After a chaotic winter where one of the federal government’s most successful historic preservation programs over the past 40 years – the Historic Preservation Tax Credit – was almost eliminated during federal tax reform, there is a lot to catch up on relating to both the federal and Pennsylvania historic tax credit programs. Continue Reading →
The Calamity of Donora, Pennsylvania
As Halloween morning dawned on Donora in 1948, twenty people lay dead while half of the town’s population was sick. Within the next month, fifty more people would die because of the incident and the death rate in the town would remain elevated for decades to come. Continue Reading →
Metal Truss Bridges Survey Update: More Bridges Determined Eligible for the National Register of Historic Places
Metal truss bridges are an important part of Pennsylvania’s engineering and technological history and stand as a legacy to the state’s iron and steel industry. Continue Reading →
Hiking History on Pennsylvania’s Appalachian Trail
Think of Pennsylvania’s section of the famous Appalachian Trail, and generally you think of green mountain vistas, woodsy wilderness, and for anyone who’s hiked it, endless ROCKS. Continue Reading →
Intern Insights: CRM @ Ridley Creek State Park
A significant part of any good management plan is an understanding of the significance of identified resources. This summer we are looking at resources in Ridley Creek State Park in Delaware County. Continue Reading →
#PreservAtionhappenshere!
How does the old saying go? Do you see the glass half empty or is the glass half full? At times we are all prone to thinking that the glass is half empty – particularly because it often feels like we are in an uphill battle when it comes to historic preservation. We are going to try and change that with #preservationhappenshere! Continue Reading →
Celebrating Keystone’s Silver Anniversary with the USS Olympia
Happy Fourth of July Pennsylvania – and Happy Anniversary Keystone Fund – from the PASHPO staff! Continue Reading →
Special Announcement! Online Data Entry & Project Review Forms
July 2nd is the day we start doing things a little bit differently here at the PA SHPO: online data entry and required project review forms!
Here is what we first announced in our April 4, 2018 blog:
Electronic, aka online, data entry is one of the ways in which we are changing how we do business in order to prepare for PA-SHARE, our new enterprise-wide, spatially enabled, cultural resource information system that is expected to be live by December 2019.
As part of our efforts to “model the work” in advance of PA-SHARE, effective July 2, 2018, submitters will be required to electronically enter resources into CRGIS for all Above Ground Environmental Review submissions that have the potential to affect ten (10) or more newly identified historic resources. A few things to note with this:
- Currently, submitters with large scale surveys (ten or more historic resources) as part of their projects are strongly encouraged to use the online data entry. After July 2, this will be required and paper forms and reports will not be accepted.
- Submitters sending in projects with fewer than ten (10) newly identified historic resources are strongly encouraged to use the CRGIS online data entry but will not be required to do so.
- This process cannot be used for additional information requests or previously identified resources.
Also, the Interim Guidelines for Above Ground Environmental Review are now published and available for you to use!
As we move toward PA-SHARE, these interim guidelines are intended to supplement Chapter 6. Compliance Investigations and Chapter 7. Report Standards of the Guidelines for Architectural Investigations in Pennsylvania, 2014. They should also be used in conjunction with any other relevant guidelines, including but not limited to Survey Guidelines for Pipeline Projects Above Ground Resources, June 2013 and Guidelines for Projects with Potential Visual Effects, September 2014.
The interim guidelines focus specifically on Project Initiation, Identification, and Evaluation efforts and associated reporting procedures, including a sample Identification report for review. In addition as part of these efforts, the Project Review Form has been updated so please replace those outdated versions!
We LOVE Barns!
The PA SHPO’s staff has been thinking a lot about barns. But then again, who doesn’t?! Continue Reading →
Just Listed! PA’s National Register Listings
Your State Historic Preservation Office has been hard at work since our last Just Listed column appeared on this blog. Since that post , the National Park Service has approved over 30 Pennsylvania listings (!) for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places. Continue Reading →