As we mentioned in our recent post about new archaeology guidelines, The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), and PHMC partnered with URS Corporation to develop a statewide pre-contact archaeological predictive model for Pennsylvania. The project involved developing statistical models to analyze the landscape at known Native American archaeological sites in Pennsylvania and extrapolating identified patterns to all areas of the commonwealth. Due to the variability of environments and pre-contact cultures throughout Pennsylvania, many different models were produced for different areas. One of the major accomplishments of the project is a complete statewide layer of archaeological sensitivity aggregated from 132 spatial subareas. This has been included in CRGIS as a pair of layers that indicate high and moderate probability.

A summary report is available through PennDOT’s ProjectPATH. The authors, Matthew D. Harris, Robert G. Kingsley, and Andrew R. Sewell from URS (now AECOM), have provided a very thorough description of the modeling process in that document, and I highly recommend it to those who want to understand how it was created. For those who want the 10,000 foot view of the process, here are some of the basics:

Caveats:

• Only Pre-Contact sites considered
• Based on existing site files
• Different models in different places (depending upon data available)
• Not field verified (YET!)

The state was divided into Regions, Sections, and Subarea defined by combination of Physiographic Zones, Watersheds, and Topography:

• 10 Regions, based on Physiographic Zones
• 66 Sections, based on watersheds within regions
• 132 Subareas – two per Section
  • Riverine
  • Upland

Pennsylvania Pre-Contact Predictive Model Regions

Within each subarea, variables were calculated on various groupings of:

• Digital Elevation Models
• National Wetland Inventory (NWI) (streams, wetlands, and water bodies)
• United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) soils data
• Historical Data

Overall, 91 secondary variables were developed that:

• Represent environment
• Many based on some form of distance
  • Euclidian, cost, vertical…
• Analyzed by subarea
• Used most discriminate 10-15
• Tested for redundancy

The entire state was gridded and ranked:

• 10 m grids
• Rated low, moderate, or high
• Aggregated into 30 m grid
  • Highest value prevails
• Thematic mapping = color coded

Thresholds for dividing into the three levels were based on some basic statistical assumptions:

• 85% of the sites will be found in 33% of the landscape
• No more than 33% of the true-negative observations will be classified as sensitive

The actual final project deliverable is a set of algorithms that can be run again and again to update the model in the future as more data are received. The results of the current run of data gave us a value for each 10m square of surface area across the entire state. These were aggregated into 30m squares and mapped as the layers that your see now in CRGIS. Registered archaeologists and planners can find the tool on the legend between ‘Political Boundaries’ and ‘Environmental.’  Although the ‘High’ and ‘Moderate’ layers can be selected separately, both should be considered when evaluating the archaeological potential of a project area.

Screen Shot of CRGIS Pre-Contact Predictive Model layers

Areas for which the models give a low probability of containing pre-contact archaeological sites will have no color; the other two layers are semi-transparent, so they can be layered on top of either the topographic maps or the aerial photography. It is important to remember that there are only these two colors!  If you see more than two, these other color variations will be the result of the colorations on the base maps or other layers.

Ideally, the model would take into account previous ground disturbance, but there is no current way to accurately map disturbance. Complete land use cover is not currently available for Pennsylvania, and such coverage does not necessarily coincide with disturbance that could affect archaeological potential, so disturbance was not considered in the model. As a general rule, the model should be viewed on top of the aerial photography to look for obvious previous disturbance, like the modern housing development in this illustration, and field verified.

Screenshot of CRGIS Pre-Contact PRedictive Model layers

The models are in the early stages of their lifecycle and will be continually evaluated and occasionally updated. For proper use of the models in Cultural Resource Management investigations, please see the SHPO Guidelines for Archaeological Investigations in Pennsylvania (May 2016). 

The datasets upon which the model was based were extracted at the start of the process in Fall 2013.  As one test of the model, we have an ongoing intern project to map surveys that have been submitted to SHPO since then against the model layers. We are recording the percentage of the project in each probability zone, the methods used to test each area, and whether or not sites were found. We are also looking at newly recorded sites to see where they fit in the models. At the end of this summer we will be evaluating their data to see if we can determine how effective the model is in various regions.

These models are intended to be used as a planning tool and are not a substitute for consultation with the PA SHPO. The models only evaluate the potential for pre-contact sites. The probability of the presence of Contact Period and historic archaeological sites should still be evaluated using historic documentation.

These layers are currently available to registered archaeological and planner users of CRGIS. For more information about registering – just visit our website for requirements and directions

45 communities in Pennsylvania have a formal working relationship with the Pennsylvania State Historic Preservation Office (PASHPO) on a variety of preservation-related programs and projects. Known as Certified Local Governments (CLGs) these communities represent a broad geographic, demographic and economic swath across the Commonwealth. From Philadelphia (Pop. 1.5 million) to Mercersburg, Franklin County (Pop. 1500) and located in over a third of Pennsylvania counties, the CLG program provides exclusive funding and technical assistance for local governments. The CLG program is one of several federal programs administered by the PASHPO; in this case, the National Park Service provides guidance, rules and funding for the CLG program.    

Three communities in the PASHPO Western Region deliver a portrait of the range of preservation activities CLGs embark upon and illustrate how the City of Bradford, Moon Township and Pittsburgh have used the CLG program to leverage their preservation programs.  A few months ago, this post focused on the great work they’re doing in City of Bradford, McKean County.  Today we’re looking at Moon Township, and later this summer, we’ll talk about what’s happening in Pittsburgh.

Moon Township is one of Pennsylvania’s newer CLGs, entering the program in 2011. Incorporated in 1788, Moon is one of the oldest towns in Allegheny County and for much of its history was a quiet agricultural community. Located atop the south bluffs of the Ohio River less than 20 miles from downtown Pittsburgh, in the early-mid 20^th century many grand summer homes were built in Moon by Pittsburgh industrialists eager to escape the heat and pollution of area’s industrial river valleys.

Roselea Farm, a c. 1905 summer home in Moon Township. Photo by Laura Ricketts, Skelly & Loy in Moon Township Preservation Plan, PA SHPO files.

Moon Township’s population exploded after World War II with the completion of Pittsburgh International Airport in 1952 (PIT had a Moon mailing address until recently) and the US Route 22/30 highway corridor which connected the airport with downtown Pittsburgh. As a result, Moon became an early post-war commuter suburb and as such has a rich and interesting suburban story to go along with its early Euro-American and industrial settlement history.

c. 1960 home, Moon Township. Photo by Laura Ricketts, Skelly & Loy in Moon Township Preservation Plan, PA SHPO files.

Part of Moon’s history includes a significant WW II home-front story. Overlooking Neville Island, Moon Township’s Mooncrest neighborhood was built as defense worker housing. During WWII Neville Island was home of the Dravo Corporation shipyards where hundreds of Landing Ship Tank (LST) craft were built. Virtually every water-based invasion led by Allied troops in the war used the huge LSTs which transported equipment, troops and supplies to beachheads across the globe.

The USS LST 325 in 2010. Photo by Bill Callahan, PA SHPO.

Many of the shipbuilders at Dravo—women and men–lived in the US government-built Mooncrest neighborhood, located only a 1 ½ miles downstream but nearly 300 vertical feet above Neville Island.

2009 View of Neville Island from Overlook Park, Mooncrest neighborhood. Photo by Bill Callahan, PA SHPO.

In the decades following the war, Mooncrest suffered from a variety of ills. Physically separated from most of Moon Township, Mooncrest has limited access to services such as grocery and convenience stores, healthcare and recreation. In recent years much of the neighborhood has converted to rental residential and many property owners live outside Moon Township. The neighborhood recently lost access to public transportation due to Port Authority budget cuts.

The former Moon Neighborhood Association property in Mooncrest in 2009. Photo by Bill Callahan, PA SHPO.

To help raise awareness about the Township’s historic character but especially to spur interest and investment in Mooncrest, Moon Township has undertaken a number of cutting-edge preservation-related projects and programs using a combination of their own general funds, CLG grants, and Keystone Historic Preservation Project Grant funding.

Several years ago the Township passed a preservation ordinance to help guide sensitive, cost effective rehabilitation projects in Mooncrest. In early 2013 the Township successfully nominated Mooncrest to the National Register of Historic Places (The Mooncrest Historic District is Key #125935). The National Register nomination was part of a larger project that included development of a Moon Area School District history/social studies lesson plan based on Mooncrest’ s history, a popular publication dedicated to the history of Mooncrest and was funded in part by a Keystone Historic Preservation Grant.

In late 2013 Moon Township completed an historic preservation plan that outlines several relatively simple, practical recommendations for future preservation-related work. The Township’s preservation plan was funded in part by a Keystone Preservation Project grant and was aided by extensive technical assistance from PASHPO staff.  You can take a look at Moon Township’s outstanding historic preservation plan here: http://www.moontwp.com/pdf/2014_preservation_plan.pdf.

Township of Moon Historic Preservation Plan cover by T&B Planning, Inc. Source: PA SHPO files.

This past year, implementing a preservation plan recommendation, Moon received Certified Local Government funding to help pay for a market study and analysis of the Mooncrest neighborhood based in part on the neighborhood’s significant history and location. This market study provides vital data to the Township, Mooncrest property owners and residents to help guide investment in the neighborhood.  To take a look at the groundbreaking Mooncrest neighborhood market study, visit: http://fourtheconomy.com/publication/view/mooncrest-economic-and-market-analysis/.

Cover of Mooncrest Economic & Market Study Analysis, designed by Fourth Economy Consulting. Source: PA SHPO files.

Moon Township’s HARB members have worked tirelessly to promote the principles of historic preservation in the community and have been leaders in developing strategies to help residents understand the value of preservation. Like many dedicated municipal employees, Moon CLG staff Lora Dombrowski wears an astonishing number of hats but still provides unparalleled, thoughtful leadership for the Township. The Township supervisors and many community members have consistently supported the efforts of the HARB and municipal staff and have shown that thoughtful planning for preservation developed through hard work and a relatively small amount of funding can provide great benefits to a community. The PASHPO is proud to have been a part of these efforts through its CLG and other programs.

Several months ago, my colleague Cory Kegerise wrote a blog highlighting his childhood memories visiting Hopewell Furnace as part of the National Park Service’s #FindYourPark campaign .  He inspired me to make sure my kids had the same experiences and appreciated the plethora of historic sites throughout the Commonwealth.  So one Friday in late March when my kids were off from school, we went in search of our own #FindYourPark adventure.  In case you are not familiar with the initiative, Americans are encouraged to share their thoughts, reflections, and aspects about their favorite National Park as part of the National Park Service’s Centennial Celebration.  Most of the #FindYourPark stories speak of the National Park System’s natural wonders and green bucolic open space.  Our adventure may seem in contrast, but Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia with its rich civic history really sparks my interest. So we set off to explore the colonial history and the birthplace of America. 

Independence Hall is the centerpiece of Independence National Historical Park.

Beyond the significant events that molded our nation’s history in Philadelphia, Independence National Historical Park has wonderful, high style Colonial-era architecture under the careful stewardship of the National Park Service, the City of Philadelphia, and private organizations.   Independence Hall (Key No. 001339),  Carpenter’s Hall, 320 Chestnut Street (Key No.001333), Second Bank of the United States, 420 Chestnut Street (Key No. 086871) are all clustered around Independence Square.   The small gardens and benches in the Square offered a quiet reflection behind Congress, Independence, and Old City Halls.  It really is a lovely spot.

Second Bank of the United States, Independence National Historical Park, Philadelphia

Carpenter’s Hall, Independence National Historical Park, Philadelphia

The surrounding skyline includes a mixture of modern buildings in contrast with the smaller 18^th century buildings and the newer visitor centers. The Mall is cradled like a pocket in the middle of this bustling city.  The former Rohm and Haas Corporate Headquarters (now Dow Chemicals) is seen over the Liberty Bell Center.  The building was completed in 1965 and listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2007. The Mall’s ample open space encouraged teenagers to relax and catch some rays while families stopped to play an impromptu game of soccer while they rested for their next tour. It reminded me of the National Mall in Washington DC where I watched both an impromptu softball and   soccer game once.

The former Rohm & Haas headquarters (1965) is seen at left next to the U.S. Federal Courthouse, Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, and Independence Visitor Center along the western edge of Independence Mall.

My family and I took some time to take the guided tour of Independence Hall.  Our group included international tourists from Germany, Spain and Mexico and domestic travelers from Virginia, Maryland, New York, and Ohio.  An enthusiastic group of students all the way from California rounded out our group.  Our Park Service guide carefully explained the significant events that occurred there as well as the building’s dual role as the Pennsylvania State House.  I found myself fascinated with the paneled walls in the Supreme Court Chamber with its curved niches and hidden cabinet doors.  The other Chamber was just as fascinating with tall windows and coved ceiling.  But it was the grand stair at the rear of the building that really caught my eye.  The carved stair with punched, gouged and carved ornamentation was exceptional!  The level of craftsmanship that went into the execution of these details astounded me!

Detail of the central staircase in Independence Hall.

The National Park Service also displays some of the surviving copies of the Declaration of Independence, Articles of Confederation, and the Constitution of the United States in the Great Essentials exhibit in the west wing of Independence Hall.  Those important documents along with the silver inkstand purportedly used to sign both the Declaration and the Constitution, made the experience so much more tangible in understanding the historical events that took place in that great building.

Our trip to discover the birthplace of our nation would not be complete without stopping to see Benjamin Franklin’s grave at Christ Church Burial Ground on the corner of 5^th and Arch Streets (Key No. 001341) or wandering around the American Philosophical Society’s Museum, 104 South 5^th Street (Key No. 001319).  PHMC is a partner in both properties through our Keystone Grant program so I was familiar with the stewardship and preservation efforts both organizations have undertaken.  We still had the opportunity to experience the wonder of nature in a very controlled environment of the National Park Service’s 18th century garden on Willing Alley.  Of course our visit in late March saw many of the plants still in their dormant phase but the boxwoods and walkways are evidently very well cared for.

American Philosophical Society, Philosophical Hall (1785-89), Independence National Historical Park, Philadelphia. By Beyond My Ken (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC BY-SA 4.0-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Karen Arnold has found her park!

by Elizabeth Shultz

From June 6-8, 250 of Pennsylvania’s spiffiest preservationists made Lewisburg, PA the most happening scene in the Commonwealth during the 2016 Statewide Conference on Heritage, and – by all accounts – every beach bunny, bookbuster, cat, chick, cool head, dove, dude, flap jaw, flower child, fox, hodad, hot dog, hunk, mop-top, mover, skirt, and teenie bopper in attendance had a totally way out blast! As you whiz kids out there may know, 2016 is the year that the preservation community is celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of the utterly rad National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, and part of that wicked celebration involves recognizing, praising, and engaging with Pennsylvania’s diverse and awesome communities that exist throughout the state.

In keeping with the celebratory Preservation50 goals to “unite partners across sectors in the largest, most diverse, and most collaborative preservation coalition in history; organize discussions of critical topics that connect lessons learned with new strategies; lay the groundwork for greater credibility and influence in subsequent years; [and] forge programs that build the capacity of emerging leaders capable of transformative action,” the planners of this year’s Statewide Conference on Heritage decided to embrace the preservation field’s renewed emphasis on community by eschewing a typical conference venue in favor of the delightful opportunity to make meaningful connections in Lewisburg. This community connection was accomplished through the presentation of engaging conference sessions inside several of the many wonderful local businesses that thrive along historic Market Street in Lewisburg, rather than limit conference operations in one space or conference center.

The Campus Theatre, Lewisburg, PA. Photo by Elizabeth Shultz

Interior of the Campus Theater, Lewisburg, PA. Photo by Don Giles.

One of the highlights of the conference was the opportunity for all attendees to interact with the Campus Theatre, a meticulously restored Lewisburg community landmark. Centrally and prominently located on historic Market Street, the David Supowitz-designed art deco Campus Theatre has been a cultural mainstay of the Lewisburg area since January of 1941, and it continues to serve the public today through a model town-and-gown partnership between Bucknell University and the non-profit group The Campus Theatre, Ltd. The fruits of this flourishing and exemplary preservation partnership were highlighted during conference sessions that included the plenary session entitled “If the Past Teaches, What Does the Future Learn?” which featured Lewisburg Mayor Judith T. Wagner, Christopher Wilson of the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, and Jason Illari, the Executive Director of the Cumberland County Historical Society, as well as other sessions like “A New Generation of Highway Planning: Balancing Transportation and Landscape” with SEDA COG’s Steven Herman, Brenda Barrett of the Living Landscape Observer, Matt Beck of PennDOT, Trish Carothers of the Susquehanna Greenway Partnership, and Kelly Rossiter of PA DCNR. These sessions, as well as others that were held in the Campus Theatre, served to demonstrate the importance of building, maintaining, and nourishing partnerships between preservation organizations and various community advocacy and governmental allies.

The Community Room in Bucknell University’s Barnes & Noble bookstore. Photo by Don Giles.

The other conference sessions venues – the Bucknell University Barnes & Noble bookstore and the cherished local eatery Elizabeth’s Bistro – were located near the Campus Theatre on historic Market Street and both businesses further represent the assets that community connections are to the successful completion of historic preservation goals. Bucknell University’s Barnes & Noble bookstore is a successful Rehabilitation Investment Tax Credit project, and the interior retains charming original details while being a thriving community asset. Barnes & Noble hosted conference sessions that included “They Can’t All Be Victorians: When Old Houses Have No ‘Style’” with Pamela Reilly of DCED, Jerry Clouse of McCormick Taylor, and Lu Donnelly, and “Diving Deep into PA SHPO’s Updated Archaeological Guidelines” with Douglas McLearen, Kira Heinrich, and Steve McDougal, all of the PA SHPO. Elizabeth’s Bistro is a charming local restaurant that is located within a carefully maintained historic building on Market Street, and the restaurant clearly embraces its historic architectural details on both the interior and exterior. Thus, Elizabeth’s Bistro very appropriately hosted conference sessions that included “Community Revitalization: Preservation Gut Check” with Scott Doyle of the PA SHPO, Josh Hankey of Royal Square Development, and Trey Barbour of Trek Development.

Historic building in Lewisburg, PA. Photo by Elizabeth Shultz.

In addition to formal conference sessions, the 2016 Statewide Conference on Heritage embraced the theme of community connections by further encouraging conference attendees to become familiar with Lewisburg via organized walking tours with knowledgeable local guides – such as Lewisburg’s Elm Street Manager, Samantha Pearson, who led the “Going with the Flow: Rivertown Walking Tour,” and  Tom Greaves, Ted Strosser, Linda Sterling who each lead walking tours of different neighborhoods of Lewisburg. These tours, as well as other conference-orchestrated events, encouraged conference attendees to stroll through local businesses and dine in a number of the many local independent restaurants that are found in downtown Lewisburg.

Elizabeth Shultz enjoying tome treats from Purity Candy, which opened on historic Market Street in Lewisburg, PA in 1907.

The events, sessions, and networking conversations that served to connect those members of Pennsylvania’s professional preservation arena with community advocates and local partners, businesses, and passionate citizens were all made possible through the contributions of the conference sponsors, and the organizers and attendees of the 2016 Statewide Conference on Heritage are extremely grateful for their support!

Last, but certainly not least – a huge thank you goes out to the City of Lewisburg – Mayor Judith T. Wagner, Lewisburg business owners, and Lewisburg residents – all of whom welcomed a deluge of preservationists into their city with open arms and truly demonstrated the impossible-to-understate significance of the role that diverse community partners have in successful historic preservation in the Commonwealth. Here’s to the next fifty years of heritage celebration in Pennsylvania!

Elizabeth Shultz is a Cultural Resources GIS Specialist and Survey Coordinator at the Pennsylvania SHPO. She has a BA in Public History from the honors college at Lock Haven University, a master’s degree in Historic Preservation from Tulane University’s School of Architecture, and is a National Development Council certified Historic Real Estate Finance Professional.

June… school’s out, summer officially arrives, vacations galore, and lots of great preservation work going on. I myself just got back from a nice long weekend in the PA Wilds, and they deserve a Shout Out for the amazing work they’re doing to promote the natural and historical wonders of this region. I didn’t want to come home from the quaint cottage we stayed in along Pine Creek but I knew you’d all be waiting for this month’s Shout Out and I didn’t want to disappoint.

First, some archaeology news…

I recently read about this interesting project at Camp Michaux in the Michaux State Forest in Cumberland County and thought it deserved a Shout-Out. Camp Michaux is on South Mountain along  the Appalachian Trail and was determined eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places in 2009. An Indiana University of Pennsylvania archaeology student working on her Master’s degree is currently conducting some archaeological survey work at the site of the former World War II Pine Grove Furnace POW camp. This specialized interrogation camp for high-profile POWs was built in 1933 as a Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) camp before WWII and as a church camp after the war. The PA Dept of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) and PHMC worked together to issue the necessary permits for this study, which will send new light on an under-studied area of WWII. Thank you for this great work!

One of PHMC’s state historical markers at Camp Michaux. November 2014. By Jumpmaster1906 (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons.

We’ve just recently learned that two projects in Pennsylvania are recipients of the National Park Service’s Maritime Heritage Grants Program for the 2015 federal fiscal year. In this round, 34 grants in 19 states at a total of $2,580,197.37 were awarded to a variety of projects that range from underwater archaeology to preservation to maritime education. PHMC, with help from PA SHPO, administers these grants in Pennsylvania.

• The Philadelphia Ship Preservation Guild was awarded $100,088 for the restoration of the Boat Deck and Hull on the 1902 Tug named Jupiter. This 113-yr old continuously operating vessel will have the deck replaced and be dry docked as a step toward making the Jupiter more accessible.
• For those who find submarines more interesting, the Independence Seaport Museum will be using their $50,000 grant to support the development, publication, and management of a new mobile app that will “immerse” in the history of the Submarine Becuna and those who served on it from the mid-1940s through the late 1960s.

The USS Becuna was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.

Meanwhile, out in Pittsburgh…

A Shout-Out goes to Pittsburgh Park Conservancy and Pittsburgh’s Mellon Square, which was one of four national winners for Docomomo’s 2016 Modernism in America Design Award of Excellence. Other winners of this year’s top honor are the Golden State Mutual Life Insurance Building (Los Angeles, CA), Frederick and Harriet Rauh Residence (Cincinnati, OH), and the Michigan Modern.

Mellon Square from the Pittsburgh Central Downtown Historic District nomination. Photo by Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation, October 2006.

Cited in the Civic/Institutional category, Mellon Square was designed by architects Mitchell & Ritchey and landscape architects Simonds & Simonds and opened in 1955 as the country’s first urban park designed with an integral underground garage to support the surrounding office buildings. After decades of decline, the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy headed a team to prepare a preservation and management plan to guide the years-long, $10 million dollar rehabilitation of the park features and landscape. Congrats to the entire team!

Mellon Square is a contributing site in the Pittsburgh Downtown Central Historic District, which was expanded and updated in 2012 (Key #156803). It is not only an amazing mid-century modern property on its own, but it’s also part of one of the best urban spaces in Pennsylvania. The Omni-William Penn hotel (the former Alcoa world headquarters building), Osterling’s Union Trust Building, the underappreciated former US Steel/Mellon Bank Building, the former Gimbel’s Department Store (now Heinz 57 Building), the Beaux Art  James Reed Building, and Daniel Burnham’s Oliver Building all border the Square itself. Together, these places represent some of the best commercial architecture and urban planning trends of the first 60 years of the 20^th century. And, I’m also happy to report that five of the buildings I just listed are former or on-going Rehabilitation Investment Tax Credit projects.

Feeling proud about their National Register listings…

The Caernarvon Historical Society in Churchtown, Lancaster County held a special plaque dedication event on June 5^th to celebrate the recent listing of the Caernarvon Presbyterian Church (Key #070878) in the National Register of Historic Places. This small 1834 church, now the headquarters for the historical society, was built adjacent to an existing burial ground on the land owned by local ironmaster, Robert Jenkins. The exterior of the church is a colorful patchwork of limestone, ironstone, sandstone, and fieldstone and the interior features ten rows of wood pews, thick plaster walls, and the original oil chandelier. It was used by the local Presbyterian community until 1870, after which it was rented to other local denominations.

Caernarvon Presbyterian Church, April 2015. Photo by David Maher/PHMC.

In Montgomery County, officials from Hatfield Borough were unveiled a plaque for the recently-listed borough electric substation, lock-up, and firehouse (Key #201051). The plaque and ribbon cutting at the building was a highlight at this year’s Founder’s Day festival that celebrates the early days and history of Hatfield. Borough officials and the Hatfield History Museum have been working for several years to list the property, built in 1908 to supply residents with electricity from nearby Souderton Borough in the National Register. Eventually the small, one-story, square brick building housed the Borough’s one jail cell and provided a home to the first fire truck until 1925. The building is listed under Criterion A for its association with the development of municipal electric service in suburban Philadelphia and played an important multi-functional role in the community.

Hatfield Borough Substation, Lock up, and Firehouse photo from National Register nomination. Photo by David Kimmerly, 2014.

Just a quick note about the National Register plaques… the PA SHPO and the National Park Service do not provide plaques for properties listed in the National Register. If you’re interested in a plaque, please check out this FAQ for more information.

That’s it for this month, folks. As always, my last SHPO Shout-Out is to thank you for all the good work you do every day to preserve, protect, and promote our historic places!

P.S.

If you or your friends and colleagues are involved in or hear about great preservation happening in Pennsylvania,

please email me at ssplain@pa.gov with your suggestions! While I can’t promise that it will get covered in the monthly Shout-Out, I can promise that we’ll add it to our growing list of great preservation work happening across Pennsylvania. Thanks!

The warm days of summer almost always mean that the PA SHPO has a new group of interns on board and a number of special projects underway. That is certainly true for summer 2016 as new faces and new ideas brighten our cubicle world in the Commonwealth Keystone Building. This year we are hosting two PHMC Keystone interns, four collaborative PA SHPO/PennDOT cultural resource interns and three short-term project employees.

Our Keystone Intern Program interns are:

Keystone interns Sam and Monica

Sam Leach         

Sam is a native of Jasper, NY and a rising senior at Grove City College in western PA where he is a dual major in History and Political Science.   He is working on a project that has been underway for some time, the clean-up of historic and archeological files in the Allegheny National Forest (ANF). Sam is assisting in the preparation of a National Register nomination form for the Irvine Estate located within the ANF. This is not Sam’s first hands on experience in the preservation/museum field—he is a volunteer at the historic Cascade Theater and Film Museum in New Castle, PA where he has served as the curator of an exhibit on the history of super heroes in film. Sam has broad academic interests and is considering a variety of future endeavors from a career in preservation, law or environmental policies.   He has enjoyed this internship opportunity as a chance to gain insight into the inner workings of government agencies.

Monica Wilson               

Monica is from Duncannon, PA and holds a BA in History from St. Mary of the Woods College in Indiana. She is currently a graduate student at Shippensburg University pursuing a master’s degree in Applied History. History has always held a special appeal for Monica and she has pursued that interest through volunteering at a number of historic sites and museums including the Perry Historians, the Craighead House and Carlisle Indian School in Cumberland County. Monica has completed projects involving oral history, genealogy, and museum exhibit design and website development reflecting her commitment to making history more inclusive and accessible to the public.    As an intern she is working on a project in the Allegheny National Forest to develop a comprehensive bibliography for the listing of the Cornplanter Grant in the National Register. Monica enjoys research and writing and hopes to one day write a book in the historic fiction genre about the lives of Pennsylvanians Conrad Weiser and Andrew Montour.

The PA SHPO/ PennDOT interns include:

Haley (left), Klansee (in red), and JaShawn (in blue) are our PennDOT interns.  Susan Landis, at right, is a fellow archaeologist.

JaShawn Combs

Jay is from Dayton, Ohio and completed a bachelor’s degree in Anthropology at Miami University of Ohio before beginning his graduate studies in Applied Anthropology at Northern Arizona University. He was drawn to this field of study by an interest in both science and history and is working on his graduate thesis involving photogrammetry or three-dimensional imaging of historic/archeological structures.  Jay has selected a site in western Pennsylvania as a test digital model for his research.   His first day as an intern began with the PA Preservation Heritage Conference in Lewisburg and he enjoyed the sudden immersion into historic places and preservation issues.   His career plans include working for a state or federal agency doing public or project compliance archeology. Jay says that the width, beauty and array of amenities along the Susquehanna River have been one of the most unexpected pleasures of his time in Harrisburg.

Haley Hoffman

Haley hails from Halifax, PA and is a senior at George Mason University in Fairfax, VA studying Anthropology and Archeology. She has been interested in history and anthropology since her work in high school doing surface artifact collecting at the site of Fort Halifax.   She hopes to pursue a master’s degree with a focus on historical archaeology. This summer she is working to test the accuracy of the archeological predictive model and has been focusing her efforts on sites in Lycoming County. Haley was pleased to have the opportunity to take part in the Preservation Heritage Conference and noted that this internship has allowed her to see the need for cultural resource management everywhere she goes.  She sees a future for herself in that field as well.

Huy Pham

Huy is from Muncie, Indiana and is now a graduate student at Ball State University pursuing dual master’s degrees in Historic Preservation and Communications. He also holds a BS in Architecture from the same university. Huy’s studies and academic pursuits have been guided by his creative abilities and desire to re-imagine and re-make places to better serve the needs of people. As an intern Huy is working on the Agricultural History Project to develop user-friendly templates to better share the information that has been gathered on Pennsylvania’s complex and important farming past. He is also spending time on updating the inventory of historic metal truss bridges. Prior to coming to the PA SHPO, Huy helped develop a comprehensive preservation plan for his hometown of Muncie and volunteered at the Evansville Museum of Art, History and Science and also the African American Museum there. Huy is still exploring options for his post-graduate career, but his future will include a continued interest in ways to improve the built environment.

Klansee Stevens

Klansee of Barberton, Ohio is a senior at the University of Akron majoring in Interdisciplinary Anthropology. This summer she is living in Lititz, a charming historic community which was the first in Pennsylvania to establish a municipal historic district. Klansee has enjoyed the chance to drive through a historic covered bridge every day on her way to work—an unexpected perk of life in Lancaster County. Her internship project at the PA SHPO involves testing the archeological predictive model through the application of real survey data. Klansee has taken advantage of weekend opportunities to explore the region’s historic places and notes Harrisburg’s convenient location just a few hours’ drive to a variety of tempting destinations. Klansee has a special interest in historical archeology and hopes to pursue a master’s degree in that field in the Boston area.

Some other new faces include:

Rod (left), Susan (center), and Emily (right)

The PA SHPO has secured the services a three short-term project employees to continue or complete work on office priorities that have needed a bit of extra professional staff time.   This summer we have welcomed Susan Landis, Emily Webb and Rodney Bohner.

Susan Landis holds a master’s degree in American Studies and Museum Practice from Penn State University and works as an Archeological Field Crew Chief for AECOM, a cultural resource management and consulting firm. She is working part-time at the PA SHPO to update the mapping of newly identified archeological sites in our online mapping system, CRGIS.   In her spare time Susan also serves as the archeologist for the Indian Steps Museum in Airville, York County.

Emily Webb is a recent graduate of Vassar College with a bachelor’s degree in Geography and Anthropology. Emily had the chance to explore the preservation field when she served as a PennDOT intern and was pleased to join our office for a few months to help with several projects. Currently Emily is updating above ground historic structures survey data for entry into the CRGIS database and mapping system. She is enjoying this opportunity to learn more about the inner workings of the PA SHPO and the state’s wide array of historic and archeological resources. Emily has a special interest in the preservation and recordation of agricultural landscapes.

Rodney Bohner has a BS in Recreation, Parks & Tourism Management from Penn State University and is currently pursuing dual master’s degrees in Historic Preservation and Community & Regional Planning with a certificate in Ecological Design at the University of Oregon.   Rod works as a preservation specialist for the City of Eugene Planning Division providing assistance to the Historic Review Board and coordinating projects within the Certified Local Government (CLG) program. This summer he will be using his multidisciplinary background to the PA SHPO’s advantage on a project to advance flooding disaster planning in Pennsylvania’s historic river towns.

The PA SHPO is pleased to welcome all these short-term additions to our staff. Welcome to Harrisburg!

As part of our Preservation50 activities during this milestone year, we’d like to share some stories we think showcase the people and projects that celebrate, protect, and promote important pieces of Pennsylvania’s heritage.  The first story we want to share is about the Carver Court neighborhood in Caln Township, Chester County, just on the edge of Coatesville.  This week’s blog post celebrates the recent efforts made by Carver Court’s community members, a group made up of current and former residents, government officials and entities, historians, and more.  The happy outcome for this story is the listing of Carver Court in the National Register of Historic Places on May 31, 2016. 

Carver Court is significant for important contributions to our understanding of the African American experience in Coatesville and as the work of prominent architects (and social activists) George Howe, Louis Kahn, and Oscar Stonorov, who promoted quality affordable, modern, and equitable public housing.  The National Register nomination, which you can read through this CRGIS link, explains the relationship between the Coatesville area steel industry and the African American community, outlines how the federal government provided worker housing for industries supporting WWII defense efforts, discusses the motivations and goals of the architects involved in designing Carver Court, and provides personal insights about living in this tight-knit neighborhood by current and former residents.

Blueprint showing the layout of the Carver Court development, originally known as Foundry Street Project, and the arrangement of the “A,” “B,” and “C” type houses. Image courtesy of the Louis I. Kahn Collection, University of Pennsylvania Architectural Archives.

Most of our staff first learned about Carver Court in 2011 when the SHPO was contacted because of a potential threat. Previously, this 1944 community was known to only a few members of our staff who were actively engaged in a statewide study of African American resources. While Carver Court had not yet been formally recorded by our office nor entered into our Cultural Resources GIS database, the community was known to local historians familiar with the Coatesville area’s steel and African American heritage, and to scholars of mid-century architecture.

While most of the homes in Carver Court were duplexes or rows, three of the buildings (the Type “A” plans) are four-plexes, with two units up and two down. Image courtesy of the Louis I. Kahn Collection, University of Pennsylvania Architectural Archives.

In 2011, plans were unveiled to create a “solar farm” with thousands of solar panels proposed to cover 35 acres of the hillside above Carver Court. The National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 created a process by which federal agencies providing permits, licenses, or funding to make such projects possible must first consider the impact of the project on historic resources, and consult with the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO). A similar spirit of consideration and consultation is found within the Pennsylvania State History Code, for state agencies involved in private or public projects. Such project reviews often result in our office learning about a potential historic resource for the first time.

Historic view of the distinctive “C” type houses, designed with carports, utility rooms, and storage space on the first floor and living space on the second. The original wood siding has been replaced with vinyl or aluminum throughout the neighborhood, and some carport bays have been enclosed and converted to living space—an option intentionally made possible by the original design. Image courtesy of the Louis I. Kahn Collection, University of Pennsylvania Architectural Archives.

Carver Court had not been previously recorded in SHPO files or our Cultural Resources GIS database, and the information submitted to our office for the project review did not indicate that Carver Court might be a historic resource. The proposed project wasn’t planned to directly impact any houses, or the nearby Veterans Hospital or School District complex, and the steep slope of the project area made the presence of archeological resources unlikely. So, our office’s initial review did not find that the project would have any adverse effect on historic resources. There were local concerns being expressed, however, that clearing the wooded slope and converting the land for solar panel installation may create water runoff issues that could be problematic for the environment and the homeowners below.

Historic photo of a completed home’s interior, looking from the dining area out to the curving street. Often defense-related housing was intended to provide a temporary solution to housing demands, but these homes were designed to be permanent and featured the modern conveniences of the period. Image courtesy of the Louis I. Kahn Collection, University of Pennsylvania Architectural Archives.

Coincidentally, the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia was researching postwar properties, and assigned intern Allee (Berger) Davis the task of looking into Carver Court. The Alliance was impressed with what they were learning about the neighborhood. Allee began reading local news articles recounting public meetings regarding the solar farm project, and the Alliance realized that people may not be fully aware and appreciative of Carver Court’s history, and the many ways it is important. The Alliance decided to feature Carver Court in its 2012 Endangered Properties List, to bring attention to an overlooked part of our past. Carver Court resident Jane Kennedy saw her community featured on the Alliance’s website, and reached out to their staff to learn how to do more. Allee turned her research into a complete Resource Survey Form so that our office could assess National Register eligibility. Her efforts were successful, and our office agreed that this place was indeed important, and eligible for listing.

One of the many “B” plan houses found in Carver Court. The houses all originally had distinctive flat roofs with prominent brick chimneys. Today, many of the roofs have been replaced with gable or hipped types, and the original wood exterior siding covered with aluminum or vinyl. Photo courtesy of PASHPO.

Jane Kennedy was not satisfied with just an “eligible” finding, however. She stepped forward to take on the challenge of preparing a National Register nomination. Jane wasn’t one of the original or early residents of the community, but since moving there has become a staunch supporter and promoter of Carver Court’s history, and its present. Her excitement at handling the blueprints for the project, held in the Louis I. Kahn Collection of the University of Pennsylvania’s Architectural Archives, was barely containable. Although new to the National Register process, her persistence paid off, and the nomination moved forward slowly but surely. Jane was not working alone, though, but was part of a community of current and former residents, the township’s Historical Commission, the larger Chester County Preservation network, architectural historians intent on recognizing the work of mid-20^th Century architects and planners, and more. Pennsylvania Representative Harry Lewis, Jr.—who grew up in Carver Court—organized oral history interviews with former residents to expand on Jane’s earlier interviews, including several of his own family members, to share personal memories and perspectives. (These were recorded by local community television service 3CTV, and are intended to be available for future researchers.) Chester County’s Heritage Preservation Coordinator, Karen Marshall, prepared one of the best letters of support ever submitted on behalf of a nomination. And neighbors, former residents now living across the country, mid-century Modern architecture enthusiasts, and others were following Jane’s progress eagerly.

One of the distinctive “C” type houses, designed with carports, utilities, and storage space on the first floor and living space on the second. Photo courtesy of PASHPO.

Jane’s community, immediate and larger, came together to make the National Register listing of Carver Court a reality.  While our office lent technical support and encouragement, the nomination, subsequent oral history project, and ongoing local recognition is the result of a proud and committed community. When people unfamiliar with an area begin a survey and look for historic resources, or review potential projects, they can’t always recognize what’s really important. An outsider might look at Carver Court’s vinyl-sided, not-too-old houses and not see their importance. Our experience with Carver Court emphasizes how crucial it is to involve local residents, so that we can fully understand a place’s history, and how much responsibility the community has to ensure that their history is accurately recognized and recorded for the future. Kudos to all those community members working to bring deserving attention to Carver Court, now and for our future!

Representative Harry Lewis Jr. talks with current residents and members of the Caln Township Historical Commission about growing up in Carver Court. Photo courtesy of PASHPO.

Carver Court is being featured in the annual Chester County Town Tours and Village Walks event. Sponsored by the Caln Historical Commission, Caln Historical Society, and Friends of Carver Court, tours will be held on Thursday, August 11, beginning at 5:30pm; the last tour will leave at 7pm. In addition, tours of architect Oscar Stonorov’s own home will be offered during the next tours in Middle Pickering Historic District on August 18. To learn more about both tours, or the others offered during the summer-long series, please visit www.chesco.org/planning/towntours.

There is an immediate opening for the following position with the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission (PHMC):

Project Manager 1

THE POSITION:

This is a limited-term position expected to expire on or before June 30, 2021. The position responsible for directing the construction and implementation of a new State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) electronic data management system and moving the project forward through all steps to completion.

DESCRIPTION OF WORK:

The incumbent:

• Manages the project in accordance with the specifications of the new system to be detailed as part of the to-be completed Business Needs Analysis.
• Leads testing, implementation, training, and trouble-shooting of the new system in coordination with technical advice of SHPO Management Team.
• Carries out pre-project planning and coordination.
• Ensures project scope and implementation schedules are feasible, acceptable, and adhered to for all impacted groups.
• Defines project-related contractor and staff roles and responsibilities.
• Supervises commonwealth staff and contractual employees responsible for data cleanup, migration of data, training, or other project related activities.
• Prioritizes and assigns project-related work to commonwealth staff and contractual employees responsible for data cleanup and/or migration of data, training, or other project-related activities.
• Coordinates project budget and contractor payments with the PHMC Fiscal Office.
• Monitors project progress and quality control check points through the project management SharePoint site.
• Ensures processes are followed to successfully create and implement schedules that are feasible and acceptable to all impacted program areas.
• Conducts project and post-project reviews and meetings, both internal and external.
• Creates project documentation through standard commonwealth project management forms and the appropriate retention of archival records produced as a result of project implementation.
• Facilitates coordination and communication between consultants contracted to construct the new electronic system and commonwealth staff.
• Ensures changes to project scope are documented and agreed to by the SHPO Management Team.
• Facilitates and coordinates work efforts of contractor and staff within all applicable program areas.
• Works collaboratively and cooperatively with SHPO Management Team, contractors, and any other appropriate entity to ensure project accountability.
• Develops and adheres to a communication plan which will be developed in two parts: internal communication among staff and agency partners and external staff/agency communication with the public and external partners.
• Provides updates to Management Team at project status meetings.
• Notifies SHPO Management Team of project timelines, milestones, phases, work request target dates, and approved executable work packages.
• Disseminates technical information on a variety of project-related IT topics to the SHPO staff.
• Researches and provides costs of new equipment, software, and/or services as a procurement package to the program office, including any specialized instructions based on agency or contract stipulations. Provides support to SHPO staff throughout deployment on project-related technology.
• Ensures the process for recording and reporting IT assets is feasible, effective, and accurate.
• Ensures processes are followed for accurate IT asset reporting.

Incumbent is responsible to be familiar with PHMC general safety rules and safety rules specific to this position; for working in a safe manner and following all PHMC safety rules; to immediately report all workplace injuries or incidents to their supervisor; and to immediately correct any safety hazards in the work area or report same to supervisor. Performs other related duties at the direction of the bureau director.

 HOW TO APPLY: 

This position is filled through a Non-Civil Service process coordinated through the Bureau of State Employment (BSE).  All applications must go through BSE’s employment website at www.employment.pa.gov.  We cannot accept any applications directly.  Please see below how to apply:

From www.employment.pa.gov, click on the Job Opportunities tab under Non-Civil Service. Scroll to the chart and select the position titled “Project Manager 1”.  If interested, click on “Apply.” If you are not currently registered with NEOGOV, you may create an account and apply for this or any other listed category.  Registration is free.  Returning applicants should enter their current username and password, and follow the steps to create a profile and apply under Project Manager 1 category. If you have any questions during the application process, please contact the Bureau of State Employment at 717.787.5703.

Applications are due July 25, 2016.

Required Experience:

Two years of experience as a Business Analyst 3; OR Two years of experience in leading IT systems development or implementation projects and a bachelor’s degree; OR An equivalent combination of experience and training that includes two years of experience in leading IT systems development or implementation projects.

Additional Information:

Employment Type: Limited-Term, Full-Time

Location: Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

Compensation: $58,719-$89,213/annually

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is proud to be an equal opportunity employer supporting workplace diversity.

What new challenges will preservationists face over the next 50 years?  It’s clear that the impacts on historic places by hurricanes Katrina and Sandy and other recent tropical storms, combined with growing international concern about rising sea levels, has started to “change the tide” and bring a new focus to preservation professionals.  In April and June 2016,  national and international experts in historic preservation, climate change, emergency management, architecture, and planning gathered in three U.S. states to participate in a series of “firsts” to address the threats facing the nation’s historic coastal and riverine (meaning ‘situated or dwelling beside a river’) communities from flooding and climate change. I was excited to represent the PASHPO and our Disaster Planning for Historic Properties Initiative at each of these three groundbreaking events: the Keeping History Above Water conference in Newport, Rhode Island; the Weather-It-Together Sea Level Rise Planning Charrette in Annapolis, Maryland; and the Symposium on Flooding and Pennsylvania’s Historic River Towns in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania as part of the 2016 Statewide Conference on Heritage.

Within the last five or so years, the preservation community has started talking more and more about the damage that has been done – and will be done – to the historic properties (buildings and archaeological sites alike) through climate change.  Awareness about these natural threats will likely continue to expand as storms grow in intensity and frequency as projected by climate scientists, including those here in Pennsylvania. As researchers from Penn State University’s Environmental & Natural Resources Institute (ENRI) explain, “There are substantial and increasing [inland and coastal] flood risks in Pennsylvania for both urban areas and infrastructure in rural areas. Adaptation strategies that focus on increasing flood preparedness, reducing vulnerabilities, and increasing resilience in more extreme and more frequent flooding scenarios are of high priority.” (See ENRI’s May 2015 Pennsylvania Climate Impacts Assessment Update, prepared for the PA Department of Environmental Protection, for more details.) It is important that historic places are not only included, but prioritized, in such strategies due to the vital role they play in communities’ unique cultural identity and sense-of-place.

Each of the three events I am going to talk about below was very timely and their locations apropos:  they are responding to the urgent climate change issues of sea-level-rise and increasingly frequent and severe riverine flooding, and they were convened this year while the preservation community is celebrating the 50^th anniversary of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966.  As we celebrate that important legislation, which facilitated the preservation of so many historic places throughout the Keystone State and the nation, the preservation community looks back at the successes and challenges of the last half century. This milestone year also presents an opportunity for the preservation community to look forward to the next 50 years and discuss new challenges to preserving America’s historic built environment and important archaeological sites.  Climate change is at the forefront of our 21st century challenges and the three “firsts” I discuss below have given us a strong start in addressing the problem.

Keeping History Above Water, April 10-13 (Newport, RI)

This conference was organized by the Newport Restoration Foundation and hosted in a city that lays claim to one of the largest concentrations of remaining colonial-era buildings in the U.S. and is threatened by climate change.  It attracted a wide range of experts and innovators from around the United States and abroad from places that experience frequent flooding and/or have begun recently experiencing the impacts of a changing global climate, particularly rising sea levels; these places include New Orleans, Boston, Annapolis, Galveston, Scotland, the Netherlands, Venice, Iran, and others.  Keeping History Above Water did not address the causes of climate change, but rather how historic communities can and should address its associated flooding impacts, and called for out-of-the-box solutions necessary to reduce risk while preserving historic character. Highlights of the conference, for me, included the following:

• Learning about one very out-of-the-box (and apparently feasible) flood mitigation measure that could be employed for historic buildings that would allow a building to float on the surface of rising floodwaters rather than become inundated—see the Buoyant Foundation Project to learn more about “amphibious architecture”!
• A walking tour of one of Newport’s earliest settled neighborhoods, The Point, which is slowly being consumed by the sea through the course of regular and increasingly severe high-tide flooding.  One of The Point buildings, the circa-1728 home of colonial-era cabinetmaker Christopher Townsend at 74 Bridge Street, served as a primary case study throughout the 4-day conference and I had the opportunity to participate in an intensive planning workshop to identify sensitive solutions for its preservation.

This 18th century residence on Bridge Street in Newport, Rhode Island’s historic Point Neighborhood was a source of controversy and a catalyst for the April 2016 Keeping History Above Water conference when it was elevated by the current owners to better protect it from recurring coastal flooding.  The top photo is the historic residence in 2012, situated at grade; the bottom photo is the residence in 2016, perched upon a 4’9”-high stone foundation above the base flood elevation (100-year flood level).

Participants of a breakout group focused on “Understanding and Adapting Building Codes and Environmental Regulations” at a planning workshop held at the Christopher Townsend House (74 Bridge Street), held on the final day of the “Keeping History Above Water” conference in Newport, Rhode Island.

On the 3rd day of the conference, I spoke to the audience of over 300 attendees about the Philadelphia pilot project of the PASHPO’s Disaster Planning for Historic Properties Initiative, which was relevant to the conversation as Philadelphia, like Newport, is vulnerable to rising sea levels and tropical storm surge. I also explained the importance of including current information about historic places in local and state hazard mitigation plans (HMP) for planning purposes.  HMPs that include strategies for protecting historic resources could open the door for communities to receive federal funding to implement flood protection measures for their historic building stock.

Jeremy Young, Project Manager of the PA SHPO’s Disaster Planning for Historic Properties Initiative, addresses the audience at the “Keeping History Above Water” conference in Newport, Rhode Island on April 12, and discusses the importance of integrating information about historic places into FEMA-approved local and state hazard mitigation plans.  Photograph by Sarah Sutton, 2016.

You can learn more about this groundbreaking event, including about the content and speakers, by visiting the conference’s website at historyabovewater.org.

Weather-It-Together Sea Level Rise Planning Charrette, April 30 (Annapolis, MD)

The historic state capital city of Annapolis, Maryland, like Newport, Rhode Island, retains much of its early colonial-era building stock and shares another unfortunate similarity with Newport: its high vulnerability to sea level rise and increasingly frequent tidal flooding. On Saturday, April 30, the City of Annapolis, under the leadership of Historic Preservation Chief Lisa Craig, held a day-long public charrette (an intensive planning and design workshop) to identify creative and effective solutions to preserve the city’s historic downtown seaport from the rising Chesapeake Bay. Over 100 people were in attendance, from ordinary citizens to professional experts.  The charrette was part of the City of Annapolis’ larger Weather-It-Together initiative, sponsored by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the Urban Land Institute, and other organizations, that focuses on the development of a Cultural Resources Hazard Mitigation Plan; one of the first such plans in the nation.

Sign inviting members of the public to participate in the April 30 Weather-It-Together Sea Level Rise Planning Charrette at Annapolis, Maryland’s historic seaport.

I was invited by Lisa, one of the PASHPO’s key across-state-lines partners in our effort to identify sensitive risk reduction measures for the Keystone State’s flood-prone historic communities, to serve as a table moderator for the break-out sessions. I joined Nell Ziehl, Chief of the Office of Planning, Education and Outreach at the Maryland Historical Trust, at a break-out group table focused on “Cultural Resource Impacts: Adaptation Strategies.”  We collected input from concerned residents, officials, and experts in historic preservation and flood mitigation and explored alternatives, such as retrofits to keep water out of buildings (“dry floodproofing”), retrofits to invite water in (“wet floodproofing”), elevating historic buildings, and relocation.

Participants in break-out groups at the Weather-It-Together Sea Level Rise Planning Charrette in historic Annapolis, Maryland on April 30.

One of several visual summaries produced by graphic recorder Jim Nuttle of the ideas and dialogues heard during the Weather-It-Together Sea Level Rise Planning Charrette in Annapolis, Maryland on April 30.

You can learn more about the Weather-It-Together Sea Level Rise Planning Charrette and the topics that were explored that day by viewing this slideshow from the City of Annapolis.

Symposium on Flooding and Pennsylvania’s Historic River Towns, June 8 (Lewisburg, PA)

Last month, the third of the 3 major forums in the northeastern United States focused on the impacts of flooding on historic communities was held right here in the Keystone State.  The first-ever Symposium on Flooding and Pennsylvania’s Historic River Towns was held in the charming and flood-prone Borough of Lewisburg, Union County, where nearly 40% of the historic district is in the 100-year floodplain of the Susquehanna River.  This day-long event was organized and sponsored largely by the PASHPO and Preservation Pennsylvania and was held on the final day of the 2016 Statewide Conference on Heritage.

Moderator Jeremy Young of the PASHPO kicks off the first-of-its-kind Symposium on Flooding and Pennsylvania’s Historic River Towns in the historic Campus Theatre in downtown Lewisburg, Union County, on June 8.  Photo by Don Giles/PHMC.

Unlike the events in Annapolis and Newport that focused on coastal/tidal flooding, this ground-breaking convening focused on inland riverine flooding, an issue that affects hundreds of historic riverine communities in Pennsylvania.  The Commonwealth is one of the most flood-prone and flood-damaged states in the nation from because of its large and numerous rivers and streams that crisscross the land; in 2014, Pennsylvania ranked 3^rd in the nation for dollars paid from the National Flood Insurance Program to riverine communities in the state.  The symposium was designed to do a couple of key things: (1) raise awareness about the challenges historic Pennsylvania communities face in addressing and planning for flooding, particularly the magnitude of the impacts of flooding, and (2) present solutions for reducing historic buildings’ risk from flooding in a way that will result in minimal impacts to their character and integrity.

This Venn diagram, courtesy of Jenny Parker and Jenifer Eggleston of the National Park Service, speakers at the June 8 Symposium on Flooding and Pennsylvania’s Historic River Towns, illustrates the four primary and overlapping goals of flood mitigation for historic communities.

As both the event organizer and moderator, I was very pleased with the quality and depth of each of the speakers’ presentations.  The panel of speakers and the content of their presentations were very broad, and reflected the diversity of the audience of nearly 100 attendees, ranging from preservationists, emergency managers, planners, architects, to local officials.  The day’s discussion also focused on the impacts of recent federal flood insurance reform, which could theoretically have dire consequences for PA’s river towns.  Flood insurance premiums, formerly subsidized by the federal government for older buildings constructed in the floodplains before floodplain management regulations were enacted, are now rapidly rising to reflect their actual risk from flooding.  Some are concerned that these changes and dramatic increases in annual flood insurance premiums could result in property owners walking away from their mortgages and whole sections of communities emptying out, resulting in municipalities losing large portions of their tax base and a whole new wave of property neglect and blight in Pennsylvania communities. Many preservationists are concerned about the impacts this will have on the long-term preservation of historic districts and other historic places located adjacent to rivers and streams.

Samantha Pearson, Executive Director of the Lewisburg Neighborhoods Corporation and speaker at the June 8 Symposium on Flooding and Pennsylvania’s Historic River Towns, explains the impacts of rapidly rising flood insurance premiums already experienced in historic Lewisburg Borough, Union County.

Overall, since the June 8 Symposium, we have received a great deal of positive feedback from attendees.  It is my hope that emergency managers left feeling much more knowledgeable about historic preservation issues and vice-versa, and that county and municipal representatives left with an understanding of new approaches that could be undertaken in their communities to reduce flood risk yet effectively preserve their historic building stock. In order to address these issues effectively, there must be a level playing field and various disciplines, as well as all levels of government, must work together.

State Hazard Mitigation Officer Tom Hughes of the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) addresses the audience during one of several Q&As at the Symposium on Flooding and Pennsylvania’s Historic River Towns on June 8 in Lewisburg.

If you’re interested in learning more about the symposium’s content, or were interested in attending but unable, speaker slideshows are available for viewing and download via Preservation Pennsylvania’s Statewide Conference on Heritage website under “Flood Symposium”.

The events of April and June 2016 made huge strides in not only helping to shed light on the increasing vulnerability of our nation’s historic coastal and riverine communities to flooding, but also on the development of multidisciplinary coalitions to begin solving the complex issue of how to preserve these places through the use of flood risk reduction measures that are effective but also sensitive to the character and integrity of the resources.

This material is based upon work assisted by a grant from the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Department of the Interior.

We’re all looking for ways to cool off these days – this heat wave is one for the records!  Grab your iced tea, sit next to the AC, and take a few minutes to read this month’s PA SHPO Shout Out.  We’ll cover an unusual historic marker, a really cool Section 106 project, and a reader submitted Shout Out.  If you’re still looking for something to do while you cool down, catch up on any older posts that you might have missed and, if you haven’t already, take our Community Connections online survey to help inform Pennsylvania’s next statewide historic preservation plan.  We’re at 1600 responses already! I really want to break last time’s record of 2,200 and I think we can do it.

Harrisburg’s John Harris – Simon Cameron Mansion

John Robinson, president of the Board of Trustees for the Historical Society of Dauphin County, wrote me to share the great news about this National Historic Landmark at 219 S. Front Street in Harrisburg.  John tells me that they just wrapped up a $300,000 (and more!) restoration of the house’s exterior and some interior rooms; more work is scheduled over the next several years.  The Historical Society received two Keystone Historic Preservation grants from PHMC, one in FY2011-2012 and another in FY2014-2015, which they combined with funds from other grants and donors to pay for the restoration work.  Much of the exterior work focused on the stabilization and restoration of the wood front porch, repairs to the wood windows, and rebuild and reinstall the house’s wood shutters.  Shout out to the Historical Society of Dauphin County and keep up the good work!

The newly restored Harris-Cameron Mansion exterior. Photo Courtesy of John Robinson, Historical Society of Dauphin County.

The two-story quarried limestone John Harris – Simon Cameron Mansion was built circa 1766 by John Harris, Jr., founder of the beautiful city of Harrisburg and son of the frontier trader John Harris, Sr.  After a series of owners, including a brief stint as the Pennsylvania Female College, Simon Cameron purchased the property in 1863.  If you’re not familiar with this important Pennsylvanian, he was a politician, entrepreneur, US Senator, Lincoln’s first Secretary of War, and Ambassador to Russia.  Cameron is responsible for adding many of the house’s Victorian-era features, such as the front porch, grand staircase, solarium, and butler’s pantry.  After his death in 1889, Cameron’s heirs maintained the property until giving it to the Historical Society of Dauphin County in 1941.  This year the Mansion turns 250, and the Historical Society of Dauphin County has scheduled events through December to celebrate this milestone.

Simon Cameron’s office in the Harris-Cameron Mansion. Photo Courtesy of John Robinson, Historical Society of Dauphin County.

The “Wolf Man” of Kane

As I was typing that subtitle, it occurred to me that this might be better suited to Halloween’s post – if I were actually writing about a true “Wolf Man” roaming the Pennsylvania wilderness.  This Shout Out goes to Nancy Avolese and the Kane Historic Preservation Society who successfully secured a state historical marker for the “Wolf Man” of Kane, Dr. Edward H. McCleery (1867-1962).  McCleery is credited with saving the Great Plains Wolf, or Lobo Wolf (canis lupus nubilus), from extinction in the early 20th century.  This subspecies of the grey wolf was almost lost during the 1920s, as ranchers and cattlemen in the West hunted the wolves to protect their herds.  McCleery worked with the U.S. Government Biology Survey to take four wolf pups from Montana, which he raised and bred at his home in Kane, McKean county from 1921 to 1962; eventually, his well cared for wolf park housed dozens of descendants of the once-threatened species and focused on educating the public about wolves.  After McCleery’s death, the wolves were relocated to a private reserve in Montana.

Marker dedication ceremony on July 23, 2016. Photo courtesy of Nancy Alvorese.

While wildlife management practices have drastically changed since McCleery’s day (and the experts tell me that McCleery’s approach wouldn’t be allowed today), his dedication to caring for and preserving this species of wolf, which once played a major role in the ecology, history, and lore of the Great Plains, is notable.  The marker was dedicated at the location of his park on U.S. Route 6 on July 23rd.  Thanks to Nancy, the Kane Historic Preservation Society, and the other McKean County supporters for highlighting yet another one of Pennsylvania’s unique stories!

Casa Farnese’s New Lobby

One of our project reviewers passed this tidbit on to me, and its a perfect Shout Out to share about the positive preservation outcomes that are possible from the Section 106 consultation process.  The Casa Farnese, at 1300 Lombard Street in Philadelphia, is a 1966 International Style concrete and glass apartment building designed by Oscar Stonorov and J. Frank Haws to house low-income senior citizens.  It’s eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places for its architectural design and as the first senior housing development in Pennsylvania financed by a grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The plaza and overhang at Casa Farnese, 2012.  Photograph by Emily Cooperman, 2012, in PA SHPO files.

In 2012, the property owner began a major renovation project for the building, which includes 288 apartments in a tall 19-story tower, entrance lobby, and plaza.  The PA SHPO was involved in the review of the proposed project because the owner was using federal money to complete the work, triggering consultation with our office under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act.  A key part of the renovation was to create a new lobby to replace the original one, which was very small and did not provide the necessary space for security and a reception area.  The original project design called for the removal of one of the building’s key character-defining features, the large concrete C-shaped overhang at the main entrance, to build an enclosed lobby that wrapped around the front of the building.  Understanding that this was a concern for preservationists, the design team went back to the drawing board and came up with the great solution you can see for yourself now that construction has finished.  Rather than demolishing the overhang, the architects enclosed it and let the shape and scale of the overhang drive the design of the new lobby.  One story, round, and enclosed with glass, the new lobby is a creative and interesting solution to this tricky problem.  Kudos!

Rendering of the new lobby addition.  Image from PA SHPO files.

That’s it for this month, folks. As always, my last SHPO Shout-Out is to thank you for all the good work you do every day to preserve, protect, and promote our historic places!

P.S.

If you or your friends and colleagues are involved in or hear about great preservation happening in Pennsylvania, please email me at ssplain@pa.gov with your suggestions! While I can’t promise that it will get covered in the monthly Shout-Out, I can promise that we’ll add it to our growing list of great preservation work happening across Pennsylvania. Thanks!

by Brenda Barrett, Living Landscape Observer

What happens when a highway project long planned to improve the functionality of the overall transportation system runs up against newer approaches of planning on a landscape scale?

I recently spoke to this issue at the Pennsylvania Statewide Conference on Heritage.  The project in question, the Central Susquehanna Valley Transportation Project (CSVT),  was under construction nearby and involved a bypass and a major new bridge crossing over the Susquehanna River. It was planned to remedy traffic congestion on the one of the state’s major north south corridors and to reroute through-traffic, particularly truck traffic, out of small towns in the region.  But the project’s history was anything but straightforward.

Map showing the location of the proposed route along and across the Susquehanna. Image from original post.

Planning for the project began long ago with the Final Environmental Impact Statement on the selected alignment approved in 2003. After project design was underway, it was put on hold due to lack of funding. With the passage of a new funding package in 2013, the project was reactivated. However, during that ten-year hiatus ideas about the cultural and natural values in the region had undergone a substantial shift. The project now crossed through the Susquehanna Greenway, a 500 mile state-designated greenway. This section of the river was now designated as a National Recreational Trail by the Secretary of the Interior. And most significantly, the river corridor was incorporated into the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail. Originally authorized by Congress in 2006, its goals are to help visitors to the Chesapeake Bay understand the significance of John Smith’s explorations and his impact upon the rich American Indian cultures and to appreciate and care for the life and landscape of this national treasure. The trail now extends up the many of the tributaries of the Chesapeake in Maryland, Pennsylvania and Virginia.

View along Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail from https://www.nps.gov/cajo/learn/jamesrivertransmissionlineproject.

When the long delayed construction of the CSVT was announced, all of these new designations brought new partners to the table seeking to conserve landscape scale cultural and natural resources in the project area – resources that had not even been envisioned in 2003. The traditional transportation planning approach had been to identify individual historic or archeological sites and the specific location of a threatened flora or faunal species and then avoid or mitigate site specific impacts. Now this whole approach was being called into question. In the case of the CSVT, compromises were negotiated and in particular minimization strategies were developed to reduce the impact on the Susquehanna River crossing, provide additional public access, and offer more consultation on riverfront development in the future.

Proposed Central Susquehanna Transportation Project.  Courtesy Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. Image from original post.

But what about the next time?  To begin with we need to recast our perspective to embrace a larger landscape approach. If one of the purposes of planning for infrastructure development such as transportation projects is to do so in a way that minimizes the impact on cultural and natural resources and maximizes the benefit to the public, then we need to stay abreast of the new frameworks by which these disciplines define themselves.

Let’s start with Natural Resources.  The field has long used an ecosystem approach, which understands the importance of the interaction of organisms with their wider physical environment. A recent report from the National Academy of Sciences on large landscapes tackled the central question of the best way to conserve the natural world, noting that conservation challenges exceed the capacity of any single entity or protected habitat. Increased urbanization, extreme weather events, and fragmentation of habitat threaten both flora and fauna and require that resource conservation take a broad landscape scale approach and build in connectivity for species to migrate and have room to range. It is not enough to avoid the spot where an endangered species was last spotted. What is needed is to predict where it is going, where can it thrive in the future.

West Branch of the Susquehanna River. Photo by BeyondMyKen, August 2014, Wikimedia Creative Commons license.

Things are also shifting in the world of Cultural Resources.  Historic preservation practitioners know that the discipline has moved from identifying individual landmarks to considering historic districts and now whole landscapes. The National Park Service has been a leader in calling for this re-examination of cultural landscape approach. Our commonwealth has also been in the forefront, developing a comprehensive multiple property documentation for the Agricultural Resources of Pennsylvania, which is a good example of evaluating a complex living landscape. It is true that cultural resources are not going to migrate or fly away, but we need to accept that they are more dynamic and larger than our past concepts of what is significant. Cultural resources are best understood in a larger context that tells the whole story.

Pennsylvania’s Historic Agricultural Regions

Finally, Recreational Resources are also being viewed through a wide angled lens. In the middle Atlantic many rivers and stream system are being developed into a statewide network of water trails. Former rail lines and canals are now the backbone of trail systems running for hundreds of miles across the state. And of course the National Park Service manages National Scenic and Historic Trails system that crisscross the whole country. The most iconic being the Appalachian Trail from Maine to Georgia and a chunk of PA in between. The connectivity of these resources is critical.  Once a trail crossing is severed, it may be impossible or at best expensive to reconnect.

This new larger perspective presents management challenges, but there are also new regional partnerships to help coordinate these regional geographies. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is fortunate in having a whole host of such organizations. The list includes multiple National Heritage Areas and a robust state heritage areas with twelve designated areas dedicated to melding natural, cultural and recreational objectives along with community revitalization goals. The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources has launched seven conservation landscapes to drive strategic investment and actions around sustainability, conservation, community revitalization, and recreational projects. And the agency has taken a leadership role in statewide recreational resource planning.

Map of Pennsylvania’s Conservation Landscapes by PA DCNR.

In addition, land trusts and other regionally focused land conservation groups have been expanding rapidly – a survey a number of years ago counted over 130 of such initiatives in New England alone as well as the newly launched “Practitioner’s Network for Large Landscapes”. The National Academy of Science ‘s 2015 report identified over twenty federal programs that are utilizing a landscape approach in the Department of Interior, of course, but also in agriculture and defense.

There are some difficulties as the older paradigms about place and partnerships have expanded.  Our project management skills and our regulatory tools have yet to catch up to this new way of thinking. While there are no overnight fixes and project planners will always have to play catch up, I do want to conclude with a couple of specific suggestions:

1) Harness the power of big data. Big data is defined as large (or extremely large) data sets that may be analyzed to reveal patterns, trends, and associations, especially relating to human behavior and interactions. The good news is that this is an area where transportation planners have been early adopters using GIS mapping in particular. But more can be done, for example, adding the layers for rivers and trails, and other resources identified by partnership organizations. This will provide a leg up in project scoping. To get a taste of what these data bases can offer, take a look at the work of Landscape Chesapeake, a database that shows all the public lands and privately protected areas, trails and access points and also links in the conservation partners and state program. What a great place to begin high level 30,000-foot infrastructure planning.

2) Harness the Power of Partnerships. While much talked about, this is not easy to accomplish. And It also can seem like a burdensome add-on to what is an already crowded project planning schedule. But let’s look at the practical side – effective public input or even better public engagement is both required as part of project planning and can make the project go more smoothly. Many of the heritage areas, land trusts, recreation organizations and conservation landscapes have identified significant resources and developed resource management plans with extensive public input.  They know what is important to the impacted region. This is a great way for infrastructure planners to identify potential challenges and opportunities as well as reaching many of the people who live on the ground where a project is happening.

3) Harness the power of other programs. Everyone should take a lesson from productive partnership organizations and look for the sweet spots where multiple objectives intersect. And note – this does not mean that one partner pays all – success is when projects integrate public and private dollars along with volunteer energy to deliver better communities. So think outside the box: who else might have a stake in the ground? A good way to start is with an interagency approach. Who else is planning something in the region and how can their work be coordinated with infrastructure development? What is in their budget and how can dollars be leveraged? High level planning that is open to new ideas is one way of accomplish these ends.

If I have one concern, it is that much of our planning in the past has zeroed in way too soon on way too small geography and then come up with the three least bad alternatives. Perhaps it would behoove us to spend a little more time in the stratosphere identifying partner and programs that can help everyone be successful and accomplish their respective missions.

This post was originally published in the Living Landscape Observer on June 29^th, 2016 and was generously offered to our readers by Observer editor, Brenda Barrett; photos were relocated and additional images were added to original post by blog editors.  Brenda is the editor of the web site Living Landscape Observer to provide observations and information on the emerging fields of landscape scale conservation, heritage preservation, and sustainable community development. She writes and speaks both nationally and internationally on cultural landscapes, heritage development, and landscape scale conservation.

Due to Fiscal Year 2015-2016 budget challenges, the status of Year 3 of Pennsylvania’s Historic Preservation Tax Credit program was up in the air through March 2016.  With the enactment of a budget, there was a brief application window with a March 24, 2016 deadline. The shortened budget period did impact the total number of applications to the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) as the total decreased from 30 in the second round to 23 applications for the third round.

PHMC quickly reviewed the applications to ensure applicants owned qualified historic buildings and that proposed rehabilitation plans met the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation.  As the qualified applications far exceed the limited $3 million in available credits, DCED used a fair and balanced selection process based on a first -come, first serve basis with regional distribution to select the first round of projects. 

The Duquesne Brewing Company Brew House, Allegheny County.

To understand the potential economic impact of these 23 proposed projects, here is a general overview of the applicants:

• The applicants requested a total of $9,320,758 in tax credits for projects with the 23 projects representing an estimated $405,913,054 of construction expenditures, which will generate local and state taxes through payroll, material purchases, real estate taxes and other revenue streams that would offset the $3 million in state tax credits.
• There was broad regional distribution but no applications were submitted from the Northwest region.  As there are a few projects in the pipeline for Erie, Lawrence and Warren counties, we anticipate all regions to be represented in FY 2016-17. Here is the distribution for the current round (10 in SE PA, 6 in NE PA, 3 in Central PA and 4 in SW PA)
• Ultimately, 16 projects in 7 counties received tax credits with building types including a YMCA converted into a hotel (East Liberty YMCA into ACE Hotel in Pittsburgh), a brewery converted into artist gallery/residence facility (Duquesne Brew House into Brew House Artist Lofts in Pittsburgh) , a silk mill complex converted into a commercial and residential center (RH Simon Silk Mill in Easton), a school converted into affordable senior housing (Spring Garden School No. 1 in Philadelphia) and an early automobile factory and salesroom in loft apartments (Pullman Building in York).

The Abraham Lincoln Hotel in Reading, Berks County.

Here is a list of the historic buildings that received the Fiscal Year 2015-16 Historic Preservation Tax Credits allocation of $3 million by region:

The Spring Garden School No. 1 in Philadelphia.

East Liberty YMCA, Pittsburgh, Allegheny County.

The PUllman Building, Pittsburgh, Allegheny County.

The Simon Silk Mill in Easton, Northampton County.

Every two years, the National Alliance of Preservation Commissions hosts a conference unlike any other – an event focused on providing training and education on issues relevant to historic preservation commissions, review boards, and local governments.  FORUM is a truly national event, drawing participants from all over the country to share ideas, war stories, and best practices for making local preservation efforts more effective.  You might remember that FORUM 2014 was held in Philadelphia and attracted nearly 800 attendees from 48 states!  Mobile, Alabama played host to FORUM 2016 from July 27-31, and nearly 600 people gathered to bask in the balmy Gulf Coast weather and Southern hospitality, including a few of us from Pennsylvania.  Here are some of the highlights.

Taking It All In

Whether FORUM was your first trip to Alabama (as it was for me), or you were there for a repeat visit, the conference program included a variety of tours and mobile workshops addressing myriad topics.  The highlight of the tour roster was most definitely the trip to Selma, site of the famous 1965 civil rights protest marches.  An intrepid group of attendees loaded a bus early in the morning for the 3-hour ride north where they marched across the National Historic Landmark Edmund Pettus Bridge and ate lunch with a group of the some of the surviving protesters from Bloody Sunday.    There was also the opportunity to view Mobile’s working waterfront on a harbor cruise, tour a working architectural millwork shop, bike the city’s local historic districts, stroll the city’s historic cemeteries, and visit a number of Mobile’s historic house museums.

A view of Mobile’s historic neighborhoods on the bike tour during FORUM 2016. Photo by Michael Koop, courtest of the National Alliance of Preservation Commissions.

Where One or More Are Gathered…

Every good conference includes opportunities for attendees to gather en masse, often in grand spaces, to be inspired by keynote speakers and celebrate – FORUM did not disappoint on any of these fronts.  Two of Mobile’s magnificent National Historic Landmark churches hosted plenary gatherings.  On Thursday the group gathered in the c. 1835 Greek Revival Government Street Presbyterian Church where we were greeted by Rep. Victor Gaston, Speaker Pro Tempore of the Alabama Legislature.  Stephanie Toothman, Associate Director of the National Park Service and Keeper of the National Register updated the crowd on the National Park Service’s work to help secure reauthorization of the Historic Preservation Fund, NPS Centennial activities, and the launch of a beta version of a mobile survey application for cultural resources.

Dr. Stephanie Toothman of the National Park Service speaking at FORUM 2016. Photo by Michael Koop, courtesy of the National Alliance of Preservation Commissions.

As if one great church wasn’t enough, on Friday evening we gathered in the Christ Church Cathedral, the seat of the Episcopal Diocese of the Central Gulf Coast.  This temple fronted, stone and stucco building looks like it was ripped from the story books, surrounded by live oaks dripping with Spanish moss, and features two stained glass windows by Tiffany Studios.  Franklin Vagnone (formerly of Philadelphia) challenged the group to rethink the way historic sites are interpreted, encouraging those of us in the history and preservation fields to find aspects of our sites’ histories that are relevant to contemporary issues and to break down barriers (i.e. velvet ropes) that keep people from having meaningful experiences with the past. The recipients of the 2016 Commission Excellence Awards also got much due recognition on Friday evening.

The Greek Revival Christ Church Cathedral in Mobile, Alabama.  Photo by Caroline Labiner, courtesy of the National Alliance of Preservation Commissions.

And finally, to wrap things up on Saturday, we regrouped once more at the 1927 Saenger Theater to hear Joe Minicozzi, principal of Urban3, a real estate consulting firm in Asheville, North Carolina.  Minicozzi’s talk was designed to encourage those of us working in community development and revitalization to “do the math” and use numbers to make the case for investment in downtowns and the reuse of older and historic buildings.  Through a series of very logical (and relatively simple) analyses looking at property taxes, value per square foot, and infrastructure costs, Joe showed how historic downtowns produce more wealth and consume fewer resources than suburban and exurban development.  Even the moth math averse amongst us left there thinking – “I could do that”.  That night ended with a rousing presentation from Des Moines, host of FORUM 2018 (more on that later), complete with samples of chocolate covered bacon, an Iowa delicacy.

The FORUM 2018 committee from DesmOines entices the crowd at the Saenger Theater.

All That Learnin…

The real “meat” of the conference were the concurrent sessions, nearly 40 in total, on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.  The options were too numerous and varied to go on about here (you’re welcome), but have a look at the final program to see all of the things that you missed.  My colleague Bryan Van Sweden joined Ted Strosser and Jim Wilson from Danville to share ideas on cooperative property maintenance programs in historic downtown.  I moderated a session on state enabling legislation for local preservation ordinances with James Reap of the University of Georgia School of Law and Andrea Kern, a former SHPO intern and recent Ball State University graduate.  US/ICOMOS organized a series of sessions on how climate change and sea level rise are impacting historic places and there was a healthy dose of reflection on the 50^th Anniversary of the National Historic Preservation Act and what the next half century might/should mean for preservation.

A quick selfie with Jim Wilson and Ted Strosser at the Mobile Carnival Museums.

Getting to Know You

NAPC began hosting FORUM in 1998 as a way to gather together advocates, volunteers, civic leaders, and preservation professionals to network, exchange ideas, and craft an agenda for developing training materials and programs specific to local preservation issues.  The networking aspect of the conference is especially important, as sometimes folks working at the local level can feel like a voice crying in the wilderness – alone and wondering whether they’re the only ones dealing with a stubborn property owner, challenging local politics, or outdated guidelines.  In addition to the educational sessions, tours, and workshops, FORUM 2016 attendees had the opportunity to meet and chat at great events in the Mobile Carnival Museum, History Museum of Mobile, and the recently rehabbed 1907 Van Antwerp Building in the Lower Dauphin Historic District (a Federal Historic Preservation Tax Credit project).

Looking up at the cornice of the Van Antwerp Building in Mobile. Photo by Caroline Labiner, courtesy of the National Alliance of Preservation Commissions.

Local Flair

The people of Mobile were gracious and enthusiastic hosts and Mobile was a real departure from the hustle and bustle of my life in Philadelphia.  The City was proud to show off its crown jewels – literally at the Mobile Carnival Museum.  You might be tempted to think that Mardi Gras began in New Orleans – NOT SO!  Mobile lays claim to the origins of Shrove Tuesday festivities and the Carnival Museum has 2,000+ garments worn by the royal courts from Mardi Gras celebrations going back almost a century.  This place is truly beyond belief – and they even let you ride on a float and pretend to toss beads to the crowd.

Cory Kegerise and fellow NAPC Board members fulfilling our Mardi Gras parade float fantasies at the Mobile Carnival Museum.

A small sampling of the collection of Mardi Gras Royal Court garments at the Mobile Carnival Museum.

Perhaps most memorable were the Azalea Trail Maids. The Maids are high school age young women who compete annually to represent their local high school and the City as cultural ambassadors. They wear handmade antebellum style gowns at official appearances and are show stoppers wherever they go.  The Maids trace their origins to the 1950s and originally served as guides to the throngs of visitors coming to Mobile each spring to view the copious azaleas blooming along Mobile’s streets and parks.  A group of Maids greeted guests as they arrived at the airport, at each of the receptions and events, and mingled with the crowd at the Battle House hotel where the conference was held.  If you asked nicely, they even let you hold their parasols!

Until Next Time

It was great to be joined by fellow Keystoners Mindy Crawford (full disclosure, Mindy and I both serve on the NAPC Board of Directors), Bryan Van Sweden, Ted Strosser, Jim Wilson, Dominique Hawkins, and Katy Sawyer.  FORUM 2018 will take us west to Des Moines, Iowa and I hope a few more folks form Pennsylvania can join the crowd.  Remember, if you’re from a CLG, there’s scholarship money available to help you attend.

Mindy Crawford, Bryan Van Sweden, and Cory Kegerise at FORUM 2016 in Mobile, Alabama.

Fostering a public appreciation for historic resources and archaeology is one of the most important keys to protecting our history.

Unfortunately, many cultural resources professionals struggle with how to make their work accessible and interesting to the general public. In this blog post, we take on this challenge and announce the launch of a non-scientific, but very intriguing experiment to explore how the public responds to different avenues of communication – brochures, social media and web tools.

Take our survey and tell us how to reach you!

How did this all begin? It started with a transportation project and an archaeological site.

In 2013, the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC) began a project to widen eight miles of the existing Turnpike mainline between the Butler Valley Interchange (Exit 39) and Allegheny Valley Interchange (Exit 48) in Allegheny County, PA. This project also included the replacement of six overhead bridges. As part of the environmental review process, archaeological investigations identified and recorded 12 sites within the project area. One of the sites, the Armstrong Site, was eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places.

The Armstrong Site (36AL629) is a historic farmstead in Allegheny County that was first occupied in the late 19^th century by the Armstrong family. Excavations at this site yielded over 28,500 historic artifacts. Among the recovered artifacts were household items and architectural remains. Many of the artifacts hinted at everyday life and consumer choice during the late 19^th to early 20^th century. This part of southwestern Pennsylvania where the site was located became industrialized and urbanized during the mid-19^th century, and as a result, the demand for local produce became increasingly important to the local markets. The small-scale farmers of the region could easily transport products to markets in the Pittsburgh area.

Archaeological investigations discovered clues about 19th century Pennsylvania farm families. The George Armstrong House is now located at the Depreciation Lands Museum.

It was determined the site would be adversely impacted as a result of the project, and federal permits triggered a Section 106 review, which requires agencies to take into consideration the effect a proposed project may have on historic properties or sites.

 The Old and the New: Mitigation Commitments

As part of the mitigation commitment for impacting the archaeological site, the PTC and the PA State Historic Preservation Office (PA SHPO) agreed to develop an informational brochure to share the history of the Armstrong Site and the outcome of the excavations. The brochure was developed and a distribution plan was prepared to share copies with regional museums, historical societies, and libraries.

In 2013, production of a pamphlet or booklet was accepted as an effective communication tool and a common mitigation commitment for transportation projects. Now, the PA SHPO and project team members want to learn if there are better opportunities to enhance public outreach through the use of technology. New communication tools such as social media, video presentations, interactive tours of archaeological sites and other educational resources may provide a more fluid and farther-reaching view of public archaeology than a printed pamphlet or booklet.

Learn more about the Armstrong Site by reading the brochure.

Through consultation, the PA SHPO, the PTC and McCormick Taylor decided to launch a survey to examine the effectiveness of a paper brochure versus online tools to distribute information about archaeological sites to the public.

Internet usage has increase rapidly across all demographics.

Our Plan and Your Role

To examine the impact of traditional outreach versus new online tools, we are launching a survey to investigate how people receive information. We plan to track the distribution of the Armstrong Site brochure through the following avenues:

• Traditional distribution of the printed brochure to libraries and local historical societies and at outreach events such as the 2017 PA Farm Show; and
• Sharing the electronic brochure online through blog posts and social media.

Through each channel, participants will be invited to take the survey and provide feedback on their preferences for receiving information. To participate in the conversation, please visit the online survey to share your opinions and provide suggestions for how to better share information regarding archaeology with the public.

Visit the link to tell us what you think!

This week’s post is by guest contributors the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission and McCormick Taylor.

It’s that time again!

As some of you may know, the National Park Service highlighted Pennsylvania in their #50for50 social media campaign earlier this month.  This initiative is part of their broader effort to celebrate and recognize the 50th anniversary of the National Historic Preservation Act this year.  Each week, NPS has been promoting the interesting, meaningful, and successful historic preservation work being done in each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories.  (FYI, this week is South Carolina’s turn!)

Here at PHMC, we participated by adding the #50for50 and #Preservation50 hashtags to all of the preservation-related posts on the Pennsylvania Trails of History Facebook page and @PHMC Twitter feed.   I think NPS could have featured Pennsylvania’s successes for a year and still not have gotten through them all, but alas, we need to share the limelight.  So, I thought it would be a great idea to share with you some of the stories that didn’t get aired that week and that we haven’t covered in previous posts and Shout-Outs.

So, here are few Shout-Outs from our #50for50 list:

Lancaster City Certified Local Government

The City of Lancaster, in Lancaster County, PA became a Certified Local Government in 1990 and today is one of 45 CLGs in Pennsylvania.  Lancaster City leverages the federal financial assistance offered through the CLG program to administer their two preservation ordinances and provide ongoing technical assistance to contractors and property owners.  In the past year, Lancaster City has used its CLG grant to focus on educating contractors and craftspeople who work in the city’s historic districts.

Lancaster’s Central Market Square, 2015.

Working with a professional filmmaker, City staff created a short video to be shown in building-related courses at the Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology to introduce the next generation of contractors to Lancaster’s historic architecture and preservation programs. You can take a look at the video here on the City’s Architectural Heritage webpage. The grant also supported an inaugural workshop, conducted by a local contractor, to educate active contractors about preservation, best practices for retaining original building fabric and features, and how to navigate HARB reviews.  The project included compilation of a new database of local contractors to be used by the City for ongoing outreach and notifications about future events, news or useful resources.

North Scranton Junior High School, Scranton, PA

After 21 years of planning and many false starts and stops, Goodwill Industries was able to complete the major rehabilitation of the former North Scranton Jr. High School into affordable housing for the area’s seniors.  The first residents were able to start moving in January 2016. Built between 1922 and 1924 as a the city’s first junior high school, this large three-story brick and stone neighborhood school was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1999 for its architecture and its role in the development of Scranton’s school system. (Take a look at the nomination if you want to learn more about this great property!)

North Scranton Jr High School

Using the National Park Service’s historic tax credit program, the $24 million dollar project included exterior repairs, new windows, and a new roof to replace the original one that had fallen into the 300-seat auditorium.  Each of the 58 apartments has 9’ ceilings and large windows and the auditorium has been restored for facility and community events. Many of the current residents are former students, making the connection with this significant local landmark even stronger.

Times Finishing Works/Bloch Go-Cart Company Building, Philadelphia, PA

Philadelphia’s Times Finishes Works, later known as the Bloch Go-Cart Company Building, was built and expanded five times over a period of 90 years from 1840 and about 1930 on American Street in the city’s Kensington section. This large brick factory was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on July 5, 2016 under Criterion A for Industry. While located at American Street from 1879 to 1906, the Times Finishing Works specialized in the finishing of cotton and woolen goods and was the largest exclusive textile finisher in the Kensington neighborhood in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Times Finishing/Bloch Go Cart Bldg. Photo by Robert Powers, April 2015 for National Register nomination.

The Bloch Go-Cart Company moved into the space vacated by the Times in 1906 and stayed until 1925. Bloch was an innovator in the field of baby carriers and, during its time at American Street, was the largest manufacturer of children’s carriages and associated items in Philadelphia. Interestingly, the word “go-cart” is an older, traditional term for a stroller or baby carriage; while we can’t say why the company chose to use this term, we can say that they didn’t invent it.

Interior of the Times Finishing/Bloch Go Cart Bldg. Photo by Robert Powers, April 2015 for National Register nomination.

That’s it for this month’s Shout-Outs.  A quick reminder: I can’t Shout-Out about it if I don’t know about it!  If there is something going on in your community, agency, or organization that I should shout about, send me an email and a photo or two at ssplain@pa.gov. Thanks!

Question: What do Albert M. Greenfield, Eddie Adams, and Mr. Rogers have in common? One was a Philly businessman, politician, and influential member of the Planning Commission. Another was a Westmoreland County native who won a Pulitzer Prize for his photojournalism of the Vietnam War.  And who doesn’t know Mr. Rogers, whose show on PBS stations everywhere taught us all about being good neighbors?

Answer: They were all honored with Pennsylvania State Historical Marker dedications this year. They joined a handful of others that received a marker to acknowledge the contributions Pennsylvania’s places and personalities have made to state, national, and even international history. PHMC’s markers are quite diverse and interesting, just like Pennsylvania itself. For example, in the last two years alone, the Commission has approved markers that range from the site of a rural 1817 iron furnace that revolutionized the iron industry to the 1960s Philadelphia soul music leader Sigma Sound Studios.

The dedication of the marker for Sigma Sound Studios in 2015. Photo by Martin Rosenblum.

Do you think you know of a person, place, or event that deserves some recognition? Well, now’s your chance. The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC) invites the members of the public to prepare and submit marker nominations for the upcoming December 1, 2016 deadline. The PHMC’s Historical Marker Program is one of its most popular public programs, with nearly 2,500 markers throughout the Commonwealth and new ones dedicated each year. Visit our website and download the application to get started.

Here are a few things you should know…

Over the years, the nomination process has gone from being exclusively staff driven to being exclusively public driven. While staff can provide assistance with preparation of nominations, the interested members of the public are responsible for completing the nomination forms and doing the research to document the subjects’ significance. It can be a lot of fun to discover a person, place, event, or innovation that you or many members of the public were not aware of and bring the subject to light in the form of a marker. Markers are a great source of community pride.

Dedication of the McClurg Iron Foundry marker in Pittsburgh, 2016.

The Commission has established Approval Criteria for evaluating marker nominations. The criteria have been slightly revised since first adopted in the 1980s, but the primary criterion, “that the subject have statewide and/or national rather than local or regional historical significance” remains in effect. Additionally, a nomination that proposes a subject “solely due to sensationalism, durability or longevity, or philanthropy or beneficence does not conform with the intention of the State Historical Marker Program.”

The most common reason that a subject is not approved is that it does not have statewide and/or national historical significance. This criterion has a bit of subjectivity, but to gain approval, it is expected that a nominated subject has had broad impact on a statewide or national level. There should be something unique or special about a subject or it should have prompted important changes within its subject area.

Preparers are also required to include scholarly documentation to ensure accuracy of the markers and should expect to include both primary and secondary source material that corroborates the claims of significance in the narrative portion of the form. A Guideline sheet is provided with each nomination form and it includes questions to consider when proposing a subject for a marker.

Heads up! It’s key to read through the criteria and guidelines and don’t hesitate to get in touch with us if you have questions. Staff can help you understand what does and doesn’t make a good subject for a nomination and our Guidelines also offer tips about what the panel is and is not looking for.

If you want to nominate an individual: Individuals nominated for a marker must have a substantial connection to Pennsylvania, more than simply having been born here. This means they must have spent enough time in Pennsylvania to have been shaped here, started their life’s profession here, and/or exhibited a long-term effect of having lived in the Commonwealth.

Historical marker for Humphrey Marshall, one of the first nurseryman in the nation. Image courtesy of Marshallton Conservation Trust.

If you want to nominate an organization, business, institution, or event: Nominations for these types of places that claim to be the oldest are often discouraged unless they are also the first of a type, indicating innovation.

Dedication of the PHMC Historical Marker for the Stuart Tank, 2015. Image provided by Reliance Fire Co. #1.

If you want to nominate a church and/or burial ground: These places and spaces are often subjects of unsuccessful nominations. Only churches that were the first of a denomination, were the site of an important event, or prompted broad changes within the religion would be approved for a marker. Places of burial are generally only marked if they were very early or especially significant within a particular cemetery movement. Many cemeteries contain the remains of Revolutionary and/or Civil War veterans; their presence does not warrant a PHMC marker.

Confused? Overwhelmed? It is generally helpful for a potential nominator to consult with PHMC staff in the initial stages of his or her research. Staff is available to review draft nominations, and can provide advice on whether or not a particular subject is viable and suggest ways to adjust focus or sources to pursue that would afford one a better chance for approval. To allow time to make revisions to your nomination and meet the December 1 deadline, drafts must be submitted prior to November 1, 2016.

PHMC is especially interested in encouraging markers for subjects or in regions of PA that are generally underrepresented. So, do a little research. See if you can dig up an interesting and significant tidbit of history related to your community. If interested in learning about how to apply for a PHMC marker or simply to learn more about the Historical Marker Program, please visit our website.

From Pittsburgh to Philly and in between, the Young Preservationist movement is changing the way we approach historic resources, leaving many of us scratching our heads as to what the real deal is.

Polling members of the Young Preservation Movements on “what word would you use to describe a Young Preservationist?” resulted in some fascinating answers like Driven, Active Urbanists, Innovative, and Holistically Concerned. However, a more in-depth discussion was needed to find out what these creative, action-oriented groups are all about, and what makes them unique.

These are just some of the ways Young Preservationists describe themselves.

I had the privilege to catch up with the commonwealth’s two largest Young Preservationist groups and their leaders, Lynn Alpert and Molly Lester, Co-chairs of the Young Friends of the Preservation Alliance in Philadelphia and Michael Panzitta, Vice-Chair of the Young Preservationists Association of Pittsburgh to talk further about how they see the movement.

Tell me a little bit about your organization…

Lynn and Molly, Young Friends of the Preservation Alliance:

The Young Friends is a group that has existed in different forms for many years. This is the first iteration of the Young friends that has survived for several years, and is continuing to grow and become stronger, which is indicative of the Young Preservationist Movement. We thought about going other ways, but decided to be specifically a support group for the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia to boost their capacity and involve younger members, focusing on a mix of advocacy, events, and social functions.

Mike, Young Preservationists Association of Pittsburgh:

We’re a group of people who are well-versed with and excited about our city and its heritage and want to preserve the parts of the built environment that have enriched our neighborhoods and told the story of the communities that have made Pittsburgh the great, livable city it is today. We want all people in the city to have a chance to preserve what makes them love their neighborhoods, and we organize meetups and events to discuss what the community wants to see out of these places while talking with the government and foundations in Pittsburgh to push to get these plans enacted.

What do you wish others knew about Young Preservationists?

Lynn and Molly, Young Friends of the Preservation Alliance:

Becoming a Young Preservationist is a matter of self-selection. We’ve veered away from defining any age related restrictions. [Also, don’t] forget that the organizers of these groups are often volunteers, have other jobs, and [are] just starting out in life, so there is always a capacity issue.  Others are glad to see energy but there is not always endless energy.

Mike, Young Preservationists Association of Pittsburgh:

We constantly get questions about age limits just because we have the word “young” in our name. But we want people of all ages, from elementary school to post-retirement to get involved in the young preservationist movement! In my mind, YP groups are called young to distinguish our more grassroots, guerrilla-style approach to advocacy, not because there’s a set-in-stone age limit!

YPA ‘heartbombing’ the buildings they love for Valentine’s Day. Photo used by permission from Michael Panzitta.

What does the young preservation movement have to offer Historic Preservation as a whole?

Lynn and Molly, Young Friends of the Preservation Alliance:

It’s a new voice and perspective which is reaching a new and different sub-group of people than the traditional movement. It attracts those that don’t identify as “preservationists” like urban explorers or those who enjoy architectural Instagrams.

Mike, Young Preservationists Association of Pittsburgh:

I think that young preservationists are enriching the landscape of Historic Preservation in a couple of major (and important) ways. First off, all of the people I know in YP groups – and this applies throughout the region – are involved in multiple advocacy organizations, whether they’re political, social, etc., and this leads to us seeing preservation from a very holistic perspective. Finally, YP groups tend to have a very low barrier to entry, so anyone can hear about an event we’re having and immediately be able to make an impact.

 What are your plans for the future as an organization?

Lynn and Molly, Young Friends of the Preservation Alliance:

As we move forward we are looking at how to combine our separate avenues of involvement to a more combination approach. For example, having more events that are both educational and a crowd pleaser, or function as advocacy and networking, and focusing on a more cohesive output. We would also like to expand our reach in terms of geography, into the greater area of Philadelphia.

Young Friends of the Preservation Alliance touring the Sharswood neighborhood of Philadelphia. Used with Permission from Lynn Alpert.

Mike, Young Preservationists Association of Pittsburgh:

As Pittsburgh transitions from its desperation to artificially “renew” following the collapse of the steel industry into a city where people are moving into and making these historic urban neighborhoods their homes, we are beginning to change to more of a preventative role, where neighborhood members are coming to us looking for advice on how to be proactive about saving places rather than having to desperately pull something together to stop the wrecking balls.

Excited about what you read and want to learn more and get involved?

On September 24-25, the Young Friends are organizing a weekend of service projects to help prep Historic Cliveden for its annual Battle of Germantown festival.

The Young Preservationist Association of Pittsburgh’s biggest event of the year is coming up Oct 20…their Top Ten Preservation Opportunities Party where they will unveil this year’s list, which will direct their advocacy for the next year.  YPA is also still accepting nominations for this year’s list and if anyone has places anywhere in southwest PA (not just PGH proper) fill out the nomination form and send it their way.

More information on these groups, check out their websites, http://www.preservationalliance.com/what-we-do/yfpa/ and http://www.youngpreservationists.org/ or by find them on Facebook @yfpaphilly, @youngpreservationists  or Instagram @yfpaphilly, @ypa_pgh.

About the Author:

Julia Chain is the Program Director at Preservation Pennsylvania, the statewide historic preservation non-profit, and a self-proclaimed Young Preservationist. Julia is also pursuing a Master’s in American Studies from Penn State. In her free time, Julia enjoys stalking abandoned farmhouses and adventuring with her horse, dog, and family.

Its been a few months now since we introduced you to the Community Connections: Planning for Preservation in Pennsylvania campaign and I thought it was a good time for an update.  We’ve been making great progress over the summer and we have some exciting things coming up this fall.

As you may remember from this post, PA SHPO is leading the effort to develop Pennsylvania’s next statewide historic preservation plan.  Here’s what’s been going on…

Connecting with Communities for the Next Statewide Plan

It takes a village…

You know that old saying that it takes a village to raise a child?  Well, it also takes a village to develop a good statewide historic preservation plan.  In June, the Statewide Plan Task Force convened for the first time, which is a group of external advisors that includes some of Pennsylvania’s best and brightest historic preservation and planning leaders. Task Force members are:

• Robert Armstrong, State Historic Preservation Board member and Preservation & Capital Projects Manager, Philadelphia Parks & Recreation
• Silas Chamberlin, Executive Director, Schuylkill River National Heritage Area
• Mindy Crawford, Executive Director, Preservation Pennsylvania
• Lauren Imgrund, Deputy Secretary, Conservation and Technical Services, PA DCNR
• Dennis Puko, Planner, Governor’s Center for Local Government Services, PA DCED

Earlier this month we  sent out invitations to over 150 regional and statewide organizations and agencies to join us as a Planning Partner.  The response has been great so far!  We identified these potential Partners as those work often intersects with older and historic places in Pennsylvania at a significant regional or statewide level. We believe that it is critical to involve a broad and diverse audience in this public process and to hear from everyone whose programs or projects could have on impact on historic properties in our communities.  If you work with a regional or statewide entity that is concerned with the built environment and you haven’t heard from us, please get in touch!

This colorful graph tells us that we have heard from 66 of the 67 counties. Allegheny has the largest slice of the pie with 210 responses. We still need to hear from Fulton County!

You’re talking and we’re listening!

We have seen a great response to the online public survey.  As of lunchtime on Friday, September 16th, the number of responses is 2,433!   Realistically, this is still quite low considering that, in 2014, Pennsylvania’s population was 12.7 million people. However, we are very pleased that the survey numbers are higher than the last survey conducted in 2012, which came in around 2,200 responses.  There is still time to take it if you haven’t and to share it with friends, colleagues, and loved ones so you can all help put us over the 2,500 mark (or better!) before the survey closes in November.

Not one but two focus groups were held in June during the Statewide Conference on Heritage.  The first involved Preservation Pennsylvania’s Board of Directors and members of the Pennsylvania Historic Preservation Board.  One afternoon was not nearly long enough to talk about all the interesting and challenging preservation things happening in Pennsylvania lately!  Preservation Board members Jeff Slack, Suzanna Barucco, Sue Hannegan, and Rob Armstrong led the second focus group and used the 50th anniversary of the National Historic Preservation Act as a springboard for a bigger discussion with the audience about the state of preservation today.  Both groups provided strong feedback that we’ll add to all the other feedback and research we’ve been collecting.

PA SHPO staffer Karen Arnold had a great time at the joint Boards focus group at the 2016 Statewide Conference.

Come talk to us!

Sometimes, nothing beats the personal connection that comes with talking to someone face-to-face.  That’s why we’d like to invite you to join us at one of the nine Open Houses the Pennsylvania State Historic Preservation Office (PA SHPO) and Preservation Pennsylvania are hosting this fall throughout Pennsylvania to learn about and be part of the effort to develop Pennsylvania’s next statewide historic preservation plan.  Open Houses will be held in Boalsburg, Lancaster, Galeton, Erie, Scranton, Bethlehem, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Johnstown.

Beginning October 17th and going through November 30th, you can drop by any Open House between the hours of 3:30 and 7:30 and, if you’d like, stay for one of the scheduled one-hour discussions, led by Preservation Pennsylvania’s Executive Director Mindy Crawford or the PA SHPO’s Director Andrea MacDonald, at 4:00 or 6:30.  You can expect to meet PA SHPO staff, mingle with some of our local preservation partners, share your thoughts and opinions, and leave knowing you’re part of something bigger.

Keep an eye on your email, read our blog every week, and make sure you’re signed up for our newsletters for more details about specific dates and locations.  We should be releasing this key info in the next week or so.  If you’re not already signed up, simply go to www.pahistoricpreservation.com and fill in the Sign Me Up! screen.

Bedford and Cameron Counties are the latest counties to be surveyed as part of the Pennsylvania State Historic Preservation Office’s (PASHPO) Disaster Planning for Historic Properties Initiative, following up on the surveys done in Monroe County and the City of Philadelphia by AECOM Technical Services.

Architectural historians from AECOM canvassed the two counties to catalog historic resources over 45 years of age within 100- and 500-year flood hazard areas. Each county presented a remarkable variety of historic structures, from the Bedford Springs Resort — a National Historic Landmark in Bedford County – to Civilian Conservation Corps structures in Cameron County’s Sizerville State Park.

AECOM sought to locate and document significant historic resources from vernacular to high-style in design, and ranging from Colonial-era to mid-century modern in period, in order to thoroughly identify flood-prone historic resources in the two counties.

Bedford County

In Bedford County, a county of just over 1,000 square miles, surveyors combed valleys and waterways for historic resources within the flood hazard areas that are listed in, eligible for listing in, or potentially eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places, or are locally important “community landmarks.”

Throughout this survey, AECOM documented a variety of farms, mills, covered bridges, and dwellings. Among the more noteworthy property types in the county are its collection of extant 18^th and 19^th century log buildings.

Within a wide floodplain adjacent to Bob’s Creek in East St. Clair Township, architectural historians encountered a property with a mid-19^th century two-story log dwelling and agricultural outbuildings. Archival research indicates that this was once the farm of Henry Yout (or Yount), as noted on the 1861 Map of Bedford County by E.L. Walker  and the 1877 Atlas of Bedford County by F.W. Beers & Co.

Log dwelling in East St. Clair Township, June 24, 2016.
Photo provided by AECOM, Kaitlin Pluskota, photographer.

Though many of the county’s log buildings have been encased in modern siding, intact examples, such as this one, remain. If a major flood event were to occur, these structures would obviously be in jeopardy, and their importance to Bedford County could be lost.

Another of Bedford’s significant resource types are its many mills, such as the Juniata Woolen Mill. Situated on the west bank of the Raystown Branch of the Juniata River in Snake Spring Township, the 1805 mill was established by John Lutz, the son of a German immigrant. Among its many products, the mill produced woolen socks and blankets for the Union Army during the Civil War.[1]

Juniata Woolen Mill in Snake Spring Township, June 24, 2016. Photo provided by AECOM, Kaitlin Pluskota, photographer.

The mill, listed in the National Register of Historic Places, already has suffered from a natural disaster. In 1936, a major flood destroyed a log portion of the building that housed a water intake channel and turbine to power the mill’s machinery. Some flood-protection measures have been taken to reduce the damage that the structure might sustain in a future flood, such as stepped stone walls on the river bank to protect from riverbank erosion and flood debris.

Also located in Bedford County’s flood hazard area, the National Historic Landmark Bedford Springs Resort is a significant historical and architectural feature in Bedford Township. On land purchased in 1798, Dr. John Anderson built facilities for his patients to benefit from the mineral-rich waters. Currently there are eight known springs on the property, with various mineral properties.

Colonial Building at the Bedford Springs Resort, June 29, 2016. Photo provided by AECOM, Kaitlin Pluskota, photographer.

Built 1838-1842, the brick Colonial Revival building forms the centerpiece of a five-section hotel building built throughout the 19^th and 20^th centuries and now stands as an elegant and spacious hotel property with conference facilities, pavilions, a golf course, and outdoor recreation space; all of which fall within the flood hazard area. The property reopened in 2007, after being vacant for over two decades, rehabilitated with the assistance of historic tax credits.

Shobers Run is fed by the Raystown Branch of the Juniata River, and winds through the Bedford Springs Resort property. A flash flood in 1983 severely damaged a number of buildings on the already dilapidated property.

Overall, Bedford County is an evocative landscape full of significant history told through its buildings, sites, and structures. Many of these are vulnerable to damage if a flood hazard event were to occur, and will hopefully be protected against the potential of future destructive waters and severe weather. This project aims to document those that are vulnerable, and provide data to assist with flood mitigation planning.

Cameron County

Cameron County is one of Pennsylvania’s smallest counties, both in terms of size and population. Formed in 1860 from portions of surrounding counties, Cameron County’s primary settlements are clustered in the valleys of the Allegheny Mountains and along rivers and streams that feed the West Branch of the Susquehanna River. Heavy flooding is a regular occurrence in the towns and villages of Cameron County, making it a prime candidate for this survey.

Late 19th Century Frame House in Driftwood, July 7, 2016. Photo provided by AECOM, Jennifer Robinson, photographer.

Cameron County’s first significant settlement occurred in the mid-19^th century and its early economy was largely shaped by extraction industries, namely coal mining and lumber harvesting. The lumber companies first utilized the many rivers and streams to transport logs downstream, and railroads were established later on in the century to transport raw material out of Cameron County. Lumbering and mining were, by nature, transitory industries, and little infrastructure remains. All of Cameron County is now included in the Lumber Heritage Region of Pennsylvania.

Small permanent villages did develop though, generally along the flat areas near the rivers in the second half of the 19^th century. While many of these villages are now lost to time, some, such as Driftwood, Sinnemahoning, and Sterling Run persist today. There surveyors documented numerous civic and religious properties as well as transportation-related structures and cemeteries. Among the oldest surviving are several early frame combined schoolhouses/churches and community buildings.

Former Sinnemahoning community center, located near the banks of Sinnemahoning Creek, August 31, 2016. Note the elevated pile foundation. Photo provided by AECOM, Jennifer Robinson, photographer.

Cameron County retained its rural and rugged character well into the 20^th century. During the Great Depression, numerous Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) camps were established in the county to provide training and employment to out of work young men. The camps in Cameron County constructed bridges, parks, and roads among other infrastructure improvements. This survey identified several CCC structures with high architectural integrity within the flood hazard areas.

CCC Built Restroom at Sizerville State Park, August 31, 2016. Photo provided by AECOM, Kaitlin Pluskota, photographer.

Cameron County today is 92% forested. The county’s abundant state park and game land attract many seasonal hunters, fishermen, and campers. Hunting camps and vacation homes are abundant in the county, and many of the camps reside in repurposed historic structures. AECOM’s survey identified a few unique instances of this occurrence, such the ca. 1880 Highspire Hunting Lodge, which is housed in a former schoolhouse.

Highspire Hunting Lodge in Former Schoolhouse along Route 120, August 31, 2016. Photo provided by AECOM, Ben Buckley, photographer.

These resources are an indelible record of what remains of the historic built environment in this rural county. It is imperative that they are considered, protected, and monitored during severe weather events. The preservation of the historic materials, workmanship, and landscapes is critical for the knowledge and inspiration these structures and sites provide for generations to come.

Benjamin Buckley is an Architectural Historian for AECOM Technical Services, Inc. based in Burlington, New Jersey. Mr. Buckley earned a B.A. in Art History from Kalamazoo College and an M.S. in Historic Preservation from the University of Pennsylvania. He resides in Philadelphia.

Jennifer Robinson is an Architectural Historian for AECOM Technical Services, Inc. A recent addition to the AECOM Cultural Resources Department based in Burlington, New Jersey, Ms. Robinson is a Philadelphia resident, former intern at the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia, and a new member of the Young Friends of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania board. She has a B.A. in Cultural Anthropology from the University of California, Berkeley and an M.S. in Historic Preservation (MSHP) from the University of Pennsylvania.

[1] Osipov, James. The Juniata Woolen Mill Master Plan: Mill and River Setting.

I’ve got some great SHPO Shout-Outs to share with you this month, and I’m anxious to get started!  I would be remiss, though, in my duties as Education and Outreach Coordinator if I didn’t share some exciting updates about our Community Connections public outreach effort for the next statewide historic preservation plan.  ICYMI, you can check out this blog from Monday to learn what we and our Partners have been up to lately and find out about your chance to hang out with Preservation PA’s Mindy Crawford, PA SHPO staff, and some of our local partners at an Open House coming soon to a community near you.

Kudos York County Planning Commission!

I have recently learned that the York County Commissioners unanimously approved in August the county’s first-ever historic preservation component for the York County Comprehensive Plan.  This new component will make the case for why York County’s historic places and spaces are important and provide the foundation upon which county planners can assist municipalities with historic preservation policy and programming.  This is a great model for proactive preservation!

Take a few minutes to check out York County’s new Historic Preservation component of the county comprehensive plan.

Celebrating a Silver Anniversary

PA SHPO’s Scott Doyle attended the September 10, 2016 event to recognize the 25^th anniversary of Bucks County Community College’s Historic Preservation Program. Founded in 1991, the program has provided both in class and online preservation education to thousands of students. The event was attended by over 100 people including past and current faculty and administration, graduates, current students and partners from the National Park Service, PA SHPO, and Fairmount Park Conservancy. The program is the oldest community college certificate program in the country and is the recipient of four HABS Charles E. Peterson Prize awards which recognizes the best set of measured drawings prepared to HABS standards by students.

Bucks County Community College recently celebrated the 25th anniversary of its Historic Preservation certificate program. Pictured in Tyler Hall are (left-right) Martin Sutton, former chair of the Social & Behavioral Sciences academic department; Dr. Stephanie Shanblatt, current Bucks president; Professor Pat Fisher-Olsen, an alumna of the certificate program and current program coordinator; and retired professor Lyle Rosenberger, who founded the program in 1991. Photo courtesy of Bucks County Community College.

Great Opportunity to learn why the Kinzua Viaduct is so cool:

This Shout-Out goes to PA DCNR, the Kinzua Bridge Foundation, the PA Wilds Center for Entrepreneurship, and all the other partners that made this happen.  The new Visitor Center at Kinzua Bridge State Park houses two exhibit halls, a lobby, park offices, restrooms, classrooms, and the first “PA Wilds Conservation Shop” that features local and regional crafts and products.  I’m shouting about a new building – which might not make much sense – because the exhibit spaces will help visitors better understand the history of the Kinzua Viaduct, the history and geography of the area, the importance of the Viaduct as an engineering marvel, and the broader impacts of the Industrial Revolution on American transportation and industry.

Kinzua Bridge before its collapse in 2003. Photo by DCNR/Bureau of State Parks.

If you’re not familiar with this place, here is the scoop: This 339-acre state park is home to the Kinzua Viaduct, an 1882 Erie Railroad iron bridge once billed as the “8th Wonder of the World” because of its astounding 301′ tall and 2,053′ long dimensions.  It was quickly replaced as the highest and longest bridge in North America, and by 1900 was rebuilt as an upgraded steel bridge.  By the 1950s, the bridge was deemed obsolete and was eventually purchased by the commonwealth for outdoor recreation in 1963.  In 2003, a tornado destroyed part of the 103-year-old bridge and eight years later the Viaduct was reinvented as a skywalk, which is a 600′ long pedestrian walkway from the remaining support towers that allows visitors to get a unique view of the Kinzua Gorge from the walkway or through the partial glass platform.

Image of Kinzua skywalk on September 17, 2011. Photo by Nicholas A. Tonelli shared through Creative Commons 2 license via flickr.

Making Progress in Danville!

I happened to catch this great article the other day about a very promising project happening in Danville, Montour County.  The Danville Business Alliance has been around since 2001 and doing some great economic and community development work ever since.  Their most recent endeavor is a project to convert the former Capitol Theater into the Danville Arts Center, a community-based arts and event center.  The Capitol opened in 1936 and, while it has seen it’s share of alteration, its retains some of the great original spaces like the stage, screen and curtain, and orchestra pit survive.  The new venue will include space for meetings and conferences, movies, concerts and live performances, art exhibits, and more.

This commercial block in Danville is just a small sample of all their architectural gems. Photograph by Doug Kerr, April 24, 2011, shared via Flickr under CC BY-SA 2.0 license.

A Keystone Historic Preservation project grant from the PA SHPO in 2014 helped to fund a feasibility study for the re-use of the property, which showed that the building still has good bones and the project is economically feasible.  This is an important milestone for the Alliance and the feasibility study now provides them with the foundation they need to move forward with gathering the $5 million they need for development and construction costs.

As always, thank you for all you do to help preserve, protect, and promote Pennsylvania’s historic places and spaces!