Leading up to the new year, enthusiasm at PA SHPO was building as we plan to welcome new staff, commit to fulfilling our NAGPRA responsibilities, honor America’s 250th anniversary, and unload a sleigh-full of enhancements to PA-SHARE.
Before we crossed the 2026 threshold, I waded through the inescapable season of countdowns. Communities across Pennsylvania anticipated the New Year by chanting a descending count from 10 to 1 while a symbol representing the local heritage was lowered (or in some communities, hoisted up).
It’s difficult to choose where to ring in the new year in South Central PA when options include the famous 16-foot Lebanon bologna, the Dillsburg pickle, Mechanicsburg’s wrench, and York’s white rose. Or, one could have indulged with a raised glass of Yuengling while watching Pennsylvania’s oldest brewery lift a bottle up the flagpole in Pottsville or snuggled with loved ones under the 300-pound Hershey kiss.
Since I couldn’t pinpoint a place in Pennsylvania to witness a pierogi drop, I opted for a cozier countdown and listened to WXPN’s 885 Greatest Cover Songs leading up to 2026. I learned that Bob Dylan has the highest number of songs most frequently covered by other artists.
Anticipation of 2026 has been brewing in PA SHPO for at least the last half of 2025. Dylan’s poetic words, “for the times they are a-changin’” are ringing in my ears, because at PA SHPO, we are ready to embrace many positive changes in the coming year.
Another classic melody is ringing in my head as I muse turning the page on 2025… Hello, Goodbye. As I type, I hum “hello, hello” to just a few of the things we are looking forward to [queue the cymbals] – hela heba helloa wooo.
PA SHPO staff in November 2025.
Hello, Archaeology Curators
PA SHPO gained a new program area in the summer of 2025. The former Section of Archaeology of the State Museum of Pennsylvania has been integrated into the Pennsylvania State Historic Preservation Office. The Archaeology Curation Section is now a part of the PA SHPO’s Environmental Review Division.
This move centralizes all PHMC archaeology staff into one bureau. PA SHPO is providing the Archaeology Curation team with support to develop a data management tool to improve tracking, consistency and accuracy when accessing the approximately 11.5 million archaeological artifacts in PHMC’s collection. PA SHPO is also providing guidance for PHMC’s responsibilities under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA).
Hè, Nya:wëh sgë:nö’, Shé:kon, Hatito, NAGPRA
Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act is a 1990 federal law, administered by the National Park Service, that was created to address the historical mistreatment of Native American human remains and cultural items. It requires federal agencies and museums that receive federal funds to repatriate ancestors, sacred objects, funerary objects, and objects of cultural patrimony to lineal descendants and culturally affiliated tribes. NAGPRA also mandates consultation with the tribes and outlines procedures for handling the return of these items.
PHMC holds NAGPRA-eligible collections and therefore our agency has the responsibility to consult with lineal descendants and federally recognized tribes concerning human remains, funerary objects, sacred objects, and objects of cultural patrimony.
The archaeology curation staff of the PA State Historic Preservation Office are taking the lead on the NAGPRA process for PHMC. This is important and meaningful work. During a recent symposium of the Lenape Nations hosted by the PHMC, there was a discussion about how the return of ancestors and sacred items is a healing process. Tribal members spoke of having an immediate connection with items which were returned. The process of repatriation helped to affirm tribal identity and understanding of self by connecting the community with their homeland.
A future PA SHPO blog will further focus on NAGPRA and the consultation process, until then you can learn more about NAGPRA at: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/nagpra/index.htm.
Hello, Cherilyn Gilligan
Cherilyn Gillian will join the PA SHPO this month and serve as the Senior Archaeology Curator. Cherilyn will oversee the Archaeology Curation section of the PA SHPO and our new team of archaeologists who preserve our vast collections containing millions of artifacts. Cherilyn’s responsibilities include assisting PA SHPO in strengthening relationships to fulfill NAGPRA compliance, advancing archaeology collections management, and helping to develop initiatives for engaging with new audiences and expanding public outreach.
Cherilyn is returning home to Pennsylvania after working for the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum in Vermont, where she most recently held the Co-Director of Archaeology and Research position. Cherilyn has diverse experience managing and curating archaeological collections to state standards, leading and executing archaeology compliance projects, conducting consultation and collaborating with federal tribes and other stakeholders, directing research and outreach, coordinating the museum’s volunteer program, and she has experience working collaboratively with the Vermont Department of Historic Preservation to steward their Underwater Preserves archaeological sites. Cherilyn holds a master’s degree in applied Archaeology from the Indiana University of Pennsylvania and a bachelor’s degree in Anthropology, Plant & Soil Science, from the University of Vermont. We are ecstatic to have Cherilyn Gilligan bring her talents and energy to the PA SHPO’s team!
Hello, Semiquincentennial
Marking the Journey: Pennsylvania’s Role in 250 Years of U.S. History was designed to help Pennsylvanians celebrate America’s 250th birthday. This activity includes an online StoryMap of Historical Marker Trails that invite everyone to explore key places, people, moments, and movements in Pennsylvania’s past. PA SHPO will roll out a new trail every three months throughout 2026.
- We the People: Stories of identity, belonging, and community.
- Power of Place: How geography shapes culture and memory.
- American Experiment: Political, social, and economic innovation.
- Unfinished Revolutions: Ongoing struggles for justice, equity, and freedom.
Each trail showcases a series of associated markers and inspires self-directed learning and deeper exploration. Visit the PA SHPO’s blog throughout the year to discover new marker trails. You can jump on the first trail here: https://pahistoricpreservation.com/marking-the-journey-part-1-the-people/.
PHMC is also illuminating grant projects that align with 2026’s Semiquincentennial celebrations. Keystone grant recipients in 2025 and 2026 are being recognized with a Keystone sign designed to commemorate America 250. The application deadline for the upcoming Keystone Historic Preservation Grant round is March 2, 2026. Special consideration will be given to grant proposals that advance one of the America250 themes.
PA SHPO staff provide a new Keystone Grant sign to Carrie Furnace.
Goodbye, PA-SHARE 2.0
In 2023, PA SHPO launched PA-SHARE 2.0, a series of improvements and enhancements to PA-SHARE and Surveyor. This wave of major enhancements to PA-SHARE will conclude within the next month. PHMC’s recent investment in PA-SHARE was informed by internal and external user feedback, and it was our goal for PA-SHARE to serve as a dynamic tool to development, community, and preservation goals throughout the commonwealth.
Training to highlight PA-SHARE 2.0 functionality is being planned, until then you can learn about new features by reading our blog and here are some highlights:
- SearchLite was launched to search PA-SHARE above ground resources and reports without registration or log-in required
- Search in standard PA-SHARE was streamlined and simplified, including Quick Search
- Subscription Organization Options expanded with ability to add more than 5 users to a Business subscription
- Batch uploading functionality, giving users the ability to quickly upload multiple photos and attachments
- Photo gallery tab provides faster and more complete viewing of all images
- Dynamic spatial data utilizing our hosted GIS layers to provide additional snapshot data related to resources and projects, such as Administrative Jurisdictions
- Display of ongoing projects involving PHMC have been mapped giving wider visibility into SHPO programs
- Queues redesigned for My Projects, providing users with a simplified and consolidated location for project access and SHPO responses
- Surveyor enhanced for external and internal users to accelerate data entry and processing
- Data quality continuously improved and new records added
PA-SHARE SearchLite interface illustrating how to conduct a resource search.
Wes hāl, 2026!
I was recently reading about the origins of the word hello. There are several possible variants evolving from Old Norse, Old English, Germanic languages, and French origins. However it is communicated, be it heill, halloo, hallo, hollo, Hāl, or hullo, the expressive greeting promotes well wishes and good health.
Cheers to the new year!
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