Blog of the Pennsylvania State Historic Preservation Office

Category: National Park Service (Page 1 of 4)

Mitigation Spotlight: Section 106 Agreements, July 2022 – December 2022

This is part of a biannual blog series highlighting the agreement documents executed by PA SHPO in accordance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act and its implementing regulations.

Between July 1 and December 31 of 2022, PA SHPO has been a signatory to approximately nine (9) Section 106 agreement documents with four different federal agencies as part of consultation for the resolution of adverse effects to historic properties. 

Below illustrates a selection of the agreement documents executed within the past six months.

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The Underground Railroad in Columbia, Lancaster County

September is International Underground Railroad Month. September was chosen because it is the month that two of the most well-known people associated with the Underground Railroad –  Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass – escaped from slavery.  Today’s post was written by guest author Dr. Leroy Hopkins and he provides a glimpse into the Underground Railroad in Columbia, Pennsylvania.

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The New Century Guild in the 21st Century

The New Century Guild building, located at 1307 Locust Street in Philadelphia, PA, is an Italianate brick rowhouse constructed in 1851 as a private residence. It remained a private residence until 1906, when the New Century Guild, one of the earliest and most successful organizations devoted to supporting women in the labor force, acquired the building for its headquarters.

Historic tax credits were an important part of bringing the 1906 New Century Guild, an important organization in the history of women, a new life in the 21st century.

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Welcoming Milford to the CLG program!

Travel north along Route 209 through the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area and you’ll arrive at the Borough of Milford, Pike County. The small town of nearly 1,200 full time residents appears like Brigadoon as you leave the lush forests of the Water Gap and has a long and layered history. Milford is also one of the newest Certified Local Governments in Pennsylvania with a lot of preservation success stories packed into a little place.

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Historic Tax Credits + Artists + Braddock = Preservation Success

There are great examples throughout Pennsylvania – and the country – of historic buildings being repurposed to support, house, and celebrate local and regional arts communities. Two specifically come to mind in Pennsylvania, the GoggleWorks in Reading, Berks County and the Walk In Art Center in Schuylkill Haven, Schuylkill County. The Ohringer Artist Residences in the former Ohringer Home Furniture store 640 Braddock Avenue in Braddock, Allegheny County can now be added to that list.

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Resource Round-up: Resources for LGBTQ+ Pride Month in Pennsylvania

June is Pride Month and an opportunity to recognize, celebrate, and support LGBTQ+ communities. This week’s post is another in our “Resource Round-Up” series, which we occassionally publish during important months as a guide to learning more about the older and historic places and spaces in Pennsylvania that reflect that month’s theme. This one highlights just some sources related to LGBTQ+ Pride Month.

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Rehabilitated Mott Street Bridge Reconnects Milford and the Delaware River National Recreation Area

Driving along East Harford Street in Milford, a compact borough in Pike County nestled between National Historic Landmark Grey Towers and National Park Service’s Delaware River National Recreational Area, it is easy to miss Mott Street.

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Rehabilitating Wilkes-Barre’s Memorial Presbyterian Church

Rehabilitating a religious property, like a church, using historic tax credits can be very challenging because it is often difficult to match the building’s desired new use with the historic floor plan and character-defining spaces. Design professionals and building owners have to negotiate a difficult balance between preserving a church’s large, open sanctuaries with the need for income-producing spaces like apartments or multi-tenant office spaces.

The rehabilitation of Wilkes-Barre’s Memorial Presbyterian Church is a good example of how to apply the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation, which are the guiding principles for historic tax credit projects, to church buildings.

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Preservation’s March Madness

“March Madness” in the historic preservation world isn’t quite the same as the highly competitive, single-elimination college basketball tournaments that happen each March.

I’ve coopted the phrase to describe National Historic Preservation Advocacy Week and the days leading up to it in our office. Just like the NCAA I players that begin prepping and practicing weeks and months before their games, we kick off each New Year with making plans, preparing materials and partipants, and scheduling visits for Advocacy Week.

One big difference, of course, is that preservationists don’t compete against each other in a nail-biting, winner-takes-all game. One big similarlity, however, is the frenzy of activity, nerves, and excitement before the big event.

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