Pennsylvania Historic Preservation

Blog of the Pennsylvania State Historic Preservation Office

February 8, 2023
by Emma Diehl
0 comments

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 … Continue reading

Two people on bikes in bike lane next to metal truss bridge.

December 14, 2022
by Tyra Guyton
2 Comments

O’er the Bridge We Go!

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 … Continue reading

Metal truss bridge over water and surrounded by trees.

October 26, 2022
by Guest Contributor
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A New Funding Source for Metal Truss Bridges

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

October 12, 2022
by Emma Diehl
3 Comments

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

Man standing outside next to a machine removing soil.

October 5, 2022
by Guest Contributor
1 Comment

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

Fourteen small pieces of painted ceramics.

June 8, 2022
by Justin McKeel
2 Comments

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

Metal truss bridge over stone and grass.

April 27, 2022
by Guest Contributor
2 Comments

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.

Concrete bridge over stream.

March 16, 2022
by Tyra Guyton
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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

December 15, 2021
by Barbara Frederick
3 Comments

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.

October 27, 2021
by Guest Contributor
4 Comments

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