About the Historical Society of Dauphin County
Home of the John Harris–Simon Cameron Mansion
Founded in 1869, the Historical Society of Dauphin County is one of Pennsylvania's longest-serving county historical societies, dedicated to collecting, preserving, and sharing the history of Harrisburg and the surrounding Dauphin County region. The society is headquartered at the John Harris–Simon Cameron Mansion at 219 South Front Street, a Georgian-style stone house built circa 1766 by John Harris, Jr., one of the founders of Harrisburg. In 1863 the house was purchased by Simon Cameron, President Lincoln's first Secretary of War, who remodeled it into the Victorian residence visitors see today. Cameron's heirs gave the home to the society in 1941, and the property is now designated a National Historic Landmark, with nearly $500,000 invested in recent restoration work.
The society's Alexander Research Library holds approximately 3,700 books focusing on regional history and genealogy, while its archives contain roughly 20,000 items documenting local organizations, families, and institutions. The photograph collection is especially remarkable, containing more than one million images dating from the 1850s to the present — an extraordinary visual record of life in central Pennsylvania. The library and archives are open to researchers Tuesday through Friday afternoons, with members admitted free and a modest fee charged to the general public.
Guided tours of the Harris-Cameron Mansion are offered Tuesday through Friday at 1:00, 2:00, and 3:00 p.m., plus the second Sunday of each month, presenting the home as it was occupied by Senator Simon Cameron, his family, and his descendants from 1863 to 1941. The society also hosts monthly public programs on second Sundays at 2:30 p.m., publishes a quarterly newsletter called The Oracle, and operates a museum shop stocked with local history publications and merchandise.
Plan Your Visit
The Historical Society of Dauphin County is located at 219 South Front Street along the Susquehanna riverfront in Harrisburg. Mansion tours run Tuesday through Friday afternoons and on second Sundays, and the Alexander Research Library keeps the same afternoon hours for genealogists and researchers. For current tour times, admission, and program schedules, visit dauphincountyhistory.org.
← Back to Pennsylvania Societies