Category: Community Character (Page 6 of 18)

Colorized historic postcard of large department store with trolleys, horses, carts, and people in the foreground. — Historic postcard of Kaufman's Department Store in Pittsburgh, Allegheny County. PA SHPO files.

Window Shopping at 5 of Pennsylvania’s Historic Department Stores

December 23, 2020 / Elizabeth Shultz / 12 Comments

With the widespread availability of plate glass at the end of the nineteenth century, department stores and window-shopping culture flourished in cities and towns throughout Pennsylvania – especially during the holiday shopping season near the end of the calendar year.

Row of brick buildings along a street with cars. — Buildings on the north side of West Main Street west of 2nd Street. These buildings are located in a district that has been previously determined eligible (Key No. 087062). Photo by Benjamin Harvey, ASC Group, Inc.

Surveying Western Pennsylvania Communities

December 16, 2020 / Guest Contributor / 2 Comments

With support from the Pennsylvania State Historic Preservation office, this summer, a team from ASC Group, Inc. and Aurora Research Associates, LLC undertook a community survey project in the Beaver and Monongahela river valleys in western Pennsylvania.

Waynesboro Historic District in Franklin County, PA. Photo by Ben Harvey, ASC Group, 2019.

A Preservation Story: Franklin County

December 9, 2020 / David Maher / 1 Comment

Founded in 1784, and located in the fertile and strategic Cumberland Valley, Franklin County possesses a rich and unique history. A tour through the National Register of Historic Places in Franklin County offers just a glimpse into the rich history of the county, and also highlights the community’s continued efforts to designate and preserve their unique history.

A New Life for Homestead’s Masonic Hall

December 2, 2020 / smassey / 0 Comments

Homestead’s Masonic Hall is an imposing – and impressive – stone building at the corner of E. 9th Avenue and McClure Street in Homestead, Allegheny County. This early 20th century property anchors the National Register-listed Homestead Historic District and is a local landmark.

With the help of state and federal historic tax credits, the formerly vacant and deteriorating Masonic Hall now provides unique housing and is once again contributes to the vibrant Homestead community.

Should I go left or right at the next historical marker?

November 4, 2020 / Guest Contributor / 1 Comment

There are only so many times I could run to the Race Street Pier or the Art Museum steps… I needed my next destination.

Metal truss bridge over water. — Undated photo of Hull Drive bridge over Bermudian Creek.

Preserving York County’s Hull Drive Bridge

October 28, 2020 / Guest Contributor / 2 Comments

As the air becomes a little brisker over the last few days, the chill enhances visual clues that autumn has officially arrived. Leaves slowly change from their summer greens to vivid Fall oranges, browns, and reds.

Row of two two story brick buildings along a pathway, canal, and railroad track. — Rear elevations of buildings in Manayunk overlooking the Manayunk Canal. PA SHPO, 2020.

Manayunk Main Street Historic District Flood Guide

September 30, 2020 / John Gardosik / 0 Comments

September is National Preparedness Month. According to the PA Emergency Management Agency (PEMA), this year’s theme is “Disasters don’t wait. Make your plan today.”

Preservation Planning through Mitigation in Western PA

September 23, 2020 / Bill Callahan / 0 Comments

In spring of 2015, the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACOE), the Pennsylvania State Historic Preservation Office (PA SHPO), Shell Chemical Appalachia, LLC (applicant) and the Seneca Nation of Indians (SNI) concluded consultation after 18 months of discussions under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act about the construction of a petrochemical complex in Beaver County along the Ohio River.

Documenting Historic Flood-Prone Communities in Central Pennsylvania

July 15, 2020 / John Gardosik / 2 Comments

Over the last year, architectural historians and survey engineers with Commonwealth Heritage Group and ASC Group have been documenting historic properties and communities in Dauphin, Cumberland, and Perry Counties.