Blog of the Pennsylvania State Historic Preservation Office

Author: Alex O'Gorman

Hello. I am the Historic Property Inspection Program Coordinator part of the Historic Preservation Incentives Division here at the PA-SHPO. My roles include the review and completion of Part 1 Tax Credit submissions; answer questions related to aboveground resources eligibility status for possible Keystone grant applicants; act as a liaison between the Preservation Incentives Division and National Register department; and to continue the Historic Property Inspection Program by providing in-person site visits, assistance, guidance, and support to our current covenant properties throughout the commonwealth.

HPIP Spotlight: Christ Episcopal Church of Reading

Looking up while shading our eyes, we stood in awe under the 180-foot-tall ornate spired bell tower designed in the nineteenth century by renowned architect, Edward T. Potter, and the rusticated brownstone exterior with Gothic ornamentation, pinnacles, and tracery executed by master mason, George Maltzberger.

On February 13, 2025, PA SHPO’s Historic Property Inspection Program (HPIP) staff ventured to Reading, Pennsylvania for a property inspection of the Christ Episcopal Church of Reading (PA-SHARE Resource # 2018RE00954), a contributing resource within Reading’s Callowhill Historic District (PA-SHARE Resource # 1979RE00447).

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Notes from the Field: Testing the new Historic Property Inspection Building Condition Assessment Forms

During the fall of 2024, the Historic Property Inspection Program (HPIP) had the pleasure of visiting several historic sites in Allegheny and Washington Counties in the western part of the state:

  • The David Bradford House, Washington, Washington County;
  •  Carrie Furnaces, Swissvale, Allegheny County; and
  • The Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Allegheny County.

These visits allowed us an opportunity to test the new Historic Property Inspection Building Condition and Assessment Form.

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