Blog of the Pennsylvania State Historic Preservation Office
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.
Continue readingSoon there will be some new markers out there for you to brake for!
Earlier this month, PHMC approved twenty-four new historical markers for an amazing range of subjects that highlight even more interesting Pennsylvania facts and figures.
Continue reading2019 was a BIG year for the National Register program in Pennsylvania. Since our last update, 16 listings have been added or updated.
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Car barns are a historic remnant of a bygone era. The Johnstown Car Barns, located at 630 and 716 Central Avenue in Johnstown are no exception. Built in 1893 to service and store trolleys, these building help communicate the story of public transportation in Cambria County. The historic car barns are being offered for sale, allowing for a unique opportunity to adaptively reuse the buildings so they can be retained as an important landmark in the community.
Each year, one of the most meaningful programs of the Commission is the Keystone Historic Preservation Grant program. With this grant program, the PHMC partners with local communities to address key historic preservation issues. As we found out through our local recent preservation plan community forums, every region of the Commonwealth has its own unique challenges. Some problems are immense, but we are proud that we are able to partner with local organizations to make inroads with these challenges and find alternatives to demolition of Pennsylvania’s historic resources.
Paul Heberling, center, accepts the F. Otto Haas Award from John A. Martine, right, and Peter Benton. Top right, Mayor Salvatore Panto, Bottom right, The Society to Preserve the Millvale Murals of Maxo Vanka
Each year, Preservation Pennsylvania presents the Pennsylvania Historic Preservation Awards as a way to honor individuals and organizations that exhibit excellence in the field of historic preservation. The 2014 award recipients exemplify some of the core values of historic preservation, such as a community pulling together to save a building from demolition or the revitalization of an urban neighborhood thanks to rehabilitation – not razing — of an aging school.
“Partnerships, cooperation, and taking the long-term view are themes that run through many of this year’s projects,” said Mindy Crawford, Executive Director of Preservation Pennsylvania, the statewide historic preservation nonprofit. “Whether at the local, state or federal level, this year’s award recipients demonstrate how people working together can create positive change.” Continue reading
The odometer read 19 when we rolled out of the state garage. We had an ambitious three-day schedule planned to northwestern Pennsylvania. The Bureau’s new director, Serena Bellew, had never been to the ‘Erie triangle’ or the northwest corner of the Commonwealth and she was in for a treat… or two, or three – because great local eateries were also on the itinerary. Our mantra for the trip was “positive preservation.” At each stop we planned to meet with some of our partners who have been thoughtfully and purposefully working toward accomplishing various preservation goals.
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