Blog of the Pennsylvania State Historic Preservation Office

Month: January 2014

Preservation Pennsylvania announces Pennsylvania At Risk 2013

Preservation Pennsylvania just released Pennsylvania At Risk 2013, an annual list that provides a representative sampling of the Commonwealth’s most endangered historic resources.  Pennsylvania At Risk 2013 features nine endangered properties that were identified in 2013, and will be Preservation Pennsylvania’s priorities for action in 2014.  The properties included in this annual list of endangered places represent important resource types and exemplify common or noteworthy issues faced by historic properties in Pennsylvania.  It is Preservation Pennsylvania’s experience that publishing this list draws statewide attention to the plight of Pennsylvania’s historic resources and promotes local action to protect them.  Continue reading

3 Things to Know About Local Preservation Programs in Pennsylvania – Part 1

Preservationists often refer to the range of programs, laws, and financial incentives that are invoked to help protect and enhance historic places as a “toolbox.”  Among the tools in the toolbox may be planning and zoning regulations, grants, tax credits, state or Federal laws, to name just a few.  The tools with the most “teeth” however, are often historic preservation ordinances enacted by a municipal government.  The effectiveness of local ordinances when attempting to save a building from demolition or guide sensitive changes and alterations comes from the fact that generally speaking, only local governments have the ability to regulate property – both public and private.  These tools are often misunderstood, though, and so I’ve compiled a short list of some common misconceptions about ordinances to shed some light on some nuances of how these programs work in Pennsylvania.  Continue reading

Preservation Achievement Awards

Every year the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia presents the Preservation Achievement Awards to individuals, organizations, businesses and projects from throughout the region that exemplify outstanding achievement in the field of historic preservation. The Awards include Grand Jury Awards to specific projects and Special Recognition Awards to individuals and organizations whose extraordinary accomplishments in preservation contribute to the region’s unique character and sense of place. Continue reading

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