With celebration and a ribbon-cutting ceremony, Elizabethtown (Pa.) College’s Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies officially re-opened on Oct. 20 following a $2 million renovation and expansion carried out with funds from the “Be Inspired” campaign.
An article in the local LNP Lancaster (Pa.) Online newspaper said about 250 people attended. The ceremony—held during homecoming weekend as part of a heritage festival at the center—included a hymn sing, children’s activities, a traveling history exhibit, and ice cream, according to the report.
Young Center director Jeff Bach told LNP that interest in the center’s services has been increasing.
“I think there’s a real strong curiosity in Anabaptist groups (among students),” Bach said in the article. “I think it’s more a curiosity about these particular groups that seem so different and why they hold onto religion so tightly. I also think the college is not wanting to lose sight of the values that gave birth to it.”
The 3,500-square-foot expansion will offer additional space for researchers and the center’s collection as well as new offices, a new gallery, and a larger classroom/reading area.
A more formal dedication service is planned for March 14.