Blog of the Pennsylvania State Historic Preservation Office
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.
Continue reading
In 1823, a blacksmith named John W. Miller moved into what is now southeastern Blair County with his wife, Mary, and their three-year-old son, James. In their first years there they built their house and a small blacksmith shop along an existing road between Bedford and Rebecca Furnace. They didn’t have neighbors in those early years, but that wouldn’t last long.
Continue readingThere are few places that can embody the breadth of Pennsylvania’s narrative like Fort Halifax Park in Dauphin County.
Continue readingWhat better time of year than National Historic Preservation Month to announce the latest round of PA SHPO’s Community Initiative Award winners. This year’s projects and recipients showcase a range of preservation success stories, demonstrating the power of perseverance, collaboration and partnership.
Continue readingSince the last time I officially welcomed our new SHPO staffers, three new colleagues have joined our team. We are very excited to have Megan McNish and Frank Grumbine as the new Eastern and Central Region Community Preservation Coordinators and Alli Davis as the new Historical Marker Program Coordinator. I’m also happy to announce Casey Hanson’s promotion!
Continue readingThe Pennsylvania State Historic Preservation Office (PA SHPO) is seeking a Historic Preservation Specialist to serve as a Review Archaeologist to work between disciplines and advance SHPO priorities. This position is ideal for a detail oriented and flexible preservation professional with a knowledge of state historic preservation programs.
Continue readingThe Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC) invites individuals, public agencies, and private organizations to nominate historic people, properties, events, or innovations with statewide or national significance for PHMC’s State Historical Marker Program. Meet the new coordinator, learn more about some changes to this year’s nomination process, and sign up for our upcoming webinars below.
Continue reading
It’s that time of the year again! Time to report and reflect on another successful year of archaeological site recording efforts throughout Pennsylvania. In 2021, over 300 new archaeological sites were recorded by cultural resource management (CRM) projects, independent and university research projects, Society of Pennsylvania Archaeology (SPA) members, and long-time avocational archaeologist.
Continue reading
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.
Continue readingAre you a qualified archaeologist with collaboration, outreach, and education skills?
The Pennsylvania State Historic Preservation Office (PA SHPO) is seeking an Archaeology Supervisor to coordinate the office’s archaeology program.
Continue reading© 2026 Pennsylvania Historic Preservation
Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑
Recent Comments