Blog of the Pennsylvania State Historic Preservation Office
The biggest obstacle for a small trail or historic preservation group to assume ownership of a historic bridge is usually funding. They operate on lean budgets and do not always have the extra resources to purchase, rehabilitate and maintain a historic bridge. However, a success story is in the making with the transfer of the Watts Mill Bridge from PennDOT to the people of Beaver County.
Continue readingMay is Historic Preservation Month and what better way to kick it off than with a fun – and impactful – social media campaign about our favorite hashtag, #PreservationHappensHere!
#PreservationHappensHere! isn’t just the title of Pennsylvania’s statewide historic preservation plan. It’s also the idea that great preservation activities are happening every day across the commonwealth.
Use the #PreservationHappensHere! hashtag in your social media posts to discover, share and celebrate the older and historic places in your community.
Tell us how preservation is happening where you are! The Pennsylvania State Historic Preservation Office (PA SHPO) will select the next Community Initiative Award winners from the people, places, events and projects that use the #PreservationHappensHere hashtag or tell us about their #PreservationHappensHere story here.
The fire that ravaged the Cathedral of Notre Dame in mid-April was a tragedy felt around the world. In a digitally-connected age, viewers from all parts of the globe were able to watch the flames engulf the centuries old landmark in real time and collectively grieve in ways previously unimaginable. The fire will become an important part of the building’s history and provide important lessons about the fragility of our shared heritage for successive generations. But I am also hopeful that the response to the fire and its aftermath will be equally instructive and help give this tragedy some meaning and purpose.
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A few of my PA SHPO colleagues and I traveled to Washington, D.C. in March to join State Historic Preservation Offices and other preservationists from around the country at National Historic Preservation Advocacy Week.
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The Certified Local Government (CLG) program is one of the unsung heroes of the historic preservation world. Less well known than the National Register, Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credits and Section 106, the CLG program’s utilitarian name has surely contributed to the bewilderment about what the program can do for community-level preservation efforts over the years. It’s also fair to say that the CLG program hasn’t been given the proper attention necessary to reach its full potential – until now! In late 2018 the PA SHPO rolled out revised guidelines for the CLG program in Pennsylvania, complete with a renewed sense of purpose, clearer goals and revamped technical assistance and grant programs. So, here are five things you wanted to know about the new and improved CLG program in Pennsylvania but didn’t know to ask. Continue reading
Have you ever wondered WHERE local historic preservation programs are being implemented in Pennsylvania? Continue reading
An intra-agency effort is underway to plan for the future of PHMC’s Eckley Miners’ Village. In October 2018, the PHMC was awarded a federal grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission to support the completion of a strategic plan for Eckley. The desired outcome will result in a sustainable future for Eckley that will enable the historic property to serve as a regional asset. The PHMC’s State Historic Preservation Office and Bureau of Historic Sites and Museums are partnering to engage stakeholders, gather ideas from the regional community, and lead the planning process. Continue reading
One of the many roles for all State Historic Preservation Offices (SHPOs), including Pennsylvania’s, outlined in the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) is to advise, assist, and consult on the review of federally assisted projects that have the potential to affect historic properties. This is known as the Section 106 Review Process. Continue reading
Lots of work has been going on these past few weeks to reauthorize and expand Pennsylvania’s state Historic Preservation Tax Credit. Take a look! Continue reading
This week, Preservation Pennsylvania, the nonprofit dedicated to advocacy for and preservation of historic places across the commonwealth, announced the 2019 Pennsylvania At Risk. Continue reading
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