09/23/2026
Drury Exhibit Celebrates Grand Opening at the Mauch Chunk Museum and Cultural Center
by JOE KORBA
JIM THORPE, PA - On Friday, September 11, the Mauch Chunk Museum and Cultural Center held the grand opening of their new exhibit “John Drury: Retrospective of a Small-Town Entrepreneur.” This exhibit celebrates the life and legacy of John and Janet Drury. Starting at 5 p.m. on a late-summer evening, guests, including many members of the Drury family, began to arrive at the historic Mauch Chunk Museum. The museum itself being an artifact of the town’s rich history, originally built as a church sanctuary in 1854 and turned into a museum in 1993.
Light refreshments were served as members of the community, tourists and Drury family members explored the museum and the Museum’s President, a close friend of the late John and Janet Drury, Ibiyinka Alao, opened the new exhibit with a speech about the titular small-town entrepreneur.
“[John] never wanted to be part of the museum himself. He never wanted to be in it, but the Drurys helped modern Jim Thorpe become what it is today.” Alao said.
“They loved this town and wanted it to be successful. That was their dream,” he continued.
Drury’s son Mark was enthusiastic about the new exhibit honoring his parent’s zeal for Jim Thorpe.
“They were always very passionate about Jim Thorpe. [John] saw the potential. He was always a visionary,” Mark said;
John, along with his wife, Janet, moved to the burgeoning town from Philadelphia in 1975. He fell in love with the architecture, history and the people of the revitalized Carbon County borough.
In the 1970s and 80s Drury completed numerous projects in the area, including purchasing 100 acres above Mauch Chunk Lake for the Boy Scouts and family to camp on, acquiring the New American Hotel and renaming it The Inn at Jim Thorpe and purchasing the former St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, and in 1993 with the help of many locals, reimagining the historic building as The Mauch Chunk Museum and Cultural Center.
Janet Drury, John’s wife, is also prominently featured in the exhibit. Before her passing in 2023, Janet was a longtime member of the Lioness Club and, along with John, gave back to the community through Family Promise, a shelter for families in need. She helped John in many of his endeavors, including starting the museum. Drury, who died in 2025, was an instrumental figure in preserving the history of Mauch Chunk and Jim Thorpe for posterity and advancing his beloved community into the future.
All of the attendees seemed to enjoy the new exhibit and exploring the older exhibits in the museum. Alao also showed groups the “Fireflies Planetarium Experience” in the ballroom. This Fireflies Planetarium Experience is a look at how a painting and art itself enhances healthy living around the world.
The Mauch Chunk Museum and Cultural Center is open every day in October. Call 570-325-9190 or visit https://mauchchunkmcc.org/ for more information.
