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 … Continue reading
Category Archives: PennDOT
Have a Barn in Need of Repair? HBFF has a Grant Opportunity for You!
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 … Continue reading
Meet the Paleo-Digger
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 … Continue reading
The Archaeology of a Village Blacksmith Shop
In 1823, a blacksmith named John W. Miller moved into what is now southeastern Blair County with his wife, Mary, and their three-year-old son, James. In their first years there they built their house and a small blacksmith shop along … Continue reading
Bridge Preservation and Education: A Site Visit to the Inwood Iron Bridge
In 2019, the historic Inwood Iron Bridge in Union Township, Lebanon County was disassembled for relocation.
Pennsylvania’s Reinforced Concrete Thru Girder Bridges
Few people think of history when crossing a bridge. But bridges tell an important story about engineering and technology, especially in Pennsylvania where the early years of iron, steel and concrete came together to produce many early bridges that represent … Continue reading
Bridge for Sale Spotlight: Burnt Mill Road Bridge
A drive along Burnt Mill Road in Lurgan Township in Franklin County winds around scenic county farmland crossing the Conodoguinet Creek where a monument to Pennsylvania’s industrial past, the Burnt Mill Road Bridge, has stood for the past 136 years.
Precious Metal Preservation: the Lift
Nestled amongst the oak-covered hills of rural northwest Pennsylvania until very recently sat an iron artifact from a bygone era. Built in 1876 by the Wrought Iron Bridge Company of Canton, Ohio, this elegant, metal arch structure is what is … Continue reading
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.
Virgil Cantini: Saving Cantini’s Mosaics
Last week’s blog post introduced the life and work of artist Virgil Cantini and highlighted the vulnerable position of postwar public art objects and installations, which often require special expertise to understand and articulate their significance for preservation. This week’s … Continue reading