Any Pennsylvanian at heart has a list of places in the Keystone State that captures the essence of who we are.
Places that reflect my Pennsylvania roots and my love of architecture make up my long list. It includes places like Berwick, Columbia County were both branches of my family tree helped to make Stuart Tanks during WWII at the American Car & Foundry Company, architectural beauties like Fonthill in Bucks County, and gems like downtown Wellsboro with its great diner.
Historic postcard of downtown Berwick at its heyday.
I was browsing the stacks in my local library a few months ago and noticed a few different books offering lists of the 25 or 50 places every American should know or visit. I had also spent most of the day working on our next statewide historic preservation plan. These two things collided in my brain and sparked an idea.
Why not crowdsource a list of the 50 PA Places every Pennsylvanian should know from Pennsylvanians like you?
And why not use that list to talk about the importance of preserving those places that tell the commonwealth’s unique and diverse stories?
And – one more! – why not use that list to illustrate the next statewide historic preservation plan?
Grey Towers, the former home of Pennsylvania Governor Gifford Pinchot, is one of my favorite places to visit.
To kick off this endeavor, we added a question to the statewide plan survey we launched last month: what is your suggestion for a Pennsylvania place every Pennsylvanian should know?
We’ll compile a list once the survey closes of the 50 places with the most suggestions and start collecting stories and photos for the plan.
Here are just a few coming out on top:
- Gettysburg, Adams County
- Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell, Philadelphia
- Meadowcroft Rockshelter, Avella, Washington County
- Point State Park, Pittsburgh Allegheny County
- Yuengling Brewery, Pottsville, Schuylkill County
- Dennis Farm, Susquehanna County
- Grey Towers, Milford, Pike County
- Conneaut Lake, Crawford County
Historic Conneaut Lake in Crawford County.
Make sure your place is on the list!
Send us your suggestion by taking the short statewide plan survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PAPreservationPlan2024.
Nice to see this. Signing up.
Crawford County is where my husband’s ancestors first settled in PA in that mid-late 1700’s. Have further information -not able to share at this particular moment.