About Us

Our mission is to discover, preserve, and protect the history of Stoddartsville and surrounding areas of Luzerne and Monroe counties and to provide educational opportunities relative to this history.

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Through the efforts of John L. Butler Jr. (pictured at the entrance of the Stoddartsville Historic Center), the village of Stoddartsville was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 12, 1998. As direct descendants of John Stoddart, the Butler family has had close ties to Stoddartsville for generations. During his lifetime, John Butler Jr. amassed a collection of artifacts, photographs, and documentation of the village. In 2001, John and his wife, Haney Butler, began construction of a Historic Center and hosted tours to share the history of Stoddartsville. Mr. Butler retained ownership of the Historic Center and Stoddartsville Cemetery until his death in August 2010, shortly after the founding of the Stoddartsville Preservation Society Inc. (SPS). The SPS acquired both properties in 2011 and continues to hold tours and meetings with a mission to preserve Stoddartsville and carry on his legacy. The Historic Center is open for visitors on the first Saturday during the months of May through October, or by appointment.

As of November 2021, 288 burials in our Stoddartsville Cemetery have been documented and can be found on Find a Grave.

Among land holdings of John Butler Jr. was 90.190 acres along the Lehigh River in Luzerne County. To preserve this part of Stoddartsville, in March of 2001, he entered into a Legal Agreement with The Wildlands Conservancy. This property is to be perpetually protected and never developed or used for any commercial use regardless of any future ownership.