Leading up to the new year, enthusiasm at PA SHPO was building as we plan to welcome new staff, commit to fulfilling our NAGPRA responsibilities, honor America’s 250th anniversary, and unload a sleigh-full of enhancements to PA-SHARE.
I’ll start by offering an apology to anyone who now has this holiday classic from the Sound of Music running on a loop in their head. I was looking for a new twist on our traditional end-of-year blog highlights and the “My Favorite Things” song kept popping up in my mind.
During the week of June 15. 2009, archaeologists from the State Museum of Pennsylvania and Temple University tested a pre-contact Native American site along the Lehigh River in Lehigh Gorge State Park, Carbon County. The site (designated 36CR0142 in the Pennsylvania Archaeological Site Survey files) was brought to our attention by local amateur archaeologists who were alarmed that it was being looted and valuable archaeological information was being lost.
I’m excited to introduce you to some of my colleagues who joined the SHPO team over the last six months. I’ve asked Nika, Clare, Anusha, and Sarah to answer a few questions so we can get to know them better. We’re happy they’re here!
Are you exploring the field of historic preservation, public history or archaeology and looking for some real-world experience? The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission’s Keystone Internship Program provides opportunities to pursue your professional growth and contribute to sharing Pennsylvania’s rich heritage with the public.
We’d like to invite college and graduate school students interested in historic preservation, archaeology, community planning, cultural resources, architectural history, public history, and other related fields to apply for their summer 2026 internship.
I fondly remember my evening outings to my downtown movie theater as a child, especially waiting in a long queue at the Eric Pacific to secure coveted tickets to see the Empire Strikes Back in 1980. While the theaters opened in Lancaster City in the 1980s were modern replacements of the landmark movie houses of the early twentieth century, the excitement of a day out at the movies was always a special memory.
Back in July, we announced the Historical Marker Program’s plans to recognize Pennsylvania’s role in U.S. history during the Semiquincentennial with a series of marker trails. These trails highlight both familiar and lesser-known stories, encouraging visitors to build a deeper and more meaningful connection to the past. Now, the first installment of Marking the Journey is live and ready to explore!
You might remember hearing about the PA SHPO’s “Celebrate Your Barn” survey from our blog post back in June, from attending the Historic Barn and Farm Foundation’s 2025 Annual Meeting, from watching the news reporting on WGAL, from reading the newsletters from some of our state legislators, or by chatting with your neighbors – or another way. We’d love to know how you heard about our effort!
It is the edge of a stone tool under 200x magnification. By comparing this image with experimental tools used on different materials, we know this was used on hard wood.
We are often contacted by Pennsylvanians looking for assistance to help them preserve a historic place of worship in their community. When I learned of this new program by Partners for Sacred Places, I asked Emily Sajdak, Partners Director of Rural Initiatives, to provide our readers with some information about this opportunity. I’m happy to share the following…
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