The Lansford Historical Society Museum will welcome visitors back for a Spring Open House from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday.

The museum allows people to take a step back in time with displays featuring local theaters, schools, stores, ethnic clothes and of course, Lansford’s rich anthracite history.

“Everything is directly related to Lansford, except for one corner over there that is Coaldale,” said Bruce Markovich, the society’s vice president.

One of his favorite pieces in the collection is a 1914 wood burning stove that was sold by Bright’s Department Store in Lansford, he said.

“That is our pride and joy,” Markovich said, as he stood in front of the pale lime and cream colored stove with Bright Home on its door along with a white metal plate reading, J.C. Bright & Co., Lansford, Pa.

“This is probably the rarest piece we have,” he said. “We’ve never seen one before and we’ve never seen one since. We bought it off a lady in Jim Thorpe. Her husband had electrified it.”

The stove still had its electric parts when the museum acquired it about three years ago, Markovich said. An old-time plumber from Beaver Meadows provided the parts needed to restore the stove, he said.

The museum also has another stove that reads, Lansford, but Markovich explained that one is different, it’s a Greenberger Lansford stove.

“It’s a coal stove. The Lansford stoves are coal stoves,” he said. “The big thing with the Lansford stove is the color.”

These stoves often came in bright blues and reds, which Markovich imagines was quite outlandish in its day.

Across the room is a large display from Lansford High School, including sport jerseys and jackets, lettermen sweaters, band uniforms and a prom dress.

“The first school in Lansford actually started in around 1898. It was the first public school,” Markovich said. “We have a picture of the first graduating class over here from 1898. We have some teacher contracts from 1892, 1894.”

Back then, teachers not only taught, but also cleaned the school and gathered and chopped their own wood for heat the next day, Markovich said.

“It’s unbelievable what they were expected to do,” he said.

The museum features photographs, local artwork and a large variety of memorabilia from Lansford’s past, including animated display pieces from Bright’s store windows and the “My Place” sign.

The museum officials hope the open house will be the start to entice visitors back, and bring attendance back up to pre-pandemic levels, Markovich said.

There is no admission fee for Sunday’s open house. The museum is located at 117-119 E. Bertsch St. in Lansford.