Author: Guest Contributor (Page 3 of 16)

The Pennsylvania Historic Preservation Office occassionally asks our partners to share their news, successes, challenges, and perspectives on historic preservation matters in Pennsylvania.

Metal truss bridge over water and surrounded by trees. — Cons Road Bridge in Franklin Township, Bradford County. Photograph by Veronica Martin.

A New Funding Source for Metal Truss Bridges

October 26, 2022 / Guest Contributor / 1 Comment

If you have been following the PA SHPO Blog, then you have probably read about the Metal Truss Bridge Management Plan (Management Plan) and the ongoing effort by PennDOT and the PA SHPO to preserve historic metal truss bridges whenever feasible. Recently, as of 2021, a new federally funded program has been created to support the rehabilitation of these bridges.

Man standing outside next to a machine removing soil. — The Paleo-Digger. Here, the auger, is being lowered into the test unit. Photograph by Barry Fritz, Quemahoning Cultural Resource Management Services.

Meet the Paleo-Digger

October 5, 2022 / Guest Contributor / 1 Comment

October is Archaeology Month! Today’s post by Guest Contributor PennDOT archaeologist Steve McDougal covers using a non-traditional method for field tests: the Paleo-Digger.

Every archaeological survey poses different conditions and challenges. For PennDOT’s SR 22/322 safety improvement project in Northern Dauphin County, one of the big challenges is the depth of soils involved. Past excavation in the 1990s for this area showed us that the soil column with archaeological potential could extend 3.5 to 4.5 meters (11.5 to 14.75 feet) in depth below current ground surface.

Line drawing with lines connecting circles on a map of Pennsylvania. — This map shows the lines of connections southeastern Pennsylvania, including safe houses, station masters and UGRR conductors. Wilbert Seibert included this map, which is based on Robert Smedley's 1883 book, in his 1898 The Underground Railroad from Slavery to Freedom.

The Underground Railroad in Columbia, Lancaster County

September 14, 2022 / Guest Contributor / 1 Comment

September is International Underground Railroad Month. September was chosen because it is the month that two of the most well-known people associated with the Underground Railroad – Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass – escaped from slavery. Today’s post was written by guest author Dr. Leroy Hopkins and he provides a glimpse into the Underground Railroad in Columbia, Pennsylvania.

#BeNebby with Doors Open Pittsburgh

September 7, 2022 / Guest Contributor / 0 Comments

Today’s post in one of our Spotlight Series, which showcases places, projects, and people engaged in different kinds of historic preservation activities in Pennsylvania.

How many times have you walked past a building in your neighborhood and thought, “Gee, I wonder what that looks like inside?”

Intern Introspect: Agricultural Survey Internship

August 24, 2022 / Guest Contributor / 0 Comments

As my internship with Pennsylvania’s Historic Preservation Office comes to a close, I want to take the time to reflect on my experiences here. When I began in early June, I was relatively new to the field of historic preservation.

Taking a photo of the spring house with the PA-SHARE Surveyor field app to document historic resources at Brandywine Battlefield Park, a National Historic Landmark (PA-SHARE Resource #1961RE00033). Photo by Dr. Steven Burg of Shippensburg University, June 2022. Used with permission.

Intern Introspect: MARS Sites Survey Internship

August 17, 2022 / Guest Contributor / 2 Comments

My name is Sarah Hoffeditz, and I spent the first half of this summer gaining unique experiences through my internship at the Pennsylvania State Historic Preservation Office in Harrisburg, PA.

The Warner Theatre with its new marquee and lighting.

Dramatic Finish for Warner Theatre Project

August 10, 2022 / Guest Contributor / 1 Comment

Few buildings are more iconic to downtown Erie than the historic Warner Theatre. At 91-years-old, the luxury movie palace still offers an environment “twice as rich, three times more fanciful than life.”

Saints Cyril and Methodius Ukrainian Catholic Church, Berwick, Columbia County.

Reflecting on Year One of the Pennsylvania Baseline Survey

June 29, 2022 / Guest Contributor / 11 Comments

In late 2020, PA SHPO launched an ambitious, large-scale architectural survey called the Pennsylvania Baseline Survey, with a goal of adding approximately 27,000 new resources in 52 different counties over three years. In Year One, over 7,000 new records were added to PA-SHARE – just from Baseline Survey! Read on to learn about a few of the interesting finds…

Stone building with slides sloped to top in a wooded and grassy area. — Caledonia Iron Furnace monument at Caledonia State Park. Photo by Angie Jaillet-Wentling.

Exploring African American Heritage in Pennsylvania’s DCNR Parks and Forests

June 15, 2022 / Guest Contributor / 1 Comment

Pennsylvania is rife in human history – if you’re in Pennsylvania, consider yourself surrounded with nearly 20,000 years of it! So, it should come as no great surprise that its 121-state park and over 2 million-acre forest system, administered by the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, are steeped in both natural and human history.