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Donating Artifacts & Archives

2024 07 Samantha Dorm Quilt

Donation of an Object

The York County History Center has benefited from the generosity of others for many years. Donations of artifacts such as furniture, paintings, glassware, clothing, machinery, and other objects have been given to the Collections Department. Donations of paper material such as maps, manuscripts, photographs and books have been given to the Library & Archives. It is these gifts that help keep our collections current and growing. This allows us to fulfill our mission of collecting and preserving the history of the area and inspiring people to explore the wonderful history and culture of York County Pennsylvania.

For more information about donating, please contact Bailey Lozanoff, Director of Collections, or Adam Bentz, Director of Library & Archives.

Thank You for Your Interest in Donating!

How to Submit an Object as a Potential Donation

STEP #1

  • Complete an Item or Object Information Form
  • Describe the object’s provenance (history), including how it is relevant to York County
  • Include as many images of the object as possible
  • Mail, email, or hand deliver form and images to the York County History Center
  • Please do NOT bring potential donations to the History Center

STEP #2

  • Form and images will be reviewed by History Center staff. Staff will consider the condition of the material and its relevance to York County history. Donated items will also be checked against similar History Center collections to avoid duplication.
  • Library & Archives donations: History Center staff will notify potential donors of a decision about the donation and to arrange delivery for material that will be accepted.
  • Collections donations: Requests are reviewed quarterly by the Collections Committee. After review, History Center staff will notify potential donors of a decision about the donation and to arrange delivery for items that will be accepted.

For more information regarding our artifact collection or to inquire about a possible donation please contact Bailey Lozanoff.

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Help us celebrate our collective York County history by making a contribution to our Annual Fund.

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Item or Object Information Form

Please complete this form with as much information as you know about the item and how it relates to York County’s history. Please do not leave any questions blank. If you do not know the answer, simply type “unknown.” Thank you for thinking of the History Center!

Donor Name(Required)
Donor Address(Required)
Are you a member?(Required)
Would you be interested in joining(Required)
Item Type(Required)
(ex: wood, leather, metal)
Was this object made, used, or found in York County?(Required)
What is the general condition of the object?(Required)
Drop files here or
Accepted file types: jpg, png, pdf, Max. file size: 20 MB, Max. files: 5.
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