As an architectural historian and preservationist I have been trained to think about historic buildings and neighborhoods in a fairly focused way. Changes to old buildings should be sympathetic to the structure’s original design and be appropriate in terms in size, scale, materials and decorative details. Continue reading
Category: Historic Preservation (Page 47 of 49)
Honoring Pennsylvanians Committed to Historic Preservation
Each year countless Pennsylvanians work to preserve the Commonwealth’s legacy that is reflected in our traditions, historic built environment, and our cultural landscapes. In 2008, the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC) partnered with Preservation Pennsylvania, Inc. to create two special awards to honor those who have demonstrated exemplary leadership in the field of historic preservation. Continue reading
There is great societal and cultural value in the preservation of our built heritage; of our historic communities and buildings. Most people understand the cultural value of preserving our history as it is illustrated by historic places. The need to experience our shared history seems to reflect a fundamental aspect of who we are as Pennsylvanians and Americans. Continue reading
by Mike Piaskowski, Pennsylvania Dept. of Conservation and Natural Resources
As Pennsylvanians, we are beyond fortunate to live in a place rich with heritage. Our ridges, valleys, plateaus and waterways lured natives and settlers alike to bountiful opportunities and un-imaginable challenges. Continue reading
By. Dr. Sally McMurry
The term “gray literature” well conveys the level of visibility for much work done at agencies like the Pennsylvania Historic Preservation Office. Historic Structures Reports, National Register nominations, exhibits, and drawings may have limited long-term public exposure even though they are often based on high-quality research and analysis. The Vernacular Architecture Forum (VAF) has recognized that these efforts often make exemplary contributions to our understanding of the built environment, and the organization honors such work through the Paul E. Buchanan Award. VAF spokesman Michael Chiarappa has characterized the award as a “testament to VAF’s commitment to civic engagement and the idea that broad participation in the study and understanding of vernacular landscapes provides an indispensible social good.” We are proud to announce that the Pennsylvania Agricultural History Project is the 2013 winner. Continue reading
Help Celebrate Success at the Pennsylvania Historic Preservation Awards
Photo: Shippensburg University’s restored Old Main Fountain will receive a Construction Project Award for Public & Institutional Properties at the Pennsylvania Historic Preservation Awards luncheon in Pottstown on Friday, September 27.
by Erin Hammerstedt, Preservation Pennsylvania
Earlier this summer Preservation Pennsylvania, along with the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission and our other partners, announced the recipients of the 2013 Pennsylvania Historic Preservation Awards. Presented annually since 1979, the awards honor impressive historic preservation projects and inspiring commitment to preserving and protecting Pennsylvania’s rich historic resources. We want to highlight just a few of the 2013 recipients and invite you to join the celebration by attending the awards ceremony and luncheon on September 27 in Pottstown, Montgomery County.
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by Audrey Plummer
When I woke up this morning, the first thing I did was grab my phone and check Twitter. Yes, I’m addicted! People my mother’s age like to gripe and complain about technology and the demise of youth in America. However, social media, the main culprit of teenagers’ and young adults’ addiction to their smartphones, is here to stay. If the preservation community wants to be relevant and important to a new generation of Americans, it needs to embrace social media. Continue reading
Preserving the Oley Valley Rural Historic District in Pennsylvania
by Brenda Barrett
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in the Living Landscape Observer and appears here with the permission of the author and founder of that publication, Brenda Barrett. We appreciate Brenda’s contributions and reporting on this subject.
Oley Valley gristmill. Credit: Zachary Pyle.
Even in a state famous for its agricultural landscapes, the Oley Valley in southeast Pennsylvania is an exceptional place. Located in a in a bowl-shaped valley flanked by the forested hills of the Reading Prong and underlain by limestone, the region is drained by two small creeks, the Manataway and the smaller Monocacy. English Quakers, French Huguenots, and Palatine farmers from Switzerland and Germany settled in the valley as early as 1725 in search of religious freedom and good farmland. They found both, producing an 18th-century pattern of farmsteads, fields, and villages that has marked the landscape ever since. Continue reading
For several months every summer the PA Historic Preservation Office is host to student interns, an arrangement that benefits both parties. While the assumption is always that internships are beneficial to students, the converse is quite true as well.
In the past five years since Marcellus shale drilling has started, the pace of archaeological survey in the northern tier and the western counties has increased sharply. Continue reading
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