State Agency Begins Historical Photo Campaign
Restoration by Ford City residents of the historic PPG tunnel in Ford City have helped make it an iconic landmark locally, and can be submitted for statewide appreciation as part of their 2012-17 Preservation Plan through October.
Historical structures around Armstrong County, from the Armstrong County Courthouse to the PPG Tunnel in Ford City, are sought after for inclusion in the state’s preservation next plan.
The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC) hopes to gain public input through photographs of historical places such as these for their next five-year plan.
Media Director Howard Pollman reiterated what commission representatives hope to receive.
“The PHMC is asking Pennsylvanians to take photographs of historic structures that they find important to them and send them to us, because we are using them as part of our Preservation Plan,” Pollman said.
Photo submissions can include archaeological excavations, historic or rural landscapes, downtown streetscapes, residential neighborhoods, and adaptive re-use of historic buildings and structures.
Entitled the “This is MY HISTORY” photo campaign, photos can include preserved structures or those that have been lost to neglect or are slated for demolition. Participants can email photos along with the name of the site and any comments they wish to share to papreservethis@yahoo.com. Photos will be reviewed and shared at http://www.flickr.com/photos/patrailsofhistory/collections/72157627179319880/.
Photos can be submitted anytime through Dec. 31, 2011; however, only submissions received by Oct. 31 will be considered for inclusion in the Commonwealth’s official preservation plan.
Pollman explained the commission’s overall plan.
“Every five years, the PHMC’s Bureau for Historic Preservation develops a comprehensive Preservation Plan for the Commonwealth. It’s something we do as part of our partnership with the Department of Interior,” Pollman said.
The Preservation Plan is required to fulfill several requirements, including meeting the preservation circumstances of the state, achieving broad-based public and professional involvement, taking into consideration issues affecting the broad spectrum of historic and cultural resources within the state, is based on the analyses of resource data and user needs assessed through a public survey last year, and encourages the consideration of historic preservation concerns within broader planning environments at federal, state and local levels.
“By having people send in photos of what they believe is important to them really makes the plan more personal - it’s more interesting for people to tell us what they find important rather than us doing that,” Pollman said.
The commission held public meetings throughout the state throughout the spring to gain public input in the process, the closest being held in Moon Township in May.
The preservation plan will be released in January 2012.
More information about the preservation planning process and the photo campaign is available at www.phmc.state.pa.us. The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission is the official history agency of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
by Jonathan Weaver