When Wilbur Horning, vice chair of the New Holland Area Historical Society (NHAHS), was returning from Florida nearly a decade ago, he made a stop in a little town in South Carolina. "They had a sign that said that evening they were having a program about how the Revolutionary War affected this small town," recalled Horning, who was intrigued by the invitation and attended the program, along with about a dozen locals, who were attracted to the subject. The size and location of the meeting room intrigued him as well. "I thought it would be nice to have a space (on the first floor of the NHAHS building) where we could have small group meetings," he stated.

On Sunday, March 16, NHAHS will dedicate the Steve Loewen Community Room, 207 E. Main St., New Holland. A drop-in event will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. Designated speakers will address the gathering at 3 p.m.

The creation of the new room came about due to several recent occurrences. Until a short time ago the area was rented out as retail space. "We couldn't afford to give that up," recalled Horning. Then, representatives of the New Holland Band approached the historical society with a proposal. "Mike Ressler is board chair (of NHAHS) and a New Holland Band member," explained Horning. "(Ressler) said the band wants to consolidate their museum (located on the second floor of the ELANCO Area Library). (The band) was asking us if we would be willing to display equipment and music." Ressler explained further that a friend of the band was willing to give funds to start an endowment, which made it easier for NHAHS to give up the retail rental income. Ressler plans to have band exhibits in the community room on a regular basis and sometimes upstairs in the NHAHS Museum.

The community of Blue Ball will also be represented in the room by a recently donated cupboard, which once served as the back bar of the Blue Ball Hotel. When the 17-foot piece with a 500-pound mirror was offered to the organization, MartinCFS, a Lancaster moving company owned by Garden Spot High School graduate David Martin, was contacted to help store and relocate the piece. The back bar now resides along the inside wall of the new room, and it will be the feature of a special Blue Ball-focused event in the future.

The room also currently holds items from the Ritz on Main movie theater and items related to the Stan Deen exhibit currently displayed in the museum.

Once NHAHS members knew they would be able to turn the space into a community room, it was painted, carpeted, and remodeled, and electrical work was completed to make it more suitable for NHAHS' needs. NHAHS treasurer Sue Leary noted that the room needed a good name. "(Choosing a name) was a no-brainer," said NHAHS board member Ida Gall of naming the room for Loewen. Ressler agreed, noting that Loewen was not allowed to join in the discussion or vote on the subject.

Horning explained why the name was a foregone conclusion. "Steve bought and renovated the building and then told the historical society that the upstairs was ours if we could take over (the mortgage)," stated Horning, adding that a capital campaign a few years ago completed the deal. "We wouldn't have a museum if it wasn't for Steve," said Horning of Loewen, who co-founded NHAHS with Mitch Dissinger. "That's why it's the Steve Loewen room."

Loewen, who has been affectionately referred to as "Mr. New Holland," credited two local people with inspiring him to get involved in the community. "Growing up in town ... my grandfather was involved in many things," he recalled, adding that through his grandfather he got to know many World War II veterans who talked about the importance of carrying on tradition in small-town America. As a teenager, Loewen was involved in an automobile accident that left him paralyzed from the neck down with limited use of his hands. "Don Welsh told me, 'Your brain and your mouth still work,'" recalled Loewen, who also had the use of one of the first Radio Shack Model 1 computers. "I could do database work," Loewen stated, adding that he began involving himself in local efforts such as replacing the New Holland pool in the early 1980s and the construction of the New Holland Rec Center. "I always wanted to be on the farm show committee," he stated, adding that he served on the committee for 10 years - eight of those as co-chair of the parade committee. "This is a tremendous honor," said Loewen of the room that bears his name. "They said that the only choice I had was whether it would be Steve or Steven," added Loewen. "I was not lobbying for this, but (I said), 'Thank you very much.'"

Although the dedication will be held this month, NHAHS began using the room in 2024. "We had Santa down here for Christmas on Main," said Gall. Ressler noted that a scavenger hunt for children sent families up to the museum to search for specific items after meeting Santa. Horning added that the VIP reception for the premiere of the movie "Brave the Dark" was held there on Jan. 10.

"The room will be made available to the community," said Horning. Readers who would like to learn more may call 717-354-2049. The NHAHS Museum is open each Thursday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. There is no admission fee. Information about NHAHS is also available at https://nhhistorical.com or by searching for "New Holland Area Historical Society" on Facebook or #NHAHS on Instagram.