Historical society has new digs in Lowrie-Shaw House www.post-gazette.com Sunday, July 15, 2007 By Christina Praskovich Stepping into the red brick, Victorian-style Lowrie-Shaw House in Butler is like taking a trip into the past. The house, built in 1828 by Walter Lowrie, the only United States senator from Butler, contains original 19th century furniture and a rare trompe l'oiel wallpaper in the stairway and halls. Last month, the historical treasure became the home of the Butler County Historical Society, and now the public will get to tour it more often. "We wanted to be more available to the public and showcase one of our locations," said Ed Wadding, president of the society's board of directors. "[The Lowrie-Shaw House] is so beautiful and eloquent, and it has so much personality. It's a tremendous location and stands out." The society moved from the seventh floor of the National City Bank Building on Main Street to the historic house on West Diamond Street because it wanted a place of its own. The society has its offices in two rooms of the house. Visitors will be able to look up family records and information about Butler County's history as well as buy historical books and souvenirs, as they did at the old location. Pat Collins, a member of the board of directors, said that before the move, not too many people knew about the historical society because it was tucked away in an office building. The relocation will give the society the chance to be more visible in the community. "When people come in to the facility to ask questions, they can see the house. This can lead them to be more inquisitive about us and our other facilities," Mr. Wadding said. "It's a way of branding ourselves." One of four properties owned by the historical society, the Lowrie-Shaw House will now be open for more tours, said Rebecca Crum-Reinsel, the society's executive director. Tour hours have been limited to 1 to 3 p.m. Sundays during the summer, and the house was open for a few special events, including Victorian teas and ghost-story telling. Now, the historical society will be able to better showcase the landmark and offer tours during the week. The society plans to announce the new tour hours soon. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the house contains original furniture and artifacts from the Sullivan family, which owned the home after Sen. Lowrie, who built the house three years after he won the post of secretary of the Senate. When the historical society acquired the property after owner Isabelle Shaw, a descendant of the Sullivan family, died in 1986, it restored the house to its original 19th century splendor, re-creating the wall-to-wall carpeting that was in the home and restoring the trompe l'oiel wall covering, which dates to the 1850s. The wallpaper has a three-dimensional appearance and looks as though the sun is casting a shadow on it, Ms. Crum-Reinsel said. The historical society, which has about 210 members, thought about moving its offices to the Heritage Center it owns on West New Castle Street in Butler. However, the museum did not offer enough space. "We decided it was better to move into the Lowrie-Shaw house," Mr. Wadding said. "It was the most available and was right for what we wanted to do." The society hopes the move will enable it to bring more of Butler County's history to the public. "Butler County has a lot of ethnic background and a lot of history. We need to expand on it," Mr. Wadding said. "We're proud of our history, and we want to see it maintained for our young people. We need to keep our strong heritage." The Butler County Historical Society office, on West Diamond Street behind the Butler County Courthouse, is open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays. For more information, call 724-283-8116 or go to www.butlercountyhistoricalsociety-pa.org.