The Susquehanna Gateway Heritage Area (SGHA) is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization connecting people to the Susquehanna River and its history in Lancaster and York Counties in Central Pennsylvania. SGHA’s work is based at The John & Kathryn Zimmerman Center for Heritage (ZCH), a historic home on the river, south of Wrightsville. SGHA was founded in 2001 and formerly known as the Lancaster-York Heritage Region.  As a Heritage Area, we are involved in a variety of programs and projects centering around the Susquehanna River, which you can discover under the Learn Tab of the website.

SGHA is one of twelve Pennsylvania state-designated Heritage Areas.  A Heritage Area is both a place and a concept. Physically, Heritage Areas are regions with concentrations of important historic, cultural, natural, and recreational resources. These are places known for their unique culture and identity, as well as being good places to live and visit. As a concept, a Heritage Area combines resource conservation and education with economic development, typically in the form of tourism. In partnership with landowners, local governments, and state and federal agencies, communities across the country have developed Heritage Areas with the goal of creating more livable and economically vital regions.