Category: Preservation Partners (Page 4 of 26)

Two people on bikes in bike lane next to metal truss bridge. — Visitors along the Oil Creek State Park Bike Trail in Venango County stop to admire the Jersey Bridge, just one of several metal truss bridges along the trail. Photo by Barbara Frederick.

O’er the Bridge We Go!

December 14, 2022 / Tyra Guyton / 2 Comments

For many, the holidays are filled with stories and traditions of the past. Just hearing the song Jingle Bells makes me wonder what it would feel like to go dashing through the snow in a one-horse open sleigh. Or better yet, to ride a sleigh over a historic metal truss bridge. Oh, what fun that would be!

Be a Part of Discovering and Celebrating the Humanities in Pennsylvania

November 2, 2022 / Shelby Weaver Splain / 0 Comments

PA Humanities and Drexel University have launched the PA Humanities Discovery Project, an effort to map, network, and celebrate Pennsylvania’s wonderfully rich humanities landscape to build a more expansive and connected statewide community for sharing, learning, and advocacy.

The first step is to collect information from Pennsylvanians like you about what important humanities-centered work you and your organization are doing with an online survey.

Don’t wait to participate! The survey closes on December 5, 2022.

Metal truss bridge over water and surrounded by trees. — Cons Road Bridge in Franklin Township, Bradford County. Photograph by Veronica Martin.

A New Funding Source for Metal Truss Bridges

October 26, 2022 / Guest Contributor / 1 Comment

If you have been following the PA SHPO Blog, then you have probably read about the Metal Truss Bridge Management Plan (Management Plan) and the ongoing effort by PennDOT and the PA SHPO to preserve historic metal truss bridges whenever feasible. Recently, as of 2021, a new federally funded program has been created to support the rehabilitation of these bridges.

Group of nine people standing in a cemetery. — Meeting at Midland Cemetery, August 2022. From left to right (Dr. Steve Burg (PAHG, Shippensburg University), Erin Emerick (Shippensburg University), Sarah Hoffeditz (Shippensburg University), Ira Beckerman (PAC), Dr. Ben Ford (Indiana University of PA), Barbara Barksdale, Janet Johnson (State Museum), Kim Sebestyen (State Museum), Taylor Napoleon (PA SHPO).

Community Archaeology at Midland Cemetery

October 19, 2022 / Casey Hanson / 2 Comments

Last fall the State Museum of Pennsylvania hosted their annual workshop in archaeology entitled Hidden Stories: Uncovering African American History through Archaeology and Community Engagement. The theme was born out of the acknowledgement that African Americans are vastly underrepresented in the historic record and the representations that are present are typically unfairly biased.

Have a Barn in Need of Repair? HBFF has a Grant Opportunity for You!

October 12, 2022 / Emma Diehl / 3 Comments

Do you have a barn or agricultural outbuilding that is 50 years or older in need of repairs? Does it retain a significant degree of historic character and materials? Then the Historic Barn and Farm Foundation of Pennsylvania (HBFF) has a grant opportunity for you!

This year marks the inauguration of HBFF’s matching grant program to encourage the maintenance and repair of historic barns and outbuildings throughout Pennsylvania as one way to promote and support the preservation of Pennsylvania’s rural heritage.

Man standing outside next to a machine removing soil. — The Paleo-Digger. Here, the auger, is being lowered into the test unit. Photograph by Barry Fritz, Quemahoning Cultural Resource Management Services.

Meet the Paleo-Digger

October 5, 2022 / Guest Contributor / 1 Comment

October is Archaeology Month! Today’s post by Guest Contributor PennDOT archaeologist Steve McDougal covers using a non-traditional method for field tests: the Paleo-Digger.

Every archaeological survey poses different conditions and challenges. For PennDOT’s SR 22/322 safety improvement project in Northern Dauphin County, one of the big challenges is the depth of soils involved. Past excavation in the 1990s for this area showed us that the soil column with archaeological potential could extend 3.5 to 4.5 meters (11.5 to 14.75 feet) in depth below current ground surface.

Line drawing with lines connecting circles on a map of Pennsylvania. — This map shows the lines of connections southeastern Pennsylvania, including safe houses, station masters and UGRR conductors. Wilbert Seibert included this map, which is based on Robert Smedley's 1883 book, in his 1898 The Underground Railroad from Slavery to Freedom.

The Underground Railroad in Columbia, Lancaster County

September 14, 2022 / Guest Contributor / 1 Comment

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.

The Warner Theatre with its new marquee and lighting.

Dramatic Finish for Warner Theatre Project

August 10, 2022 / Guest Contributor / 1 Comment

Few buildings are more iconic to downtown Erie than the historic Warner Theatre. At 91-years-old, the luxury movie palace still offers an environment “twice as rich, three times more fanciful than life.”

Bishop Boyle High School, Homestead, Allegheny County. Photograph by Sarah Medwig.

Pennsylvania’s Historic Preservation Tax Credit At Work: SFY2021-2022 Update

August 3, 2022 / smassey / 2 Comments

The Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (PA DCED) recently announced that it has awarded $5 million in Pennsylvania Historic Preservation Tax Credits (PA HPTC) to 25 projects across the commonwealth through the FY 2021-2022 PA HPTC Allocation. The next round will open on October 1.