Category: Military History (Page 1 of 2)

Group of people standing in a cemetery in the evening. — The Community Initiative Award presentation to Lower Makefield Township for their work at Slate Hill Cemetery in Yardley, Lower Makefield Township, Bucks County. Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (R-1) is at the far left, members of the Lower Makefield Township Historical Commission grouped in the center, State Representative Perry Warren is second from right and township supervisor Suzanne Blundi at right.

Celebrating Preservation Success Stories with Community Initiative Awards

September 25, 2024 / Shelby Weaver Splain / 0 Comments

Earlier this week my Alexa reminded me that there are 100 days until the end of the year. After a moment of shock, my brain started its mental cataloguing of all the things that I have to do before December 31. Deadlines, appointments, holidays, the list goes on…

One reminder I’d like to put on your to-do list before the year is out is to tell us about a preservation success story in your community. Each year PA SHPO selects a few of these stories for a Community Initiative Award.

A Little Something for Everyone: Pennsylvania’s Newest Markers

January 11, 2023 / allidavis / 0 Comments

The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC) recently approved 37 new historical markers, making this one of the largest number of new markers in the program’s history.

Color postcard of large brick building with landscaping in front. — Mid-20th century postcard of the Main Building at the Butler VA Hospital. Source: PA State Archives.

Caring for the Country’s Veterans: Pennsylvania’s Butler VA Hospital

November 9, 2022 / April Frantz / 3 Comments

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is the steward of a large collection of medical facilities that reflect the evolving care for and needs of our military’s veterans. The VA’s health care system provides diverse care through approximately 170 VA medical centers and outpatient clinics across the country, serving millions of veterans each year. Pennsylvania is home to a wide range of federal facilities offering medical services for veterans.

Western Pennsylvania’s Butler Veterans Administration Hospital recently joined two other current VA hospital properties in Pennsylvania listed in the National Register of Historic Places, recognizing its important and unique role in caring for military veterans.

Celebrating the Friends of Fort Halifax Park

May 11, 2022 / Frank Grumbine / 1 Comment

There are few places that can embody the breadth of Pennsylvania’s narrative like Fort Halifax Park in Dauphin County.

View looing across the Susquehanna River showing river and bordering woods. — PARW017 (36DA0283) as seen from a bridge over the Susquehanna River during an October sunrise. Three Mile Island is visible in the background. Photograph by Frederick Mayhew, 2021.

A Look at the PASS Year: The 2021 Annual PASS Report

February 9, 2022 / Taylor Napoleon / 0 Comments

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.

Pennsylvania Veterans’ Memorial, Indiantown Gap National Cemetery. Photograph by April Frantz, September 2021.

The National Cemetery at Indiantown Gap

November 10, 2021 / April Frantz / 4 Comments

According to the US Department of Veterans Affairs website, nearly 4.9 million individuals—including Veterans of every conflict, from the Revolutionary War to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan—are honored by burial in our national cemeteries.

Each year about 15 percent of all eligible Veterans are interred in a national cemetery, while about 5 percent opt for a State, Territorial or Tribal Veterans Cemetery. The national cemeteries’ memorial landscapes convey critical stories about American history and reflect the evolution of our care and commemoration of our military veterans.

March Marker Mania 2020

March 25, 2020 / Karen Galle / 2 Comments

Soon 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.

Group of people standing in clearing next to tall stone marker — Fort Dewart, listed in the National Register in January 2021, is just one example of the interesting nominations considered by the Board.

Defending Fort Dewart, a Legacy of Stewardship

March 18, 2020 / Casey Hanson / 12 Comments

When Ron Sehn and Terry Doran bought their properties in Folmont, they never imagined that they were also signing up to be the defenders of the eighteenth-century Fort Dewart.

North Scranton Junior High School testimonial video.

Testimonials in Pennsylvania’s Preservation Tool Box

December 18, 2019 / Shelby Weaver Splain / 1 Comment

One of PA SHPO’s core missions is to educate the commonwealth’s citizens about state and federal historic preservation programs. We can’t do it alone, so we do our best to provide interested citizens, advocates, and partners with the tools to help communicate what historic preservation is and why it matters.

Preservation Month recap

June 6, 2018 / Shelby Weaver Splain / 0 Comments

At the beginning of May, I promised we’d provide a recap of the #31for31 social media campaign to celebrate Preservation Month across Pennsylvania. If you missed a post on our Facebook page or in our Twitter feed, no worries! You can see it, and the rest of the month’s content, right here. Don’t miss the big announcement covered in the May 31st post! Continue reading