Pennsylvania Historic Preservation

Blog of the Pennsylvania State Historic Preservation Office

Category: Preservation Partners (Page 22 of 28)

Workers at the Harrisburg Nail Works. Used by Permission of the East Pennsboro Historical Society.

Clouds by Day and Fire by Night: Industrial Archaeology at the Harrisburg Nail Works

October 21, 2015 / / 0 Comments

by Jonathan Libbon, RPA

Perhaps no other theme in Pennsylvania’s history is more important than industry. With October being National Archaeology Month, it’s a great opportunity to highlight industrial archaeology in Pennsylvania. The archaeology of industrial sites focuses on the industrial process, the history of labor and management, and the artifacts and features that remain. Understanding the industrial past allows us to understand not only Pennsylvania’s past, but often our very own. 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

Fort Mifflin National Historic Landmark in Philadelphia (Key #001371).
Fort Mifflin National Historic Landmark in Philadelphia (Key #001371). Source: Wikimedia Commons. Created by Fredericto and licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

Preservation Partnerships: Working Together To Save Historic Resources From Natural Disasters

September 9, 2015 / / 3 Comments

We all know that partnerships, collaboration, and teamwork are critical in the effort to identify, preserve, and celebrate Pennsylvania’s historic resources.  One such partnership in Philadelphia will help protect the city’s historic places and spaces from the devastating damage caused by natural disasters. Continue reading

Courtesy of Preservation Pennsylvania.

People Power at the 2015 Pennsylvania Historic Preservation Awards

September 2, 2015 / / 2 Comments

by Sabra Smith, Preservation Pennsylvania

What is the preservation community’s most important asset? It’s the people! Those passionate, creative, place-loving, story-telling folks who wear invisible super hero capes and do their best work so that a beloved landmark is restored, or a neighborhood story is discovered, or a community of advocates is activated. Continue reading

Kiefel Bridge, taken by Nathaniel Holth. Courtesy of historicbridges.com. 2013. Used by permission of Nathaniel Holth.

Intern Introspect: 10 Historic Bridges in Pennsylvania to Paddle Under Before the Temperature Plummets

August 12, 2015 / / 0 Comments

by Elizabeth Shultz

Nestled between the peak heat of July and the crispness of October’s flaming foliage is that special span of outdoor living in Pennsylvania that is the perfect time to hoist your kayaks and canoes onto your shoulders, strap your sturdiest water shoes to your feet, and set out to feast your eyes on some of the architectural and engineering gems that crisscross Pennsylvania’s diverse bodies of water. In the true Commonwealth spirit of discovery, before our rivers turn to frozen slush and our streams start to crunch, let your paddles guide you under some of Pennsylvania’s treasured pieces of transportation history – starting with those listed below! Continue reading

Conference goers gathered on the Plaza for this great photo. Image courtesy of Preservation Pennsylvania.

In Case You Missed It… the 2015 Statewide Conference on Heritage

July 22, 2015 / / 0 Comments
Conference goers gathered on the Plaza for this great photo. Image courtesy of Preservation Pennsylvania.

Conference goers gathered on the Plaza for this great photo. Image courtesy of Preservation Pennsylvania.

We all know that summer is a great time to kick back and relax, and it’s even better when you can do so while hanging out at the State Museum of Pennsylvania with your friends and learning some interesting stuff at the 2015 Statewide Conference on Heritage.  There was so much going on, and so much to see and do, that I thought perhaps our readers would like a recap of the conference highlights.  Continue reading

Meet the 2015 Summer Interns

June 17, 2015 / / 1 Comment
Some of the 2015 PA SHPO interns check out the Mid-Century design elements in the State Museum.

Some of the 2015 PA SHPO interns check out the Mid-Century design elements in the State Museum.

The PA SHPO provides opportunities for interested college students to work as interns in our office throughout the year, but summer always brings a crop of fresh faces.  Our summer interns are participants in either the PHMC Keystone Internship Program or the PENNDOT sponsored summer internship program in cultural resource management. Continue reading

2015: The Year of the Pennsylvania Barn

June 10, 2015 / / 6 Comments

by Curt Musselman

YearOfPAlogo

Official Year of the Pennsylvania Barn logo designed by Bob McIlhenny, 2014, using barn woodcut by Annie Rubel, 2013

Ten years ago,  Historic Gettysburg Adams County (HGAC) received a grant from the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC) to help establish a barn preservation program within Adams County. One of our first steps was to begin a survey of the historic barns in the county so that we would know more about the resources we were trying to save. Teams of HGAC volunteers photographed, measured and made observations about the style and construction techniques used on each barn. One of the first things that we learned was that 80 percent of the barns in Adams County are of an architectural type known as the Pennsylvania Barn. This type of barn has two distinctive characteristics; entrance to the second floor by means of a bridge or a built-up ramp, and an overhang or cantilevered forebay on the front of the barn. Within Pennsylvania, these bank barns evolved in the 18th and 19th centuries to their ultimate form, which was influenced by traditional designs brought to America by immigrants coming from Switzerland through Germany. Continue reading

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