HUGHESVILLE — The East Lycoming Historical Society headquarters — caretaker of much of the local historical collectibles and archives — needs its roof to be reconstructed, and a local bank is helping out.

The society museum and building is at 66 S. Main St. in Hughesville and it holds a ton of donated items that showcase the borough and the region’s history.

A leaking roof that is suspect to further deterioration isn’t helping matters, so the society staff and volunteers who take care of and preserve these items began a fundraising goal of $28,000 for the roof construction.

Muncy Bank & Trust Co. heard about the goal and decided to contribute $10,000 towards the roof project.

Officials gathered this week for a museum tour and to present the large-size check.

“Muncy Bank has been around since 1893 ourselves,” said Rob Glunk, president and CEO of Muncy Bank & Trust Co., soon to be Journey Bank, a merger of Muncy Bank and First Columbia Bank & Trust Co. of Bloomsburg.

The bank takes on its new identity on Saturday, he said.

The East Lycoming Historical Society is such a part of the community, he added.

“We are so glad that we could give back and help to preserve the history that East Lycoming Historical Society has been able to preserve for us,” Glunk said.

During the recent check presentation inside the historical society, society volunteers and staff opened up the building that showcases the borough and the wider region’s historical heritage to include locations in neighboring Sullivan County. They also served homemade snacks and light refreshments, ahead of their planned holiday and Christmas activities, including the displaying of a tree in the front window and the “Polar Express” train display in coordination with the Hughesville Public Library’s showing of the motion picture, “Polar Express,” starring Tom Hanks.

The historical building, itself, was constructed circa 1850 as a church and was most recently Montgomery’s Pharmacy until it was donated by the former owners George and Pauline Montgomery in 2007 and became a place to house and store local historical items of relevance. George was himself a history teacher at the East Lycoming School District, while his wife, Pauline, was a pharmacist and former mayor.

“We are certainly pleased that we can be a part of this,” Glunk said of the preservation of the building of historical significance for this community for years to come by assisting in the fundraising for the roof,” Glunk said.

He and other bank representatives who took a tour of the society museum seemed awestruck by the sheer volume of the collectibles, which are able to be moved around depending on need, and give a tribute to famous visitors, such as aviatrix Amelia Earhart, who landed near the Lycoming County Fairgrounds, and the now-defunct but once thriving Williamsport & North Branch Railway, along with a charming school room and archival area where the public can find information on Lairdsville, Celestia, Eagles Mere, Hughesville, East Lycoming School District and other entities and locations.

“I am really impressed by what they have done and what they have accumulated to save our history,” Glunk said.

Eastern Lycoming County has a rich area of history, including antiques that were used by area residents and donated to be put on display.

The research library, and devotion by the dedicated society staff and volunteers to preserving and highlighting marquee former businesses, including a glass front window of a closed bank — many agricultural enterprises and properties used in the lumber and coal industries — is astounding.

Hughesville is such an important part to Muncy Bank, soon to be Journey Bank, and the bank staff felt very fortunate that its members could give back to the community and to the historical society, Glunk said on the tour.

Folks can follow the progress and events of the society on its Facebook site which has more than 3,300 viewers as of this week.

“I think it is really great, as I live here in the Hughesville area,” said Toni Levandoski, community office manager at the Hughesville branch of Muncy Bank which will soon carry the Journey Bank name.

“To be able to come in here and see all of the history and to know that we as a community bank have given back to them I think is wonderful,” Levandoski said.