Category: Architectural History (Page 1 of 9)

Small building with lots of service windows and a large metal ice cream cone out front. — Ice Cream Shop Saegertown Dairy Inn, 685 Main St., Saegertown Borough, Crawford County.

Baseline Survey On the Road Again: Newly Documented Roadside Resources in Pennsylvania

September 13, 2023 / Elizabeth Shultz / 3 Comments

“I can’t wait to get on the road again/On the road again/Goin’ places that I’ve never been/Seein’ things that I may never see again/And I can’t wait to get on the road again…”

-Willie Nelson, “On the Road Again,” 1980

With Pennsylvania’s long transportation history – from railroads and canals to the Pennsylvania Turnpike and the many beautiful bridges throughout the Commonwealth – it’s no surprise that the teams working on the Baseline Survey Project discovered and inventoried a multitude of Pennsylvania’s previously unrecorded roadside resources!

Small building with half of a gambrel roof.

The Flounder House, an Intriguing Vernacular House Form

August 2, 2023 / Pamela Reilly / 0 Comments

The Flounder House is a bit of a fish out of water among more formal architectural styles. Named for the flat fish found at the bottom of the ocean, flounder houses have the appearance of a house sliced in half.

Side of house showing front porch and Palladian window in the side gable. Photo by DCNR.

Call this Piece of Pennsylvania History “Home!”

January 25, 2023 / Guest Contributor / 3 Comments

In an effort to preserve one of Pennsylvania’s historic homes, the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) is marketing for sale, removal, and preservation a two-and-a-half-story, 3 bedroom, one bath, Shingle-Style house with many beautiful original features including wooden floors, trim work, railings, plastered walls, windows, doors, fixtures, and wood shingle detailing on the exterior.

Interested?

A Little Something for Everyone: Pennsylvania’s Newest Markers

January 11, 2023 / allidavis / 0 Comments

The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC) recently approved 37 new historical markers, making this one of the largest number of new markers in the program’s history.

Peppercorn Market, Bedford Borough, Bedford County.

More Cool PA Places Found in Year 2 of Baseline Survey

December 21, 2022 / Guest Contributor / 4 Comments

The Pennsylvania Baseline Survey Team is excited to share another year of findings! Between January 2022 to October 2022, our five Year 2 Baseline Survey teams surveyed in 18 counties and recorded 6,663 new resources in 396 municipalities. Quite an impressive number!

Small stone church with large corner tower surrounded by grass. — Second United Presbyterian Church, Stanton Avenue facade. Photo by PHMC

The Union Project: Planning for a Community Asset

December 7, 2022 / Karen Arnold / 1 Comment

At the start of the 20th century, Pittsburgh’s Highland Park neighborhood was becoming a bustling place. The leaders of the United Presbyterian Church decided to build a new church, which became the Second United Presbyterian Church, at the corner of North Negley and Stanton Avenues in the city’s east end in 1903.

#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?”

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.”

Bishop Boyle High School, Homestead, Allegheny County. Photograph by Sarah Medwig.

Pennsylvania’s Historic Preservation Tax Credit At Work: SFY2021-2022 Update

August 3, 2022 / smassey / 2 Comments

The Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (PA DCED) recently announced that it has awarded $5 million in Pennsylvania Historic Preservation Tax Credits (PA HPTC) to 25 projects across the commonwealth through the FY 2021-2022 PA HPTC Allocation. The next round will open on October 1.

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

Reflecting on Year One of the Pennsylvania Baseline Survey

June 29, 2022 / Guest Contributor / 3 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…