his son’s most enjoying teasing him about is his weekly town Senior Van driving job. He frequently jokes that he has to drive the old geezer mobile, to which we reply, “so at 87 what does that make you!!” Ha!!
Interested in getting out to see what remains of some real locations associated with Pennsylvania’s lumbering past? The museum has created two self-guided lumber history hiking brochures to encourage folks to lace up their hiking boots and explore the surrounding forests. Find beautiful vistas, lumber ghost towns, ruins, and remains of former Civilian Conservation Corps sites.
Select from Susquehannock State Forest or Tioga & Tiadaghton State Forests brochures. Below provides more information on each location highlighted in the brochures. Brochure directions are all based on the PA Lumber Museum as the starting point of the trip.
Some destinations will require you to drive on stretches of forest roads. These roads are narrow, unpaved, and not maintained during the winter. Proceed with caution in an appropriate vehicle.
Wear appropriate clothing and footwear such as hiking boots or athletic sneakers to protect your feet from rocks and roots along trails.
Take an adequate supply of water and food.
Take a map and know how to follow trail blazes.
Check the weather before you go.
Take a friend in case you need help. Cell service is very limited in the forest.
Watch your step and listen carefully—wild animals and rattlesnakes make their home in the forest.
Leave no trace, take nothing but pictures.
Removing historic artifacts is strictly forbidden.
The visitor experience at the Pennsylvania Lumber Museum includes both indoor and outdoor exhibit spaces. Our Visitor Center houses the museum’s historic collection and an interactive exhibit. Outdoor exhibits are located across the site’s 10-acre campus and include a re-created lumber camp, an operable circular sawmill and birch still, a Shay locomotive and Barnhart Log Loader, an original cabin built by enrollees in the Civil Conservation Corp, the 10×20 ft Eastern Loggers model railroad display, and a 500 square-foot cabin built by outdoor enthusiasts Bob and Dotty Webber. We encourage visitors to be able to spend at least 90 minutes to adequately experience all that the museum has to offer. In periods of inclement weather (such as snow and ice), certain outdoor exhibits might be limited or closed. Please call ahead (814) 435-2652 to inquire about weather-related exhibit closures.
Map of the Pennsylvania Lumber Museum campus. A digital copy of our museum visitor guide brochure is available HERE.
Visiting & Parking
The museum is situated in a rural area that is not served by public transportation or walking routes. A private lot in front of the Visitor Center provides free automobile and bus parking for approximately 100 vehicles. The parking lot is paved and includes five spaces near the Visitor Center entrance reserved for disabled parking.
Service Animals & Pets
Only service animals are allowed inside museum buildings. Well-behaved pets on a leash are allowed anywhere outside the Visitor Center on the museum grounds. Please clean-up all pet waste and properly dispose of it.
Admissions & Restrooms
Admissions to the museum can be purchased inside the Visitor Center. The main entrance to the Visitor Center building brings guests into a lower-level lobby, where they can either ascend a flight of 19 stairs or take a 6-person elevator up to the main floor of the building. The admission desk, restrooms, gift shop, and exhibit gallery are all located on this floor.
Our helpful and friendly staff will welcome and orient visitors from the museum admissions and information desk, just outside the upper elevator door and near the top of the stairs. Per-person admission rates and discounts vary, so museum personnel will be glad to help determine which rates are appropriate for each visitor.
There is a single wheelchair available at no cost for any museum visitor that would like to use it within the Visitor Center building. Inquiries can be made at the admission desk.
Handicap-accessible restrooms and water fountains are located down the hallway, 50 ft from the admission desk. These are the only public restrooms and water fountains available on-site. Both the men’s and women’s restrooms contain fold-down baby changing stations. Accommodations for nursing mothers are available upon request. For those visitors needing a “quiet” space, the staff at the museum admissions and information desk can assist upon request.
Challenges & Choices ExhibitBrookville Locomotive BuildingLumber CampSawmill and Log Pond
Touring Site & Accessibility
The Visitor Center houses the museum’s main exhibit: Challenges and Choices in Pennsylvania’s Forests. This interactive exhibit includes several hands-on activities offering tactile opportunities for visitors. A 15-minute orientation video is shown within the Visitor Center, and our museum store sells a variety of locally made merchandise. In addition to the main indoor exhibit, there are sixteen outdoor exhibit spaces which are spread across an approximately 10-acre museum campus.
Upon checking in, guests will receive a paper visitor guide brochure, which includes a map of the site and a variety of information about the exhibits. The typical visitor experience is self-guided, utilizing the map and information contained in the brochure.
Bench seating is available around the admissions desk and throughout the main exhibit in the Visitor Center, as well as at several other locations outside on the museum grounds.
When touring the museum grounds, visitors will be required to traverse a variety of surfaces, including black-topped walkways, wooden boardwalks, gravel paths and roads, and grassy lawn areas. Given the hilly landscape surrounding the museum, there is more than 100 ft of elevation change between the lowest and highest exhibit spaces on-site. Wooden stairs and/or earthen switchback walking paths are used to navigate this elevation change; visitors are also able to use their vehicles to drive and park closer to several exhibits that are more distant from the Visitor Center (inquire at admission desk for more information). While there are numerous ramps and other accommodations present along the exterior tour route, visitors using a wheelchair or those with other limitations to their mobility may find access to some spaces on the museum grounds challenging. Exterior surfaces can become slippery during inclement weather such as rain, snow, and very cold temperatures, so please use extreme caution while visiting during these conditions.
There are a few areas within the exterior exhibit spaces that can be accessed only by climbing a flight of stairs. Special exhibit guides detailing in words and pictures what is included in these harder to reach spaces are presented in 3-ring binders located near to the lower level of each set of stairs. Staff at the museum admission and information desk will be happy to explain and clarify accessibility solutions for the exterior exhibit spaces.
Special Accommodations
Guests requiring special accommodation (i.e. visual descriptive services, sensory friendly conditions, etc.) are strongly encouraged to contact the museum well in advance of the time of their planned visit. If you have any questions about accessibility at the Pennsylvania Lumber Museum, please call the museum at (814) 435-2652 or ask our guest services staff in-person.
Food & Beverages
The museum gift shop sells water, soda, and snacks, but on a day-to- day basis (outside of periodic special events) there is nowhere to purchase a meal on-site. Food and drink are not allowed inside the main exhibit gallery within the Visitor Center. Visitors are welcome to enjoy food and drink brought with them at one of the numerous outdoor picnic tables around the museum campus.
Smoking & Alcohol
The museum is a smoke free site. This applies to all indoor and outdoor spaces. Alcoholic beverages are prohibited (unless served as part of an approved site activity).
Welcome to the Pennsylvania Lumber Museum. Nestled in the wooded mountains of Potter County, we are a fun and educational experience for the entire family. The museum invites you to discover the courageous yet reckless spirit of Pennsylvania’s lumbering past while learning to care for the forests of the future.
The Pennsylvania Lumber Museum serves its diverse community by actively working to preserve and share the history of Pennsylvania’s forests, inspiring our audience to become better stewards of Pennsylvania’s forest resources and heritage.
The Pennsylvania Lumber Museum is administered by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission and is actively supported by the Pennsylvania Lumber Museum Associates, a non-profit community-based organization.
The Visitors Center Challenges & Choices ExhibitShay LocomotiveDemonstration of the steam-powered circular sawmillThe Bob & Dotty Webber cabinThe Eastern Loggers model railroadCCC Cabin and statueThe Sustainable Forestry Trail
Donated artifacts, photographs, and archival and research materials related to the mission of the museum are considered for acquisition to our collection on an individual basis.
If you are interested in donating an artifact or archival material to the museum please call or contact the Curator, Joshua Fox directly at joshuafox@pa.gov.
Memorial Gifts
Memorial gifts are made to honor an individual associated with the Lumber Museum or a loved one who might have shared the Museum’s passion for interpreting lumber history. We are currently accepting Memorial Gifts for Bob and Dotty Webber. Gifts over $300 will be recognized in the Webber Cabin exhibit.
Our Team
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The Pennsylvania Lumber Museum is supported by the Pennsylvania Lumber Museum Associates.
The Pennsylvania Lumber Museum is administered by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. Josh Shapiro, Governor. Haley Haldeman, Chair. Andrea Lowery, Executive Director.
Curator’s Corner A recent addition to the museum’s collection is the group of objects related to Fred Newell. Fred was a farmer and a carpenter who lived on his family farm in Newelltown, PA in Tioga County. During the winter months he would find work in lumber camps. It was not uncommon for farmers to supplement their income by working in the lumber camps during the winter when there was not as much work to be done on the farm. In 1900 at the age of 34 he was killed when he was struck on the head by a falling tree limb, while working at a lumber camp near Corbett, PA.
Donald Newell, Fred’s grandson, donated a collection of photographs to the museum on behalf of the Newell Family (in addition to a wood beam boring machine). The photographs are of Fred, the Newell Family at the farm as well as several photos of lumber camps. These photos were passed down through the Newell family. Unfortunately not much is known about them other than one photo that identifies the camp location as Corbett, PA. These photos are however a very exciting addition to the collection. Not only is there a connection though a specific individual but they also provide a good visual of camps at the time. In addition a couple of photos show women and children who were known to occasionally be at the lumber camps but are underrepresented in the museum collection. One of the photos is particularly interesting as it shows an African-American gentleman front and center in a group shop. As far as we can tell this is the only image in the museum’s collection that shows an African-American at a lumber camp of this time period.
