Beyond the Garden Gate: A peek at the gardens of a 100 years ago

If you are like me, you’ve probably often extended your musings over historic architecture to the gardens that were designed, planted, and cultivated to compliment that architecture and found yourself wondering just what the gardens of 100 years ago looked like.  If we’ve abandoned brick and stone in favor of vinyl facades, turned away from …

Beyond the Garden Gate: A peek at the gardens of a 100 years ago Read More »

HIDDEN GEM: The DOE and the postcard collection at Landis Valley museum – a surprising connection

  What do the Department of Energy’s superconductivity and hydrogen programs have in common with a postcard collection at Landis Valley Museum? Russ Eaton.      Named Volunteer of the Year in 2011 by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC) for his work on the postcard collection at Landis Valley Museum (administered by the PHMC), Russ …

HIDDEN GEM: The DOE and the postcard collection at Landis Valley museum – a surprising connection Read More »

HIDDEN GEM: Olde Mill Lighting: An inside look at the handcrafted tinsmith process

Our first “hidden gem” in our backyard for May’s National Historic Preservation Month is Olde Mill Lighting – and we were lucky enough to score an inside peek at their handcrafted smithery process.   Located on an 18th century miller’s plantation on Strasburg Pike, Olde Mill Lighting is part of a family of home enhancement …

HIDDEN GEM: Olde Mill Lighting: An inside look at the handcrafted tinsmith process Read More »

OFFICIAL PROCLAMATION: May is National Preservation Month!

One of the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s programs to work towards their goal of “providing leadership, education, advocacy, and resources to save America’s diverse historic places” is the proclamation of May as National Preservation Month. As part of this program, the NTHP offers up a proclamation template that local governors and mayors can use …

OFFICIAL PROCLAMATION: May is National Preservation Month! Read More »

BOOK REVIEW: Architecture of Democracy

Architecture of Democracy  by Allan Greenberg Wrapping up our discussion on the founding of our country, we thought we recommend this book on the founding architecture of our country.  You can read more information about author Allan Greenberg at his website, a detailed article on Allan Greenberg and this book that ran in a 2007 …

BOOK REVIEW: Architecture of Democracy Read More »

Preservationist vs. revisionist history – is there a time and a place for both?

Since I put last month’s e-newsletter to bed (obligatory you can sign up here) yesterday morning (hey, that e-newsletter is one wild party animal on the weekends), I’ve started researching this month’s snail-mail newsletter (another obligatory you can sign up for that one here).  We’re delving into the history at Independence National Park in Philadelphia since it’s fresh …

Preservationist vs. revisionist history – is there a time and a place for both? Read More »

Thaddeus Kosciuszko National Memorial

What the house looked like before theNational Park Service preserved itas a memorial to Thaddeus Kousciuszko We recently completed a restoration project at the Thaddeus Kosciuszko National Memorial at Independence National Historic Park in Philadelphia. Kosciuszko was a Polish freedom fighter who played an integral role in our Revolutionary War by engineering forts and defense …

Thaddeus Kosciuszko National Memorial Read More »