Benjamin Henry Latrobe: The Artist as Commentator

Posted by John Van Horne on Nov 29, 2013 in | Comments Off on Benjamin Henry Latrobe: The Artist as Commentator Benjamin Henry La­trobe (1764-1820) is generally acknowl­edged to be America’s first professional architect and engineer, practicing in the United States from 1796, when he immigrated from England, until his untimely death from yellow fever in New Orleans in 1820. He worked, during that period, in cities as diverse as Richmond, Philadelphia, Balti­more, Washington, D.C., Pittsburgh, and...
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The ‘State’ of Allegheny

Posted by George Swetnam on Nov 29, 2013 in | Comments Off on The ‘State’ of Allegheny One of the first centers of the organization of the Re­publican party and scene of its first national conven­tion in February, 1856, Allegheny County was strongly for Lincoln in the presidential election of 1860. As the vote count proceeded, one of the leaders kept sending telegrams to Lincoln’s home in Illinois, keeping him up on the news that “Allegheny gives a majority of …...
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Historical Sketch of Greene County

Posted by Louis Waddell on Nov 29, 2013 in | Comments Off on Historical Sketch of Greene County Greene County lies in the southwestern corner of the state. Its many hills, the distinguishing feature of the countryside, grow more pronounced as one travels from the eastern to the western areas. The old Washington Waynes­burg Railroad, traveling through the hills, was famous for its 178 sharp turns, each of which jolted the passengers. There were some who took the trip just for the roller...
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The Whiskey Boys Versus the Watermelon Army

Posted by Jerry Clouse on Nov 26, 2013 in | Comments Off on The Whiskey Boys Versus the Watermelon Army When the issue of balancing the budget by raising taxes reared its ugly head recently, the nation once again saw the contro­versy and bitterness the sub­ject ignites. On Capitol Hill familiar questions were fiercely debated. Who should close the revenue gap, the wealthy or the working class? Should taxes be increased on ciga­rettes, gasoline, or liquor? Nearly two hundred years ago the Congress...
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The Tax Collector of Bower Hill

Posted by Chadwick Harp on Nov 26, 2013 in | Comments Off on The Tax Collector of Bower Hill Gen. John Neville was an aristocrat in every sense of the word. He possessed wealth, power, and prestige, but in 1794 many of his western Pennsylvania neighbors would have prefer­red to see him dead. They believed he had betrayed them when he accepted the position of inspector in charge of col­lecting the new tax on whiskey. As the fledgling nation faced a severe economic crisis resulting from...
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Charles Grafly: An Apostle of American Art

Posted by Stephen May on Nov 26, 2013 in | Comments Off on Charles Grafly: An Apostle of American Art From the earliest days through most of the nineteenth century, sculpture in America was the enterprise of w1tutored artisans, craftsmen, stonecutters, and woodcarvers modestly plying their trade on furniture, gravestones, figureheads, and shop signs. Lacking opportunities for academic training at home, ambitious craftsmen flocked first to Rome and, following the Civil War, to Paris to learn the...
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The World of Jane Piper

Posted by Bill Scott on Nov 25, 2013 in | Comments Off on The World of Jane Piper Jane Piper (1916-1991), recognized by colleagues and critics alike as one of Philadelphia’s foremost painters and teachers, enjoyed a career that spanned fifty years and included thirty-five solo shows. Her works, mostly still lifes, combined figurative and abstract elements. She has been described as an “instinctive individualist,” and her independent spirit characterized her...
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Quita Brodhead – New Horizons for a New Century

Posted by Bill Scott on Nov 25, 2013 in | Comments Off on Quita Brodhead – New Horizons for a New Century I’ve been through a great many phases of painting that certainly don’t resemble each other,” says painter Quita Brodhead. “It always worries me to think that perhaps I was just skipping around and jumping, but when you really look at my paintings, there is a thread of continuity that goes through them all. I developed along that thread.” This spring, Quita Brodhead...
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And They’re Off! Pennsylvania’s Horse Racing Tradition

Posted by Curtis Miner on Nov 25, 2013 in | Comments Off on And They’re Off! Pennsylvania’s Horse Racing Tradition Thoroughbred racing doesn’t normally look to Pennsylvania for its next champion, but a small colt may have changed all that. In November 2003, Smarty Jones, foaled in Chester County two years earlier, ran his first competitive race at Philadelphia Park, one of the state’s four licensed horse race tracks. Six months later, on Saturday, May 1, 2004, the plucky little horse became the...
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