Archives for June 2014

Public meetings scheduled to present results of Historic Resource Inventory for Erie, Corry

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Since December, Preservation Erie and the consulting firm Wise Preservation Planning have been working on a county-wide inventory of historic resources. Inventories for the cities of Erie and Corry are nearly complete. The public is invited to attend a presentation of the inventory results in Corry and a Q&A session with consultant Bob Wise Tuesday, June 24 at 7 pm at the Corry Higher Education Council, 221 N Center Street, Corry. Those wanting to learn more about the inventory results for the City of Erie are invited to attend a presentation Wednesday, June 25 at the Jefferson Educational Society, 3207 State Street, Erie at 7 pm.

Preservation Erie is excited to be working with Wise Preservation Planning, an experienced historic preservation planning firm based in Chester Springs, PA. The firm’s principals, Robert Wise and Seth Hinshaw, have more than 30 years of experience with municipal historic preservation planning and have produced an impressive portfolio of 26 National Register nominations for individual properties, districts and landmarks, 12 municipal-wide surveys of all historic resources 50 years old and older, and approximately 10,000 documented historic resources.

The remainder of Erie County is scheduled to be inventoried throughout the summer.

The results of the 2014 historic resource inventory will be added to the State’s Cultural Resources Geographic Information System, a map-based inventory of the historic and archaeological sites and surveys stored by the Bureau for Historic Preservation. Web access to all of the historic resource data will be open to the public. Electronic copies of the final inventory will be made available to all municipalities in Erie County, the Erie County Public Library and other interested groups.

The project is generously supported by the Erie County Gaming Revenue Authority, Erie Community Foundation, the Perry 200 Commission, and individuals. Once complete, the inventory will provide baseline information which will enable communities, property owners, organizations, and agencies to better appreciate the cultural and economic value of historic buildings and sites in their communities and assist civic leaders in planning for their protection and integration into economic revitalization strategies.

Preservation Erie and the Erie County Historical Society Collaborate to Present ECGRA Mission Main Street Workshop

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Event will Feature Experts from the Pennsylvania Historical and
Museum Commission and Preservation Pennsylvania

Preservation Erie and the Erie County Historical Society are collaborating to present an Erie County Gaming Revenue Authority Mission Main Street workshop. The event will take place June 20, 2014, from 9 a.m. to3 p.m. at the Jefferson Educational Society, 3207 State Street, Erie, Pa. Event updates and RSVP details are available under the Events tab on Preservation Erie’s website, www.PreservationErie.org.

Trainings will address topics such as: the economic and cultural value of historic preservation; ordinances, tax credits, grants, and other tools for supporting preservation programs; fostering historic preservation in your neighborhood; Erie’s demolition delay ordinance and historic overlay district ordinance; and the importance of performing a historic resource inventory.

ECGRA Executive Director Perry Wood said, “There was a time when main streets were the hub of every American community. Although those corridors no longer serve that purpose, they hold rich history and vast opportunities for community development. ECGRA is committed to helping our municipalities protect their unique assets while evolving to meet contemporary needs.”

Regional municipal and neighborhood leaders, architects and planners, and economic development and tourism specialists are encouraged to attend the community preservation training. Key speakers will include Bureau for Historic Preservation Community Preservation Coordinator Bill Callahan and Archeological Reviewer Kira Heinrich, and Preservation Pennsylvania Field Representative Erin Hammerstadt.

The Bureau for Historic Preservation is part of the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC), the Commonwealth’s official history agency. The bureau administers the state’s historic preservation program and is responsible for identifying and protecting the architectural and archaeological resources of Pennsylvania by working with individuals, communities, local governments, state and federal agencies to educate Pennsylvanians about our heritage and its value. The event is part of the Cultural Resource Essentials Focus workshop series that PHMC is offering regionally.

Preservation Pennsylvania is the Commonwealth’s only statewide, private nonprofit, membership organization dedicated to the protection of historically and architecturally significant properties. The organization assists in protecting and utilizing historic resources Pennsylvania communities want to preserve for the future.

A grantmaker, ECGRA’s mission is to galvanize the nonprofit sector toward economic and community development and to elevate Erie County, Pa. Since February 2008, ECGRA has invested more than $28 million in Erie County thanks to the innovative leadership of members of the ECGRA Board of Directors and staff, and Erie County Council. ECGRA’s Mission Main Street Grants are open annually for up to $15,000 per eligible municipalities and nonprofit organizations seeking to complete revitalization projects along historic commercial corridors, e.g., overhauled streetscapes, revamped landscapes and restored façades. Full Mission Main Street Grants guidelines are available at http://www.ECGRA.org.