Hazard Mitigation in a Historic Context – Wrapping up the Disaster Planning for Historic Properties Initiative
Three years ago, the Pennsylvania Historic Preservation Office (PA SHPO) announced that we were embarking on a new initiative to, for the first time in this office’s history, address the risks posed to historic properties by natural hazards, storms, and disasters. Continue Reading →
Now is the time for all good preservationists to put on their thinking caps! Do you know of a great project, person or organization that deserves recognition with a Pennsylvania Historic Preservation Award, the state’s highest preservation honor? Continue Reading →
It’s important to recognize the value of The Keystone Fund and the preservation work it supports all year round, especially during preservation month! Without this program and its financial support, many, many important historic places in Pennsylvania would suffer. Read on for this month Keystone Fund success story, the W.A. Young & Sons Foundry and Machine Shop. Continue Reading →
Preservationists across America are celebrating today as National Historic Preservation Month kicks off. Continue Reading →
Preservationists often get the rare opportunities to see inside older and historic places. Definitely a #jobperk! Continue Reading →
Did you know that Pittsburg’s H.J. Heinz was one progressive dude!? Continue Reading →
You win the prize if you said, “They will all have historical markers in PA!”. The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission recently approved 16 new historical markers! This year’s selections deliver another eclectic mix of pop culture, military, African American, film, and medical subjects. Continue Reading →
Metal truss bridges are an important part of Pennsylvania’s engineering and technological history and are a standing legacy to the state’s iron and steel industry. Unfortunately, modern traffic needs in combination with insufficient maintenance funding, especially for locally owned bridges, has made rehabilitation and ongoing maintenance of these bridges difficult and many of them have been demolished and replaced with modern structures.
In an effort to save the remaining population, PennDOT, with help from the State Historic Preservation Office, has developed a marketing program and seeks groups or individuals interested in acquiring historic metal truss bridges that no longer can meet vehicular needs for adaptive reuse. An important feature of metal truss bridges is their ability to be dismantled and moved, giving them new life as a pedestrian or light vehicular bridge for trails, bike paths, parks, golf courses, and college campuses.
Not only do historic bridges help link a place with its local heritage, they also promote the value of recycling and provide eye-catching designs. Many of these bridges become destination spots attracting heritage tourism and adding economic development to the area.
For more information sign up for the Historic Metal Truss Bridge Newsletter. The newsletter, which will be sent out semi-annually, will highlight available bridges, how to acquire a bridge, adaptive reuse success stories and available funding.
It may be the time of year when we all joke around and partake in fun pranks to celebrate April Fools Day, but we’re not joking when we say that your life is about to get easier. Why? Electronic submissions and online data entry! Continue Reading →
The Pennsylvania Archaeological Site Survey (PASS) is the Commonwealth’s inventory of recorded archaeological sites. Continue Reading →
