Blog of the Pennsylvania State Historic Preservation Office
By Liz Allen, Preservation Erie
Erie County’s story spreads out across the land and spills out across the water. Our tales are told through architectural treasures and our narrative is shaped by our natural environment. We’ve unearthed our roots by preserving our immigrant past, while we continue to reinvent our future by welcoming new Americans. Continue reading
Leveraging local dollars to support important historic preservation initiatives is one of the key facets of the PHMC’s Keystone Historic Preservation Grant program. Continue reading
Ever wonder just how much scholarship of construction chronology is behind your visit to a historic property in Pennsylvania? Or how that research is funded? Woodford is one of Fairmount Park’s most carefully documented and researched buildings because of its architectural significance and as its interpretive use as a historic house museum. Recorded in the Historic American Building Survey (HABS) in 1932 and listed as a National Historic Landmark in 1963, the building was studied and theorized by architectural historians for decades. The Naomi Wood Trust at Woodford Mansion turned to the PA SHPO’s Keystone Historic Preservation Grant program for financial help to plan the historic restoration of Woodford’s 1772 piazza on the west elevation of the 2-story main house. In addition to sifting through all of those relevant published sources and past theories, an archaeological investigation would be the foundation to restore this missing element. Continue reading
Recently, the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission collaborated with the Meadowcroft Rockshelter and Historic Village to preserve one of the oldest covered bridges in Washington County. Continue reading
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.
I’ve got some great SHPO Shout-Outs to share with you this month, and I’m anxious to get started! I would be remiss, though, in my duties as Education and Outreach Coordinator if I didn’t share some exciting updates about our Community Connections public outreach effort for the next statewide historic preservation plan. ICYMI, you can check out this blog from Monday to learn what we and our Partners have been up to lately and find out about your chance to hang out with Preservation PA’s Mindy Crawford, PA SHPO staff, and some of our local partners at an Open House coming soon to a community near you.
We’re all looking for ways to cool off these days – this heat wave is one for the records! Grab your iced tea, sit next to the AC, and take a few minutes to read this month’s PA SHPO Shout Out. We’ll cover an unusual historic marker, a really cool Section 106 project, and a reader submitted Shout Out. If you’re still looking for something to do while you cool down, catch up on any older posts that you might have missed and, if you haven’t already, take our Community Connections online survey to help inform Pennsylvania’s next statewide historic preservation plan. We’re at 1600 responses already! I really want to break last time’s record of 2,200 and I think we can do it. Continue reading
Several months ago, my colleague Cory Kegerise wrote a blog highlighting his childhood memories visiting Hopewell Furnace as part of the National Park Service’s #FindYourPark campaign . He inspired me to make sure my kids had the same experiences and appreciated the plethora of historic sites throughout the Commonwealth. So one Friday in late March when my kids were off from school, we went in search of our own #FindYourPark adventure. In case you are not familiar with the initiative, Americans are encouraged to share their thoughts, reflections, and aspects about their favorite National Park as part of the National Park Service’s Centennial Celebration. Most of the #FindYourPark stories speak of the National Park System’s natural wonders and green bucolic open space. Our adventure may seem in contrast, but Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia with its rich civic history really sparks my interest. So we set off to explore the colonial history and the birthplace of America. Continue reading
45 communities in Pennsylvania have a formal working relationship with the Pennsylvania State Historic Preservation Office (PASHPO) on a variety of preservation-related programs and projects. Known as Certified Local Governments (CLGs) these communities represent a broad geographic, demographic and economic swath across the Commonwealth. From Philadelphia (Pop. 1.5 million) to Mercersburg, Franklin County (Pop. 1500) and located in over a third of Pennsylvania counties, the CLG program provides exclusive funding and technical assistance for local governments. The CLG program is one of several federal programs administered by the PASHPO; in this case, the National Park Service provides guidance, rules and funding for the CLG program. Continue reading
We’re back to our regular SHPO Shout-Out post this month, and I get to tell you about some great local preservation activities, two national award winners, and a cool new park in Jefferson County. Two quick things before I launch into my list of happy news: have you taken our online survey for the next statewide historic preservation plan yet? Or have you registered for the upcoming Statewide Conference on Heritage? There is still time to do both! Continue reading
© 2025 Pennsylvania Historic Preservation
Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑
Recent Comments