Imagining Our Future: Preserving Pennsylvania's Collections

PennsylvaniaSurveyMonkeyFinal version of the preservation plan for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, completed in January 2010.Institute of Museum and Library ServicesPennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Pennsylvania Federation of Museums and Historical Organization

The Pennsylvania historical and museum commission and the papers of the harmony society: An acquisition, a five-decade loan, and recovery

Among archivists and manuscript collectors, the term "replevin" commonly describes efforts by government archives to recover public records that are in private hands. At times, such efforts can provoke friction, raising questions about the line between public and private property rights. This article chronicles an atypical replevin case in Pennsylvania, one that focuses on the struggles over the ownership of papers of a private origin, but which became government property with their transfer to the Commonwealth in 1937. This is a custodial history of a collection of papers documenting the Harmony Society, a religious separatist society once located in western Pennsylvania and in southwest Indiana. It is a story that involves a former Harmonist, a scholar, misplaced trust, and recovery that highlights the complex psychology of ownership

Evaluation and Summary of PA Site Deaccession by PHMC

This thesis evaluated the process by which the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC) deaccessed its publicly owned historical sites through the Blue-Ribbon Report (1981) and the Blue Ribbon Committee (1997) to determine sites response and determine which typology of deaccession was the Most, Less, and Least successful. As a direct result of drastic budgets cuts by the Commonwealth PHMC’s sites that it directly administrated and operated dropped from 57 in 1981 to 14 in 2019. The first report in 1981 split the 57 sites into three groups of importance (Most, Less and Least ) based on integrity, significance, and historical value. The second report in 1997 ranked the remaining 27 non-deaccessed sites on the same three criteria with the addition of audience potential and community support. Washington Crossing Historic Park, Morton Homestead, Daniel Boone Homestead, and the P.A Military Museum were selected for evaluation that reflected the four methods of deaccession by PHMC: Transferred, Leased, Partnered, and retained. Through the analysis and interviews held with the four sites gauged how the site responded at the time the reports were released, awareness as of 2020 of the rankings, how deaccession transition occurred, supporting Friends group response, identification of other deaccession factors, and current status of the site. Once addressed, it was possible to ranking the four deaccession typology resulting in: Most-Transfer, Less-Partnered and/or Retained, Least- Leased. This information provides a better understanding of deaccession processes based on budget cuts that could better enhance community, public and administrative understanding

Eddie Plank Historical Marker

Eddie Plank (1875-1926) Baseball great. One of the most dominant pitchers of the twentieth century. Gettysburg Eddie compiled a record of 326-194 in a 17-year career (1901-17), mostly with the Philadelphia Athletics. He won 20 games or more eight times and helped the A\u27s win six pennants and three world championships. Plank was born [near this spot], attended Gettysburg Academy, and retired and died in Gettysburg. Elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame, 1946. Course Information: Course Title: HIST 300: Historical Method Academic Term: Spring 2006 Course Instructor: Dr. Michael J. Birkner \u2772 Hidden in Plain Sight is a collection of student papers on objects that are hidden in plain sight around the Gettysburg College campus. Topics range from the Glatfelter Hall gargoyles to the statue of Eisenhower and from historical markers to athletic accomplishments. You can download the paper in pdf format and click View Photo to see the image in greater detail.https://cupola.gettysburg.edu/hiddenpapers/1011/thumbnail.jp

Homer Rosenberger: Learning Beyond the Classroom

Homer Rosenberger, a Pennsylvania historian, cared deeply about sharing information. He collected books and articles on the history of PA, as well as meeting minutes for the many societies he participated in. All of this material is now stored in boxes available at Musselman Library in Gettysburg, PA. This paper is a combination of research and reflection on the experience of working with the Rosenberger collection, specifically a box that deals primarily with correspondence learning and public history

Architecture Tells the Story: G. Edwin Brumbaugh and His Contributions to the Field of Restoration Architecture

This thesis examines the career of restoration architect G. Edwin Brumbaugh in order to map the evolution of his ideologies, methodology, and professional practice, and to determine the degree to which his career affected the professionalization of restoration architecture during the twentieth century. Working primarily in Philadelphia and the surrounding area, Brumbaugh was well known among those interested in early American architecture and was widely regarded as one of the leading practitioners in the Mid-Atlantic states, in addition to being nationally recognized for his expertise and accomplishments. Brumbaugh was deeply interested in the vernacular architecture of southeastern Pennsylvania, specifically that of the Pennsylvania Germans. His spiritual connection to seventeenth and eighteenth century architecture, along with his insistence upon accurate and careful restoration based in sound historical, archaeological, and architectural investigations set him apart from his contemporaries. His independent practice, active for much of the twentieth century, was prolific, completing hundreds of public and private restorations. Brumbaugh also designed residential commissions in the colonial revival, and remained a proponent of this style for the length of his career. His career is discussed using three case studies: Ephrata Cloister, the William Brinton 1704 House, and Germantown Market Square

Cultural Heritage Initiative Feasibility Assessment: Centralia, Pennsylvania

The thesis of the project is that the region of Mount Carmel, PA, could better benefit from the influx of tourists that comes in daily for Centralia if there is a structural architecture to present and preserve the cultural heritage of Centralia and the immediate region. The impact of this initiative relies upon the relationship that the surrounding communities of the lower Anthracite coal region have with each other in their interconnected histories. The goal of this report is to assess the feasibility of revitalizing the anthracite coal region by preserving the cultural heritage of Centralia as a protected state park. This report provides the groundwork for a three-fold impact: 1) Providing the potential framework to help capture and promote the influx of tourism into the region in a respectful and proactive way that highlights Centralia’s rich history. 2) Preserve and celebrate the historical culture of the Anthracite coal region and communities surrounding Centralia. 3) Encourage economic growth through touristic markets and support services This report is the result of a student group project for Geography 326 Thinking Space taught by Prof. Vanessa Massaro. The GIS component of the project was part of work for Geography 204 Applied Geography taught by Prof. Duane Griffin

Room(s) for More: A Communal Dwelling or Family Home at Ephrata

According to the Chronicon Ephratense, the chronicle of Ephrata’s official history, edited and partially written by Peter Miller and published in 1786, the celibate sisters lived in three different communal structures at Ephrata. One surviving building at Ephrata raises questions about the possibility of an additional structure for multiple monastic residents. The building interpreted currently as the Weaver’s House at Ephrata Cloister has been viewed as a single-family house since the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission took ownership of the Ephrata Cloister. For about a hundred years before that it was known generically as the Parsonage, presumably for the minister of the German Seventh Day Baptist congregation at Ephrata. At the time when the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania took control of the property, the house was serving as a parsonage. The house has certain features that suggest that it was built for more than one family during the communal period of the Ephrata community. Architectural evidence suggests a structure for more than a single family. Documentary evidence offers some possibilities for the purpose of such a large building during the communal period. Based on this combination of evidence, the authors propose that the Weaver’s House is not a single family dwelling, and may have housed a group of celibates during part of the eighteenth century