PA SHPO's 'Historic Preservation: The Keystone of Community' will guide historic preservation efforts across the Commonwealth for the next decade. This comprehensive framework will ensure that Pennsylvania's rich history is meaningfully preserved and celebrated.
Harrisburg, PA - The Pennsylvania State Historic Preservation Office (PA SHPO) today announced the launch of Pennsylvania's official statewide historic preservation plan, Historic Preservation: The Keystone of Community. This comprehensive plan is a resource for Pennsylvanians, municipalities, organizations, and agencies to inform and guide their efforts to protect and revitalize the Commonwealth's historic places for the next decade, from 2025 through 2035.
Illustrated with photographs of 50 historic places identified by Pennsylvanians, the plan provides a framework of activities and goals to:
- Help Pennsylvanians better understand historic preservation and its benefits;
- Foster appreciation for Pennsylvania's rich history and shared heritage as told through historic places; and
- Guide communities in balancing historic preservation and economic development for sustainable change.
The year-long development process for the plan included two online surveys and listening sessions and conversations with Pennsylvanians across the Commonwealth. Ten areas of importance and three goals emerged from this outreach.
These areas include promoting access to historic preservation resources, planning for environmental sustainability, leveraging economic opportunities, and expanding education and training for those involved in preservation efforts. Building strong communities around historic places and developing a skilled workforce for historic preservation trades are also central to the plan's strategic approach.
PA SHPO, a bureau within the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission (PHMC), is responsible for guiding the development of the plan, securing its approval from the National Park Service, and distributing the plan as a resource for agencies, organizations, municipalities, and the public. The complete plan is available online.
About the Pennsylvania State Historic Preservation Office
The Pennsylvania State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), the official historic preservation agency for the Commonwealth, protects, promotes, and educates Pennsylvanians about the state’s vast collection of historic and archaeological sites and artifacts; encourages them to value these resources as part of our shared past and future; and enables them to preserve the places that tell our local, state, and national stories for future generations. By administering grant and tax credit programs, overseeing historic designations, providing technical assistance, and more, PA SHPO safeguards Pennsylvania’s cultural heritage.
The Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission is the official history agency of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Learn more by visiting PHMC online or following us on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram or LinkedIn.