Pennsylvania State Historic Preservation Office to Host Public Meetings as Part of Statewide Historic Preservation Planning Process

HARRISBURG, Pa., Oct. 3, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Pennsylvania State Historic Preservation Office (PA SHPO), in partnership with Preservation Pennsylvania, will host a series of nine Preservation Planning Open Houses beginning October 17. These meetings will allow the public to help shape the next Statewide Historic Preservation Plan.  

The public's input is essential to creating a statewide historic preservation plan with clear, practical goals that will help public and private organizations preserve the Commonwealth's cultural legacy and serve as a resource for anyone working with older and historic places. 

The National Historic Preservation Act requires that state historic preservation offices develop and maintain statewide plans, which are intended to guide local, regional and statewide preservation efforts over a period of time. This comprehensive plan defines the role of historic preservation in sustaining and revitalizing Pennsylvania communities.  In Pennsylvania, the PA SHPO is responsible for guiding the development of such a plan, securing its approval from the National Park Service and distributing the plan as a resource for agencies, organizations, municipalities and the public.  

Open Houses are scheduled from 3:30 PM to 7:30 PM with one-hour discussions led by Preservation Pennsylvania's Executive Director Mindy Crawford at 4:30 PM and 6:30 PM. The Lancaster-area Open House will be open between the hours of 4:00 PM and 8:00 PM with the one-hour discussions at 4:30 PM and 6:30 PM.

The Open Houses are FREE and open to anyone interested in attending.  Please register by visiting Preservation Pennsylvania's online registration page at www.eventbrite.com/e/open-house-for-the-pa-state-historic-preservation-plan-tickets-27675668670.  Registration is not required and will be used for planning purposes only. 

The first 25 people to register for each Open House will receive a free copy of Pennsylvania Architecture: The Historic American Buildings Survey, 1933-1990.

Under the direction of the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, the PA SHPO coordinates state and federal historic and preservation programs including the National Register of Historic Places, state and federal tax credits and review of state and federal projects for their impact on historic resources. 

The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission is the official history agency of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Visit PHMC online at www.phmc.pa.gov.

MEDIA CONTACT: Howard Pollman, 717-705-8639

Editor's Note: The date and location of the Historic Preservation Planning Open Houses are listed below.  Open Houses are scheduled from 3:30 PM to 7:30 PM with one-hour discussions led by Preservation Pennsylvania's Executive Director Mindy Crawford at 4:30 PM and 6:30 PM.  The Lancaster-area Open House will be open between the hours of 4:00 PM and 8:00 PM with the one-hour discussions at 4:30 PM and 6:30 PM.

October 17 – Boalsburg
Pennsylvania Military Museum
51 Boal Avenue, Boalsburg, PA 16827
http://pamilmuseum.org

October 20 – Lancaster
Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum
2451 Kissel Hill Road, Lancaster, PA  17601
www.landisvalleymuseum.org/

October 25 – Galeton
Pennsylvania Lumber Museum
5660 U.S. 6, Galeton, PA  16922
http://lumbermuseum.org/

October 27 – Erie
Manchester Schoolhouse
6610 W. Lake Road, Fairview, PA  16415
http://www.1897events.net/

November 3 – Scranton
Pennsylvania Anthracite Heritage Museum
McDade Park, Unit #3, 22 Bald Mountain Road, Scranton, PA  18504
www.anthracitemuseum.org

November 7 – Bethlehem
Fowler Family Southside Center
511 E. Third Street, Bethlehem, PA 18015
https://www.northampton.edu/about-ncc/campus-locations/fowler-family-southside-center.htm

November 17 – Philadelphia
Arch Street Meeting House
320 Arch St, Philadelphia, PA 19106
www.archstreetmeetinghouse.org

November 29 – Pittsburgh
Senator John Heinz History Center
1212 Smallman Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15222
www.heinzhistorycenter.org

November 30 – Johnstown
Heritage Discovery Center
201 6th Ave.  Johnstown, PA  15906
www.jaha.org

SOURCE Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission