Two Black men, Edenborough Smith and John Harshberger appear in the 1850 census on tracts of land now situated in Laurel Ridge State Park overlooking Johnstown’s West End. From at least the 1820s, and possibly as early as the turn of the 19th century, Smith, Harshberger and their families lived in a community of Black, White, and Indigenous people that has been referred to as the Laurel Hill Settlement, Brown Farm and “the Mountain.” Eight generations lived on the Mountain until the property was claimed by the state in 1967.
Category: Black History Month (Page 1 of 2)
Join us in celebrating the Pennsylvania’s latest additions to the National Register of Historic Places! The PA-SHPO extends our congratulations and heartfelt thanks to all those who worked so hard on these nominations.
Advancing Black Preservation to Sustain Black Neighborhoods with The Friends of the Tanner House
As part of Black History Month, we invited Friends of the Tanner House – which we first introduced to our readers in this post – to talk about strategies for advancing Black heritage site preservation with attention to rich community and cultural engagement. In this blog post, guest contributor Chris Rogers discuss the principles behind their in-progress community visioning and preservation planning process.
Reinterpreting the Underground Railroad: The Sherman’s Dale Discharge Former Slaves’ Graves Site
In my short time as an archaeologist working in southeast Pennsylvania, I’ve learned that every basement, crawl space, and root cellar older than 1860 was at one time, a stop on the Underground Railroad (UGRR). This of course is not true, but the mythologies of the UGRR are born out of the fact that the region played an important role in the network as the first free state north of the Mason-Dixon line.
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Historic Eden Cemetery: Preserving Memory and Protecting Legacy
The creation of Eden Cemetery in Collingdale, Delaware County was a collaborative effort by African Americans to provide a sanctuary in the Philadelphia area where African Americans could be buried with dignity and respect.
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In honor of national African American history month, I thought I would give our readers a glimpse into a few of the resources PHMC has to help study African American historic places in Pennsylvania.
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Showing the Love for Crawford Grill No. 2, a Once Swinging Hot Spot in Pittsburgh
Like many urban areas, Pittsburgh had a vibrant nighttime music scene presenting fabulous music of all genres. But it was jazz music that flowed freely from one major venue, the Crawford Grill. In our second post this Black History Month, read on about this amazing place. Continue reading
Offbeat Outing: The Green Book in Philadelphia
Some of my colleagues are known to check their Facebook accounts while they drink their morning coffee, and on more than one occasion that has resulted in a Facebook message or email with the subject line “I have a great idea…” One of these great ideas led to one of the more interesting, informative, and eye-opening surveys I’ve done – Green Book locations in Philadelphia. Continue reading
Studying African American history in Pennsylvania
February is national African American history month. All over the country, communities are discovering, celebrating, and acknowledging the places that tell the stories of African American history and experience. This is the perfect time for us to talk about one of our newest initiatives to study African American history in Pennsylvania. Continue reading
Three Centuries of the Dennis Farm: Looking Forward, Part 2
This week’s post is Part 2 of the Dennis Farm SHPO Shout Out. If you missed Part 1 last week, go back and read it before enjoying this one!
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