Pennsylvania Historic Preservation

Blog of the Pennsylvania State Historic Preservation Office

Category: National Park Service (Page 3 of 4)

Independence Hall is the centerpiece of Independence National Historical Park.

#FindYourPark: Independence National Historical Park

June 15, 2016 / / 3 Comments

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

#FindYourPark: Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site

March 2, 2016 / / 3 Comments

We have probably all visited places or done things in our childhood that we’ve long since forgotten, and certainly didn’t appreciate the significance of it until much later in life.  Thinking about the National Park Service’s Centennial and the #FindYourPark campaign recently brought back a memory of visiting Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site with my parents when I was a kid.  I couldn’t have known it at the time, but I’m beginning to realize that a fun little day trip many years ago helped to pique my interest in and appreciation for historic places in ways that changed my life. Continue reading

#FindYourPark: Steamtown National Historic Site

November 18, 2015 / / 0 Comments

The National Park Service will marks its 100th anniversary in 2016, and in honor of this centennial celebration, PHMC will highlight the National Parks in Pennsylvania throughout the coming year, as seen through the eyes of our staff.

Recently, a couple of us from the office went on a trip to the Steamtown National Historic Site in Scranton.  The site is owned by the National Park Service and is the site a rail yard and engine roundhouse of the former Delaware, Lackawanna, and Western Railroad.  We went to discuss consultation between our office and NPS on maintenance and infrastructure improvements at the site.  Once we were done with our official discussions, we got a tour of the facilities. Continue reading

The southern tip of Thompson's Island. Photograph by Kirk Johnson.

Into The Wilderness Part 2: Getting Our Bearings On Thompson’s Island

October 7, 2015 / / 0 Comments

In my last post about the Battle of Thompson’s Island, I gave a brief background on the conflict and discussed the National Park Service’s American Battlefield Protection Program (ABPP) grant our office received to find the battlefield.  Like the campaign itself, the project has continued moving. Continue reading

CLGs in Pennsylvania

CLG Soul Searching

September 16, 2015 / / 1 Comment

The 1980 amendments to the National Historic Preservation Act  established the Certified Local Government (CLG) program to give local governments a formal voice in the national historic preservation conversation.

The Central Market in Lancaster. The City of Lancaster is a Certified Local Government.

The Central Market in Lancaster. The City of Lancaster is a Certified Local Government.

Let’s call out the super-powers of metaphor to explain this relationship.  I often like to use the fabulously versatile bungee cord.  Yes, the thing you use to keep your bike attached to the bike rack on your car or for a dozen other things.  Imagine the CLG program as a bungee cord.  It can expand.  It can reinforce.  In this metaphor, the CLG bungee cord connects the National Park Service to State Historic Preservation Offices to municipalities to citizens.  The CLG bungee cord carries the energy and economic connection between the national preservation program and a local preservation program for participating local governments.  Broad guidelines have been established by the National Park Service that provide the framework for participation in the CLG program; however, states have wide latitude to tailor the program to best assist the characteristics of their local governments.   Continue reading

The National Park Service @ 100: #FindYourPark

April 22, 2015 / / 0 Comments

2016 is shaping up to be a great year for celebrating historic preservation.  The National Historic Preservation Act turns 50, and the National Park Service turns 100!  Throughout the next year, the National Park Service and its partners will announce a number of initiatives for this centennial celebration.  A few days ago, President Obama declared this week (April 18-26, 2015) as National Park Week, which the National Park Service (NPS) and its partner, the National Park Foundation, call “America’s largest celebration of national heritage.”  All week long people can explore the country’s National Parks and connect with others who love and support these treasures and ensure their longevity over the next 100 years.

But, you ask, what do the National Park Service’s centennial celebrations have to do with Pennsylvania’s State Historic Preservation Office (PA SHPO)? Hint: It’s not only because Pennsylvania boasts 5 National Parks (in addition to several National Historic Sites, Trails, Monuments, Heritage Areas, Recreational Areas… and the list goes on!) or because NPS funds a large number of the federal programs administered by our office…. Continue reading

Just Listed: Recent Additions to the National Register of Historic Places

March 11, 2015 / / 0 Comments

Just Listed is a semi-annual feature of Pennsylvania’s cultural resources that were recently listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Since our last Just Listed post, 27 resources from all corners of the Commonwealth have been listed in the National Register of Historic Places.  You can explore these and other historic properties in Pennsylvania via CRGIS, our online map and database. Continue reading

The Battle of Brandywine Revisited

February 25, 2015 / / 0 Comments

By Jill Hall and Karen Marshall

Brinton 1704 House and the surrounding lands were the location of core combat actions in the final phase of the Battle, Chadds Ford, Delaware County

Brinton 1704 House and the surrounding lands were the location of core combat actions in the final phase of the Battle, Chadds Ford, Delaware County

On September 11, 1777, British General William Howe and his professional army engaged General George Washington and his citizen soldiers along the banks of the Brandywine River about 30 miles southwest of Philadelphia. Part of a larger strategy known as the Philadelphia Campaign, the Battle of Brandywine was one of the earliest and largest battles of the American Revolution, encompassing some 30,000 British and American soldiers. The Battle lasted from sunup to sundown, instantly changing the character of a quiet farming community that consisted predominately of Quakers. Although the Battle of Brandywine was a loss for the Americans, they proved that they had the resiliency to withstand the British, increasing French support of the American cause.  Continue reading

Before the (Next) Storm: The Disaster Planning for Historic Properties Initiative

February 4, 2015 / / 3 Comments

The Pennsylvania State Historic Preservation Office (PA SHPO) is pleased to announce that it has begun moving forward on an exciting and historic new initiative to continue through 2017.

Special funding awarded by the National Park Service following Hurricane Sandy has enabled the PA SHPO to assist select counties with prioritizing their communities’ historic properties during the pre-disaster planning process—to help ensure they are better protected the next time a major disaster strikes the Keystone State. Continue reading

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