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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 / 2 Comments

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.

Two people in a field in front of a barn holding a large metal sign. — Martin A. Shipe, Jr., past Historian of the New Jersey Sons of American Revolution, returning the Commodore John Barry marker in August 2022.

Report Missing & Damaged Markers!

September 21, 2022 / allidavis / 5 Comments

The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission’s State Historical Markers are cherished and celebrated icons across the state, and for good reason! Every community takes pride in their history and how that history has affected the Commonwealth and the nation.

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 / 2 Comments

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.

#BeNebby with Doors Open Pittsburgh

September 7, 2022 / Guest Contributor / 0 Comments

Today’s post in one of our Spotlight Series, which showcases places, projects, and people engaged in different kinds of historic preservation activities in Pennsylvania.

How many times have you walked past a building in your neighborhood and thought, “Gee, I wonder what that looks like inside?”