The Restoration of Old Bethel: An Example for the Future

Posted by Susan Hartman on Nov 30, 2013 in | Comments Off on The Restoration of Old Bethel: An Example for the Future Introduction To a world in a state of con­stant change, today’s goals and cherished values may well be­come tomorrow’s prohibitions. The original idea of restoration – getting people to return to an undervalued old part of town – was understood only in positive terms, until gradually, it be­came apparent that some people at least were moving out or being moved out as a...
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Evolution of a Preservation Agency: Centre County’s Historic Registration Project

Posted by Martha Birchenall on Nov 30, 2013 in | Comments Off on Evolution of a Preservation Agency: Centre County’s Historic Registration Project The commemoration of America’s Bicentennial gave birth to numerous community-minded pursuits during its nationwide celebra­tion. Although many of these special endeavors were shelved when the year was over, the administrators of one at least. the Historic Registration Project in Centre County. realized that their work had just begun. Now, four years later, this unique organization is still...
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Pennsylvania Architectural Heritage: The Preservation Movement in the Keystone State, 1800-1950

Posted by John Snyder on Nov 30, 2013 in | Comments Off on Pennsylvania Architectural Heritage: The Preservation Movement in the Keystone State, 1800-1950 The primary focus of this series of four articles is the architectural heritage of Pennsylvania through the past three centuries. However, in the context of history, architecture is neither an isolated creation nor an assured cultural resource for the future. As buildings ore the products of the interaction of many facets of a society, so. too, the preservation of architecture is the result of...
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Pennsylvania’s Architectural Heritage: Representative Styles as Seen in Lancaster County

Posted by John Snyder on Nov 30, 2013 in | Comments Off on Pennsylvania’s Architectural Heritage: Representative Styles as Seen in Lancaster County At the time of the Common­wealth of Pennsylvania’s Ter­centenary, it is appropriate that architecture receive special atten­tion. Of all the arts, architecture is most closely related to life itself: whether a barn or a cathedral, a build­ing satisfies a human need. Thus, buildings are a mirror of a given epoch’s ideals and functions. 1n this light, Pennsylvania’s architectural...
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On the Trail of Frank Furness

Posted by Anne Cook on Nov 30, 2013 in | Comments Off on On the Trail of Frank Furness An historic sites survey is rightfully likened to a trea­sure hunt. A game of discovery, it relies on clues obtained from old maps, diaries, photographs, newspapers and countless other sources to lead to the awaiting bounty. Rather than finding a pot of gold, the historic sites survey, through its identification and documentation of old buildings, is rewarded by the discovery of pattern and...
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Okie Speaks for Pennsbury, Part I

Posted by Nancy Kolb on Nov 30, 2013 in | Comments Off on Okie Speaks for Pennsbury, Part I It is no secret that restoring an old house presents a number of headaches, not the least being the question of authenticity. But imagine what it is like to virtually re-create a structure that has been missing for over a century. Most architects would claim that it is impossible, even with good drawings and the best intentions. Never­theless, with a streak of optimism and the blessing of...
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Pennsylvania’s Architectural Heritage: The Preservation Movement in the Keystone State, 1950-1981

Posted by John Snyder on Nov 30, 2013 in | Comments Off on Pennsylvania’s Architectural Heritage: The Preservation Movement in the Keystone State, 1950-1981 As the last in a four-part series about Pennsylvania s architecture, this conclusion focuses on the develop­ments which have occurred in the field of preservation over the past thirty years. Although this temporal division may seem disproportionate when com­pared with the one hundred fifty years covered in rite preceding article. it has been dictated by both the incentives and challenges to...
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If Only the Walls Could Talk: The Story of the Federal Barn

Posted by Anne Cook on Nov 30, 2013 in | Comments Off on If Only the Walls Could Talk: The Story of the Federal Barn “There is no building that does nor develop some unexpected charm with age; but the early American barn, taking into consideration its reason for being, I’ve found to be an exceptional and impressive subject. The growth of moss, the dust of hay, the powdering of mortar in joints, the mellowing of cut stone, the aging of wood – all things thought to be unfortunate – are...
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Revolving Funds: Historic Preservation Gets a New Tool

Posted by Arthur Ziegler on Nov 30, 2013 in | Comments Off on Revolving Funds: Historic Preservation Gets a New Tool Over the past seventy-five years, the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission has preserved Pennsylvania’s historic heritage through its sixty historic sites and museums. Across the Commonwealth, hundreds of other historic properties have also been maintained as house museums or community centers by local governments, historical societies and preservation organiza­tions. With the...
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Pennsylvania Firehouses: The Evolution of Design

Posted by A. Pierce Bounds on Nov 30, 2013 in | Comments Off on Pennsylvania Firehouses: The Evolution of Design Firehouses are among the most easily recognizable and popular public buildings across the nation. Beginning with the construction of the first permanent homes for volunteer companies in the early nineteenth cen­tury, fire station design has been influ­enced by functional requirements. Be­yond serving as a place to store fire­fighting equipment, however, the fire­house was also a public building,...
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