Author: Guest Contributor (Page 6 of 15)

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

Ironing Out the Wrinkles: Finding a New Life for the Inwood Iron Bridge

October 23, 2019 / Guest Contributor / 1 Comment

When travelling between Schuylkill and Lebanon County, some may prefer to skip Interstate 81 and take the more scenic route past Swatara State Park. The park is relatively recent in its formation, created in 1987, and DCNR continues to make infrastructure improvements to provide access to recreational opportunities within the park including biking, hiking, boating, and fishing.

The Society at 90: Celebrating the Society for Pennsylvania Archaeology’s 90th Year with a Look at the Present and the Future!

October 9, 2019 / Guest Contributor / 0 Comments

This Archaeology Month, we are celebrating the Society for Pennsylvania Archaeology’s 90^th year. As part of that celebration, we are taking over the Pennsylvania State Historic Preservation Office’s Blog for two weeks. Last week we looked at how the society was founded, and this week we are going to see what the Society for Pennsylvania Archaeology (SPA) looks like today. For those of you who are curious about archaeology, want to learn more, and would love the opportunity to get involved with the SPA, this blog post is for you!

White woman sitting at a table reading a book. — Frances Dorrance at her desk in Hoyt Library in Kingston, PA. Image courtesy of the Pennsylvania Archaeologist 1955 Vol 25. No. 1.

The Society at 90: Celebrating the Society for Pennsylvania Archaeology’s 90th Year with a Look Back at our Beginnings

October 2, 2019 / Guest Contributor / 0 Comments

In 1929, the Society for Pennsylvania Archaeology (SPA) was formed to promote the study of archaeology within the Commonwealth. Throughout the history of the SPA, up to and including today, the SPA has provided a forum for amateur and professional archaeologists to work together, share their findings, and piece together the archaeology of Pennsylvania.

Philadelphia’s Urban Landscape, a NUTTY Place

September 25, 2019 / Guest Contributor / 0 Comments

Don’t worry, I capitalized the word NUTTY for a reason. While sorting through some documents here at the Pennsylvania State Historic Preservation Office (PA SHPO), I came across a file for the National Register listed Franklin Square in Philadelphia.

Ask ReGIS will help you navigate through in CRGIS.

CRGIS your Commute!

September 11, 2019 / Guest Contributor / 3 Comments

The Philadelphia and Lancaster Turnpike is the oldest paved highway in America. It was chartered in 1792 and opened in 1795, connecting farmers in Lancaster County with markets in Philadelphia via a state-of-the-art crushed gravel (or “macadamized”) surface pioneered by Scottish engineer John Loudon Macadam to prevent the wheels of wagons and carriages from sinking into the notorious mud of standard dirt roads.

Lykens: A Case Study on the After-Effects of Flooding on Pennsylvania’s Communities

August 28, 2019 / Guest Contributor / 11 Comments

In the last installment about the ongoing Disaster Planning for Historic Properties Initiative we focused on survey work in the City of Harrisburg. Since that time, the survey teams led by Commonwealth Heritage Group and ASC Group have moved on to other communities in Dauphin County.

Located at the northern end of the county, Lykens Borough is home to a large number of properties that are both over 45 years old and located in the 100-year floodplain. The survey teams spent more than a week collecting flood elevation data on 227 buildings throughout the borough. While there, we met many residents who talked about Tropical Storm Agnes and how flooding from the storm changed the community in profound and lasting ways.