Executive Director’s Message

Posted by on Nov 26, 2013 in | Comments Off on Executive Director’s Message I do not have e-mail. Although the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC) has made enormous progress in many ways in recent years, we have lagged behind in investing in technologies normally associated with government agencies and cultural institutions. However, a tremendous transformation is underway and within two years we will dramatically change the way we conduct business....
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Bridging the Past for the Future

Posted by on Nov 25, 2013 in | Comments Off on Bridging the Past for the Future Because Pennsylvania was one of the first settled areas of the United States, it should come as little surprise that it possesses one of the most interesting collections of historic bridges of any state. Its ever-expanding population and consequent transportation requirements made the Keystone State a pioneer in transportation innovation, particularly in the design of bridges. Following the...
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An Impressive Legacy: A Half-Century of Historic Preservation in Pennsylvania, 1955-2005

Posted by on Nov 25, 2013 in | Comments Off on An Impressive Legacy: A Half-Century of Historic Preservation in Pennsylvania, 1955-2005 A quarter-century ago, James Biddle (1929-2005), president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, from 1968 to 1980, was named chairman of Pennsylvania’s first State Historic Preservation Board. Jimmy, as the scion of one of the Commonwealth’s most notable families was known – especially to fellow preservationists, many of them working at the grassroots level –...
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The Pennsylvania Dugout Canoe Project

Posted by on Nov 24, 2013 in | Comments Off on The Pennsylvania Dugout Canoe Project Then: Imagine the sight of individuals clad only in loincloths, furiously chipping at a large felled log, slivers of wood flying high above them, and smoke curling upward from sections of the burning tree as they carve out a dugout canoe. Now: In painstakingly precise recreations, archaeologists of the Bureau for Historic Preservation (BHP) of the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission...
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Executive Director’s Letter

Posted by on Nov 24, 2013 in | Comments Off on Executive Director’s Letter I hope enjoying you the are enjoying the new features that have been introduced in recent issues of Pennsylvania Heritage. They are aimed at enhancing our relationships with history organizations, cultural institutions, museums, and historic preservation groups throughout the Commonwealth. We also hope these new features will keep you better informed about our programs and activities....
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Executive Director’s Letter

Posted by on Nov 20, 2013 in | Comments Off on Executive Director’s Letter This spring marks the launch of a number of exciting initiatives celebrating important people, places, and events in our history. In anticipation of the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial in 2009 celebrating the 200th anniversary of the sixteenth president’s birth in 1809, Governor Edward G. Rendell has appointed a state commission to work with the National Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission to...
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PHMC Highlights

Posted by on Nov 20, 2013 in | Comments Off on PHMC Highlights Marking its fortieth anniversary this summer, “Art of the State : Pennsylvania 2007,” cosponsored by The State Museum of Pennsylvania and the Greater Harrisburg Arts Council was on view from June 9 through September 9 at The State Museum. Of 1,728 paintings, works on paper, sculptures, crafts, and photographs submitted by 646 Pennsylvania artists, independent judges selected 150 works by 140...
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PHMC Highlights

Posted by on Nov 20, 2013 in | Comments Off on PHMC Highlights To celebrate the seventy-fifth anniversary of the New Deal, the PHMC created an attractive commemorative poster. Kathleen Alsvary of the Publications and Sales Division designed the poster and Bureau for Historic Preservation historian Kenneth C. Wolensky authored the historical context appearing on the reverse. Commemorating Pennsylvania’s role in the New Deal economic recovery programs during...
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Advanced Technology “Rubs” the Ancient Past

Posted by on Nov 20, 2013 in | Comments Off on Advanced Technology “Rubs” the Ancient Past With more than 400,000 visitors, the Pennsylvania Farm Show, held each January, is a terrific opportunity to highlight the best of Pennsylvania agriculture. It’s also an exciting venue to showcase Pennsylvania archaeology and remind the public that archaeological sites are important endangered resources that need protection. Since 1980, PHMC’s Bureau for Historic Preservation and The...
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Marker Program at the Pennsylvania Farm Show

Posted by on Nov 20, 2013 in | Comments Off on Marker Program at the Pennsylvania Farm Show The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC) adopted as its 2012 annual theme “The Land of Penn and Plenty: Bringing History to the Table.” State Historical Marker Program staff developed a scavenger hunt featuring twenty-two replica markers related to Pennsylvania’s agricultural and food production history that was launched at the 2012 Pennsylvania Farm Show. Visitors obtained...
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