Blog of the Pennsylvania State Historic Preservation Office
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.
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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 readingWe have an interesting mix of National Register recent listings to bring you for this installment of “Just Listed”. We’ve got an African American YMCA, a few interesting industrial properties making everything from jute cordage to furniture to yarn, a farm, a house, farm, school, and more.
If you’re interested in learning more about any of these properties – or looking to up your trivia game with some Pennsylvania fun facts, you can find a copy of the full National Register Nominations on PA-SHARE.
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American philanthropist Julius Rosenwald is best known for his work in the rural South in the early 20th century building schools for African American children. Before his 1917 fund changed the face of education and race in the country, he helped African American communities from coast-to-coast build YMCAs. Of the two dozen facilities Rosenwald funded in fourteen states, three were in Pennsylvania.
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Beaver is a lovely community located on the Ohio River bluffs nearly directly across the river from the Shell petrochemical plant. Beaver boasts a large National Register of Historic Places historic district (PA-SHARE Resource #1994RE00048) that consists of large, stately homes, vernacular residences, a thriving central business district bursting with historic character and a series of open spaces and parks that date to the community’s late 18th century plan. Beaver is home to the National Historic Landmark Matthew S. Quay House (PA-SHARE Resource #1975RE00155) and the site of Ft. McIntosh, a late 18th century American frontier fort, which is individually listed in the National Register (PA-SHARE Resource #1975RE00024).
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The Arrott Building, located at 401 Wood Street in Pittsburgh, PA, was designed by prominent Pittsburgh architect, Frederick J. Osterling in 1902 and is one of Pittsburgh’s first skyscrapers.
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There are some time-honored recipes in the historic preservation cookbook. The most successful, and dare I say scrumptious, preservation medleys include an essential ingredient – survey. Survey in the historic preservation profession is like the flour in your favorite holiday desserts.
Without survey, many preservation projects are challenged to rise to a superior outcome, just like a cake. My mind just might be overflowing with visions of sugar plums and cookies this holiday season, so I’ll do my best to refrain from too many more baking similes while I share initial Year 1 outcomes from the PA SHPO’s Baseline Survey effort. I think you’ll be as excited about the results as we are!
Continue readingA drive along Burnt Mill Road in Lurgan Township in Franklin County winds around scenic county farmland crossing the Conodoguinet Creek where a monument to Pennsylvania’s industrial past, the Burnt Mill Road Bridge, has stood for the past 136 years.
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This winter, visitors to Bethlehem – the City in Northampton County, Pennsylvania – may see some new changes in the Historic Moravian Bethlehem National Historic Landmark District. Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites just completed the restoration of 88 shutters on the 1741 Gemeinhaus, the oldest building in Bethlehem.
Continue readingI think it is safe to say that the dedication of the new Pennsylvania Historical Marker for Holbert Racing had the most impressive (and expensive) parking lot that has ever existed at a historical marker dedication.
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