The Shelter House Society held its annual Patriot’s Day dinner April 22 at Citizens’ Fire Company #2 in Emmaus. Patriot’s Day, celebrated on the third Monday in April, commemorates the battles of Lexington and Concord, the first battles of the American Revolution.

The dinner began with a welcome speech by the society’s president Jane Maulfair. She began by saying the Shelter House Society has been holding a Patriot’s Day dinner for almost 60 years. “We are all patriots, and we love our country,” Maulfair said.

She then introduced this year’s guest of honor, Joe Zeller. The 98-year old former mayor of Emmaus is a life member of the society. In the 1990s, Zeller helped supervise a renovation of the Shelter House, in addition to volunteering under the Emmaus borough zoning officer to bring the house’s electrical system up to code.

Following dinner, Ken Biles gave a presentation on Native American life. Biles is a retired educator and member of the Society of Pennsylvania Archaeology and displayed an array of artifacts ranging from arrowheads to a bison skull.

“I have a tremendous interest in how these people survived,” Biles said. Besides his collection of artifacts, Biles also shared his hand-made models of Native American shelters, including a wigwam and tepee.

The program closed with the singing of “America the Beautiful” and a salute to the flag.

The Shelter House is the oldest continually inhabited dwelling in the Lehigh Valley. Built in 1734, the historic structure welcomes visitors through the efforts of the Shelter House Society, which has over 100 members.