From left: Tony Brooks, Director, Wilkes-Barre Preservation Society; Alan K. Stout, Executive Director, Luzerne County Convention and Visitors Bureau; and ITRP Board members, Denise Dennis, Clark Switzer, Gewas Schilder, Christian Wielage, and Dale Parmenteri
“We believe that heritage tourism could be a significant driver of economic growth because of our region’s amazing history. Our history is not just interesting; it offers a way to start immediately improving our communities.”
–Clark Switzer, Board Member, Irem Temple Restoration Project and Northeast Pennsylvania Collaboration Director
The Irem Temple Restoration Project (ITRP) in Wyoming Valley, was established to restore the iconic Irem Temple in Wilkes-Barre. Wyoming Valley residents of a certain age remember the glorious, golden temple with the distinct, decorative minarets towering against the sky, as well as the programs, from orchestral concerts to fashion shows held at Irem Temple. The restored building will include a section devoted to telling the fascinating history of the region. “…we will have a dual use building—a large flat-floored hall where we can host a variety of events and a regional history launchpad…And—the opportunity to display artifacts on the 2nd floor and dome ballroom,” said Clark Switzer.
On August 1, 2024, the Board sponsored “ITRP University,” an evening and reception on the history of Wyoming Valley from the pre-colonial period, through the colonial, Revolutionary War, and early-American periods. Under the direction of Board member Christian Wielage, the event included four speakers: Board member, Clark Switzer; Tony Brooks, Director of the Wilkes-Barre Preservation Society; Gewas Schilder, ITRP Board Member and a Native American of the Oneida Nation, which are part of Haudenosaunee Six Nations, commonly known as the Iroquois, who populated the region for centuries; and Denise Dennis, CEO of the Dennis Farm Charitable Land Trust and ITRP Board member. The event was held at the Westmoreland Club in Wilkes-Barre and, in her remarks, Denise noted that the name “Westmoreland” literally derived from the early colonial Connecticut settlers’ advice to, “Go west for more land.” Wyoming Valley was once a Westmoreland County, CT and covered land that reached as far as what are now Susquehanna and Bradford Counties.
The Dennis Farm Charitable Land Trust is partnering with ITRP to share and promote the history of Northeast Pennsylvania. As the earliest documented African American family in the region and someone who attended programs at the Irem Temple when she was growing up in W-B, Denise is delighted that DFCLT is a partnering with ITRP. “We look forward to future collaborations with ITRP,” she said, “and to helping establish NEPA as a vibrant cultural heritage tourist destination.”
