Author: Shelby Weaver Splain (Page 22 of 23)

Shelby Weaver Splain is the Survey & Education Section Supervisor for the Pennsylvania State Historic Preservation Office. Shelby is a native of Bucks County and holds a Masters degree in Historic Preservation Planning from Cornell University and a Bachelor of Arts with Honors in Historic Preservation from Goucher College.

March’s SHPO Shout-Out!

March 30, 2016 / Shelby Weaver Splain / 0 Comments

Question: What do a Georgian country estate, an African American Methodist Church, the Whiskey Rebellion, and Chester County all have in common?

Stumped? Can’t think of an answer? Then you’re not paying attention! It’s the last Wednesday of the month, which means its SHPO Shout-Out Day, and this month’s Shout Outs go to an interesting array of worthy preservation activities in Pennsylvania. That’s not to say that these are the only good preservation projects out there. We know there are more! You just need to drop me a note and tell me about what’s going on in your neck of the woods.

February’s SHPO Shout-Out

February 24, 2016 / Shelby Weaver Splain / 0 Comments

I checked the weather maps, and it looks like most of Pennsylvania is having a cold, dreary, rainy day. What better time to read the latest SHPO Shout-Out for something cheery! So get a nice warm cup of coffee or tea, settle back, and prepare for some good news.

2016’s First SHPO Shout-Out

January 27, 2016 / Shelby Weaver Splain / 0 Comments

The internet tells me that 45% of all Americans make News Year’s resolutions. The top ones – which I think we’ve all made at one time or another – are to be happier, healthier, and more organized. A psychologist friend tells me that one of the ways to be happier and healthier is to manage your stress. Well, duh, right? This same friend also tells me one way to do that is to all seek out good news to balance all of the bad news in our world. I’m sure you’re all thinking, “well, that’s great, Shelby, but why are you talking about this in a SHPO Shout-Out post?” I’m talking about it because the SHPO Shout-Out is all about good news! A well-known TV talk show doctor even says sharing good news boosts your mood. I’m no doctor or expert on these matters, but it seems like taking just a few minutes to read this post and think about all the wonderful things happening in our communities can help reduce your stress level and – like icing on a cake – if you share it with others you might just be happier, too!

Looking Backward and Forward

January 6, 2016 / Shelby Weaver Splain / 0 Comments

2015 went by so quickly that we didn’t even have time to put together our traditional “Year in Review” post! Since we’re in the first week of 2016 already, I’ll give you a quick look at the PA SHPO’s 2015 highlights and a glimpse into some of the great things we have in store for you in 2016.

Special Announcement!

January 4, 2016 / Shelby Weaver Splain / 0 Comments

Great Things in Store for 2016!

I am happy to share some exciting news…

We are now the PA SHPO
As of January 1, 2016, the Bureau for Historic Preservation (BHP) is now the PA SHPO, for the Pennsylvania State Historic Preservation Office.

The PHMC Commissioners approved the official designation at their December meeting “to recognize the significance and legacy of the [National Historic Preservation] Act and to honor the 50th anniversary of the Act to assure a more vibrant future for preservation in Pennsylvania…”

You’ll see our new name and logo on our emails, blog, newsletters, correspondence, forms, displays, and official paperwork. The new changes will roll out over the course of the next few months.

PA SHPO Office Reorganization
With our new name comes a new office space!

Beginning on January 14, 2016, the PA SHPO offices in the Commonwealth Keystone Building will be completely redone with a new and improved research room, conference rooms, and a floor plan that helps us work more efficiently and effectively. We expect the reorganization to take about five weeks.

Please note:

* The Research Room will be closed from Thursday, January 14th through Friday, January 29th. To accommodate the closure, the Research Room will be open on Monday, January 11th and Monday February 1st for its normal 9:00 to 4:00 hours.

* Staff phone numbers will remain the same.

* Please expect some disruptions with our service during this time. We will do our best to maintain ‘business as usual’ but there may be times when we are not able to return a call or email immediately. We hope this reorganization will go smoothly and we appreciate your patience!

We are gearing up for some truly great work in 2016. We hope you’ll be part of it!

December’s SHPO Shout-Out

December 2, 2015 / Shelby Weaver Splain / 0 Comments

It’s hard to believe that a month has gone by since our first ever SHPO Shout-Out! I’ll give my own Shout-Out to everyone who liked, posted, shared, tweeted, and emailed our November post to spread the word not only about the great projects I featured but also to let people know that we’d like to crowd-source candidates for future posts. The number of emails I got from readers with ideas for candidates were low – like zero! – but I understand that you’re all just getting used to the idea, right?! I can’t possibly know about all the good preservation victories across the 46,055 sq. mi. that make up Pennsylvania and I need your help!

Announcing the PA SHPO Shout-Out!

November 4, 2015 / Shelby Weaver Splain / 0 Comments

How often is it that we, as preservationists and champions of history, get to hear some good news about historic preservation? When I check my Facebook feed every morning, I usually see one post after another calling attention to the plight of our cherished historic places and spaces. Finally, one morning, I said, “Enough! There has to be some good in the world!” And the SHPO Shout-Out was born…

The uniformed toll collectors at each interchange were seen as the Turnpike's "ambassadors".

Happy Birthday, Pennsylvania Turnpike!

September 30, 2015 / Shelby Weaver Splain / 5 Comments

The Pennsylvania Turnpike turned 75 on October 1, and groups throughout the state have already started their tributes to this engineering marvel and cultural icon. On October 2, the State Museum opened a new permanent exhibit about the Turnpike in its Industry and Transportation gallery, and the recent issue of the Pennsylvania Heritage magazine featured a great piece on the Turnpike written by the exhibit’s curator, Curt Miner. Earlier this year, staff from the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission and PHMC and Gerry Kuncio, senior historian for Skelly and Loy, Inc., gave a presentation about “America’s First Superhighway” at the Statewide Conference on Heritage. We wanted to send out our own birthday greeting and share with our readers some amazing historical facts about our beloved Turnpike.

Special Announcement: Job Opportunity at the PA SHPO!

September 21, 2015 / Shelby Weaver Splain / 0 Comments

There is an immediate opening for the following position with the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission (PHMC):

Historic Preservation Specialist

THE POSITION:

This position supports and maintains the Commonwealth’s historic building survey, including maintaining the integrity of the historic property information in the Cultural Resources Geographic Information System (CRGIS) and facilitating new surveys in order to assist the PHMC, other agencies, and the public in evaluating the historic resources within the state and the effects of various programs on those resources. The incumbent digitizes data from the bureau’s legacy paper records and all newly recorded cultural resources into a computerized Geographic Information System (GIS) program. These duties include computerized mapping of cultural resources including historic property and district locations from both paper and outside electronic sources; entering and updating resource information; and facilitating the scanning, processing, and storage of resource images for linkage into CRGIS. Continue reading

Conference goers gathered on the Plaza for this great photo. Image courtesy of Preservation Pennsylvania.

In Case You Missed It… the 2015 Statewide Conference on Heritage

July 22, 2015 / Shelby Weaver Splain / 0 Comments

Conference goers gathered on the Plaza for this great photo. Image courtesy of Preservation Pennsylvania.

We all know that summer is a great time to kick back and relax, and it’s even better when you can do so while hanging out at the State Museum of Pennsylvania with your friends and learning some interesting stuff at the 2015 Statewide Conference on Heritage. There was so much going on, and so much to see and do, that I thought perhaps our readers would like a recap of the conference highlights. Continue reading