The Pennsylvania Historic Preservation Plan: A Gift to Pennsylvania, 2001 (web page)

Executive Summary: "Before William Penn's arrival, Native Americans hunted, fished, and made their homes on the land now known as Pennsylvania. Since its founding as one of the original thirteen colonies in 1681, Pennsylvania has played a central role in the development of this country. The Declaration of Independence was signed in Philadelphia in 1776. The Battle of Gettysburg in 1863 served as a turning point in the war to end slavery and preserve the Union. And Pennsylvania has been an important center of U.S. commerce and industry for more than three hundred years. This is a rich and complex heritage - one we need to understand, preserve, and build on. In spring of 1999, the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC) and Preservation Pennsylvania launched an ambitious outreach campaign to learn what citizens think, as a first step in developing a five-year plan for historic preservation in Pennsylvania. In questionnaires and in public forums around the state, we asked people what they believed is most important to preserve and what they think public and private state leadership should do to advance the preservation agenda. The hundreds of Pennsylvanians who shared their views with us said they are gravely concerned about what is happening in their communities. They are concerned that blocks of historic buildings lie vacant, contributing to crime and urban decay, while highways are becoming clogged and scenic landscapes destroyed by new development spreading randomly across the countryside. They fear we are losing not only important parts of our heritage, but the quality of life that makes people and businesses want to come to Pennsylvania and stay here. Citizens also told us they believe Pennsylvanians need to know more about their heritage. They believe it makes economic sense to revitalize existing communities, building on the infrastructure that is already in place. And while they value their rights as property owners, they believe it is important to exercise those rights in ways that create better communities for us all. They challenged PHMC and Preservation Pennsylvania to play strong leadership roles in preserving our treasures, educating people about our heritage, and building stronger communities through preservation. This plan is a first step in taking up that challenge. It identifies the parts of our heritage Pennsylvanians think is most important to preserve. It shares success stories about preservation initiatives that have made a major difference in revitalizing our communities. It highlights the many programs and activities already underway that we can build on, and it sets out an ambitious five-year agenda for advancing historic preservation in Pennsylvania. When citizens were asked which resources were most important to preserve, they identified historic neighborhoods, main streets and downtowns." Project funding was provided in part by a Historic Preservation Fund grant to the Pennsylvania State Historic Preservation Office, Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, administered by the State, Tribal, Local Plans and Grants division, National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.

The Pennsylvania Historic Preservation Plan: A Gift to Pennsylvania, 2001 (web page)

See also

Collections