Searching for Keystone Hall’s Shield Stone

Posted by on Aug 13, 2026 in | Comments Off on Searching for Keystone Hall’s Shield Stone This is a story about the search for an architectural fragment of the second governor’s residence in Harrisburg, purchased in 1864 and first occupied by Gov. Andrew Gregg Curtin. Prior to this, most governors had lived in rented houses throughout the city, many of them less than ideal. In 1858 the legislature declined to build a governor’s house but purchased one on South Second Street below...
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From the Executive Director

Posted by on Apr 17, 2026 in | Comments Off on From the Executive Director Over the past 40 years, technology has transformed how people connect — with one another and with information. At the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission (PHMC), we’ve seen remarkable progress in using digital tools to enhance engagement with the history we steward: the documents, maps and photographs preserved in the Pennsylvania State Archives; information about historical...
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Pennsylvania Heritage Foundation Newsletter – Winter 2026

Posted by on Jan 14, 2026 in | Comments Off on Pennsylvania Heritage Foundation Newsletter – Winter 2026 Topics in the Winter 2026 Newsletter: Winter Events of the Trails of History Forthcoming U.S. 250th Events on the Trails of History Winter-2026-newsletter...
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Revolutionary Things: Objects from the Collection

Posted by on Jan 14, 2026 in | Comments Off on Revolutionary Things: Objects from the Collection Massachusetts has the Boston Tea Party, Bunker Hill and the Shot Heard Round the World; Virginia can lay claim to Mount Vernon, Monticello and Yorktown; and New Jersey and New York bore the brunt of the fighting in the conflict. But few if any of the original 13 colonies can compete with Pennsylvania in terms of the sheer concentration of people, places and things associated with the nation’s...
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Editor’s Letter

Posted by on Jan 14, 2026 in | Comments Off on Editor’s Letter With this edition of Pennsylvania Heritage, we begin our commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the year of American independence. In the coming months, the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission and its Trails of History sites will be offering an array of related programs, exhibitions and events that you’ll hear about in these pages. This winter, The State Museum of Pennsylvania...
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From the Executive Director

Posted by on Jan 14, 2026 in | Comments Off on From the Executive Director At the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission, our mission is to help Pennsylvanians discover and use history in ways that are relevant to their lives. We are always looking to engage with new audiences, and we try to reach Pennsylvanians through a variety of channels. In recent months, we have developed several new programs for outreach. In September, we partnered with Indiana...
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Pennsylvania in Watercolor: Revisiting Nick Ruggieri’s Bicentennial Series

Posted by on Dec 1, 2025 in | Comments Off on Pennsylvania in Watercolor: Revisiting Nick Ruggieri’s Bicentennial Series   In 1971, the Harrisburg Patriot-News commissioned local artist and newspaperman Nick Ruggieri (1908–96) to create a series of paintings depicting Pennsylvania scenes—both historic and contemporary — across all 67 counties. The project was intended to be the capital city newspaper’s contribution to the upcoming Bicentennial, a national celebration in which the Keystone State was expected...
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From the Executive Director

Posted by on Dec 1, 2025 in | Comments Off on From the Executive Director We are thrilled to be sharing some PHMC news with you: We are embarking on a major renovation of The State Museum of Pennsylvania. Our Midcentury Modern masterpiece is a wonderful home for telling Pennsylvania’s story, but after serving Pennsylvanians for 60 years, it has some elements that no longer meet the needs of the modern visitor or, to be honest, the needs of our collections. This $55...
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1st Pennsylvania Regiment Flag and Banners of Liberty

Posted by on Sep 8, 2025 in | Comments Off on 1st Pennsylvania Regiment Flag and Banners of Liberty One of the most significant objects in the collection of The State Museum of Pennsylvania is currently being featured in Banners of Liberty, a special exhibition of rare and original Revolutionary War–era flags at the Museum of the American Revolution (MOAR) in Philadelphia. The 40-by-54-inch silk flag belonged to the 1st Pennsylvania Regiment of the Continental Line between 1776 and 1783. Over...
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From Fort Sumter to Appomattox and Back: The Civil War Career of Samuel W. Crawford

Posted by on Jun 11, 2025 in | Comments Off on From Fort Sumter to Appomattox and Back: The Civil War Career of Samuel W. Crawford It started with a boom at 4:30 a.m. on April 12, 1861, as a single mortar shell arched appropriately from south to north high over the harbor at Charleston, South Carolina. The shell burst above Fort Sumter and was a signal to the artillery batteries positioned around the harbor to open fire. The next shot, fired from a battery farther east, was meant to be the ceremonial beginning of a second...
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