America250 and the Keystone Historic Preservation Grant Program

On July 4, 2026, the United States will celebrate the 250^th anniversary of the Second Continental Congress’ adoption of the Declaration of Independence.

Pennsylvania was at the center of this unifying event as the delegates were convening in Philadelphia.  Their headquarters at the Pennsylvania State House, later renamed Independence Hall (PA-SHARE Resource #1966RE000032), is often considered the birthplace of the nation.

Independence Hall, Philadelphia.

What is the Semiquincentennial?

The Semiquincentennial celebration affords us a unique opportunity to reconnect history with the public to remember the varied achievements of all Americans that had a part in the formation of our nation.

Whether it was one of the nine Pennsylvania statemen who signed the Declaration  or those men and women who served on or supported the battlefields, Pennsylvania had an impact on this important event and is readying to be part of the celebration.

The George Taylor House (1971RE00089) is a National Historic Landmark (NHL) in the Borough of Catasauqua, Lehigh County. Built in 1763, this Georgian-style house was home to George Taylor, an ironmaster, politician, and one of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence. The property was listed in the National Register of Historic Places and designated an NHL in 1971.

How we celebrated the Bicentennial

Bicentennial celebrations focused on community events with parades and historic buildings festooned with red, white and blue bunting. While I don’t remember attending my hometown’s parade, my mother made me a colonial style dress and cap.

Karen Arnold in her 1976 colonial finery.

With so many pre-revolutionary era historic buildings featured in the celebrations, it is no wonder that many underwent extensive rehabilitation projects in the months leading up to July 4, 1976 celebrations.

Prepare for the current celebration

The Semiquincentennial is a mere 18 months away, so it is time to start preparations.  America250 and America250PA launched websites to coordinate classroom activities, community events and other special initiatives. These are great places to stay informed on events associated with the celebration.

PHMC’s Keystone Grant program is a great tool to support initiatives that bring history and historic preservation into your community or historic sites programming.  During the upcoming grant round, applicants are encouraged to consider projects that further the initiatives of this upcoming celebration.

In an effort to expand the good work of the Bicentennial celebrations beyond those buildings that witnessed the 1776 American Revolution, the Keystone Grant program connected to the American Association for State and Local History’s (AASLH) Themes for the 250^th Commemoration to engage with and enliven history for all Americans.  The consortium of historic professionals developed a unique vision for the Semiquincentennial to encourage patriotism but recognize that the American story includes narratives from 1776 to 2026 from varied perspectives.

I encourage applicants to review the AASLH’s Field Guide for the Semiquincentennial: Making History at 250 for guidance and consider their thought provoking questions about how history can be shared with constituents. The Keystone Grant applications for both the construction and planning categories were retooled to ask how the organization and their specific grant request fulfills the goals of the commemoration.

AASLH’s field guide for the semiquincentennial.

What are the AASLH themes?

The AASHL coordinating committee developed five themes for history organizations to consider as they program their Semiquincentennial events:  Unfinished Revolutions; Power of Place; We the People; American Experiment; and Doing History.  These broad ideals include possible questions that audiences might consider when they visit historic sites and learn about the multi-layered stories that make its history so intriguing.   History is much more than an isolated event but continues as its significance is interpreted by future generations.

Making Connections

The Keystone Grant program funds varied projects from restoration of windows or replacement of roofs to community-based cultural resource survey.  Some grantees may find their project easily aligns to a particular theme of the Semiquincentennial, especially for a building that dates from 1776 or before.  The inclusivity of the themes allows other projects to participate as well.

For example, a property associated with abolition activities in the mid-nineteenth century or civil rights in the twentieth century might connect to the Unfinished Revolution theme to support their efforts to repair their masonry walls.  Or a community in western Pennsylvania who is considering an application to support their nomination to the National Register of Historic Places might see that their industrial history strongly connects with the Power of Place theme.

Register for the Upcoming Webinars

Please join PHMC Grants Staff for our upcoming webinars about the Keystone Historic Preservation Grant Program.  We will share some helpful hints about the American 250 initiative with prospective applicants:

• Mark your calendar for Thursday, January 23, 2025 at 3:00 PM for Module 3 that focuses on the construction category. Register here.
• Module 4 that covers the planning category is scheduled for Friday, January 24, 2025 at 3:00 PM. Register here.

Application Deadline

Remember that the deadline for the Keystone Historic Preservation Grants in state fiscal year 2024-2025 is March 3, 2025. Grant guidelines may be found here on the PHMC website.

The grant program is open to nonprofit organizations and municipal governmental entities who own and operate historic sites that are eligible for or are listed in the National Register of Historic Places.