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…
Just in time for Halloween, this installment of “Historic Tax Credits @ Work” puts the spotlight on a project that creates office space in a former chocolate factory. The Blumenthal Brothers Chocolate Factory in northeast Philadelphia made some of the country’s iconic sweets that were trick or treating staples in the early 20th century.
In the 1990s, a federal construction project for a new detention center in Philadelphia resulted in the identification of an urban archaeological site in the area of North 7th and Arch Streets.
On large stained and moss-covered stone masonry abutments over a single line of tracks in Tredyffrin Township, Chester County rested a dinosaur, a wrought iron relic of the past originally constructed to support the industry of a developing nation. Its appearance was worn and weathered from over 140 years of service.
Random holes and a mixed bag of fastener types and sizes littered the visible faces. The original railroad floor system was long gone and replaced with a timber vehicular deck. Its live load carrying capacity was a mere fraction of what it once was. However, under all of this rust was a diamond, a rare and complete example of a wrought iron pin-connected warren pony truss with built-up corrugated diagonal tension members, the last of its kind.
This is the story of relocation and reuse, adaptive reuse, of the last known remaining pin-connected wrought iron Warren pony truss in Pennsylvania – The Howellville Truss (2004RE01890).
The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC) recently approved 47 new historical markers, one of the largest groups in the program’s history. This year, the nomination process was simplified, making it easier for individuals and organizations to apply. Marker staff offered support earlier in the process, helping more submissions move forward.
October is Pennsylvania Archaeology Month! Every October, events and programs are held across Pennsylvania to celebrate the Commonwealth’s deep past.
PA SHPO partner agencies and organizations including the the Society for Pennsylvania Archaeology (SPA) and their local chapters, the Pennsylvania Archaeological Council (PAC), as well as local historical societies and universities, offer public archaeology programs for all ages to highlight their region’s archaeological and historical significance. We have a lot of announcements this year so here we go!
After more than 2 years of development and enhancements, we are nearing the end of our PA-SHARE 2.0 project. As part of the final set of improvements, we want to highlight significant changes to the Archaeological Resource artifacts.
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