Tag Archives: Historic Harrisburg Association

Historically Speaking: In Harrisburg, much has been lost–but much has been saved, too

Illustration by Rich Hauck.

Each winter, I get to cover one of my favorite annual news stories.

As an old building buff, I look forward to Historic Harrisburg Association’s “Preservation Priorities,” a list of endangered historic properties that the organization updates every year.

First, I watch the presentation then I write a story detailing what’s in, what’s out, what’s old, what’s new for the year.

For 2024, the William Penn building topped the list (natch!), followed by the former Harrisburg State Hospital grounds and then our beloved, if beaten down, Broad Street Market.

The rest of the list reads like a who’s who of our area’s blighted, beleaguered and broken. The 30 or so properties on the “priority” and “watch” lists include everything from 19th-century mansions to historic bridges to old churches, schools and fire houses.

The common thread: all need new love, new life and, often, a new owner—as well as tons of money and vision to go from forlorn to fixed.

As much as I enjoy the presentation, I’m often left feeling empty afterwards, given the tragedy inherent in broken-down buildings and in how many linger on the list from year to year.

Last year, in this space, I expressed some of that frustration by emphasizing the negative—the loss of so many of downtown Harrisburg’s once-beautiful buildings, which has left, in its wake, an abstract jumble of structures, parking garages and empty lots. I did that to contrast our situation with that of Lancaster, a thriving small city whose historic core remains largely intact.

I stand by my opinion that Lancaster’s success can be credited, at least in part, to the retention and restoration of its federal and Victorian-era built environment.

However, this year, in this column, I want to flip that script.

When I arrived in Harrisburg in 2009, I remember my first walk through Midtown.

On a bitter, mid-winter day, I took a stroll up 3rd Street, starting at Forster and ending at Reily, before winding back, mostly to check out this new city I had landed in.

On that walk, I felt a bit like Gary Cooper in “High Noon.” In the climax to that 1952 film, Cooper’s character, Marshall Will Kane, walks down the main street alone, the dusty road deserted of townspeople, who have sealed themselves up inside their homes and businesses.

My walk felt just as forlorn. I wandered the street without encountering a soul, passing one boarded-up building after another. I wouldn’t have been surprised if a tumbleweed or two had come bouncing by.

Had I just waited 15 years, until 2024, I would have had an entirely different experience. Since that first walk, the boards have been ripped off and the buildings brought back, including for all of the landmark structures along that half-mile stretch.

Some of these restorations and adaptive reuses are truly remarkable.

Arguably, the new era dawned when GreenWorks Development turned the enormous Evangelical Press Building into beautiful classroom space. Down the street, Midtown Scholar then remade a forlorn retail strip into one of the best independent bookstores in the country. Two blocks away, H*MAC took on the daunting challenge of reviving the shuttered, sprawling PAL building, resulting in an extraordinary transformation into a live music venue, restaurant and bar.

The list continues: ModernRugs, Susquehanna Art Museum, Pursuit/Union Lofts, Carpets & Draperies, COBA, Millworks. On that day 15 years ago, I walked past all of these buildings, which, at the time, were unused, unloved and falling apart.

Even better—these have all been discrete projects, not done by some mega-developer or large corporation, but, one by one, by local people who have poured their time, dollars and souls into them.

So, yeah, sometimes I need to slap myself out of my funk. Am I upset that, for the nth straight year, the 200-year-old Balsley House downtown continues to deteriorate? I sure am. But we need to celebrate our wins, too—and those wins have been real and substantial.

As he introduced the 2024 version of “Preservation Priorities,” Historic Harrisburg Executive Director David Morrison explained why his organization undertakes this exercise each year.

“By compiling this list and publicizing it, it has played a very significant role in encouraging these important properties to be preserved,” he said. “When we publicize them, sometimes it spurs the owner into doing something about it. Sometimes, it spurs somebody to look into purchasing the property. So, it’s a very effective tool for promoting historic preservation.”
Agreed. Now, let’s take it from here, Harrisburg.

Lawrance Binda is publisher and editor of TheBurg.

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Historic preservation priorities announced for 2024, William Penn tops list

William Penn High School (illustration: Rich Hauck)

A Harrisburg school building tops a list of local “preservation priorities,” as an area historic preservation group has unveiled its annual list.

On Monday night, Historic Harrisburg Association (HHA) detailed its list of endangered historic structures in the greater Harrisburg area.

“By compiling this list and publicizing it, it has played a very significant role in encouraging these important properties to be preserved,” said David Morrison, HHA’s executive director, reflecting on past efforts.

In an hour-long presentation, HHA board President Jeb Stuart outlined the group’s priorities for 2024, with the former William Penn High School topping the list of preservation priorities.

Last year, the Harrisburg School District proposed demolishing the century-old school, which has been vacant and deteriorating for over a decade. That proposal met pushback from the community and alumni, resulting in the appointment of a task force to weigh other options for the building and property. Those options are due to be presented imminently to district officials.

“There is agreement that the property can be saved and should be saved,” said Morrison, who sits on the task force. “I think there’s a good chance that a good outcome will result from this effort.”

The sprawling Harrisburg State Hospital complex, located mostly in Susquehanna Township, was second on the list. The commonwealth had been trying to sell the property, with Dauphin County as a proposed buyer, but that deal later fell through.

The Broad Street Market takes the third spot on the list. Last year, a fire devastated the market’s 150-year-old brick building, which has been shuttered since. The older stone building remains open, but reconstruction has not yet commenced on the brick building’s restoration, which could take years.

“We hope to work very closely with the city and with the Pennsylvania Historical Museum Commission in making sure, to the extent possible, that this [fire-ravaged] section of the brick building will be rebuilt as it was,” Stuart said.

The fourth “preservation priority” was the former Camp Curtin Memorial Mitchell UMC Church. In 2021, a local developer purchased the church from the Susquehanna United Methodist Conference, proposing to redevelop it into housing. That project didn’t occur and, just last month, the church was sold to a Lancaster-based congregation called Ministry Int IPDA.

HHA listed two vacant Harrisburg firehouses as the fifth “preservation priority.” Sale of the Riverside Firehouse has been in limbo for years, as it sits on two different property parcels that have not yet been consolidated. Likewise, the Paxton Firehouse in Shipoke has long been empty, despite an attempt two years ago to turn it into a facility serving the homeless population.

HHA’s top-five preservation priorities differ significantly from last year’s when the Market Street Bridge topped the list, followed by Balsley House, a dilapidated, Federal-style building in downtown Harrisburg.

Moreover, HHA put about two-dozen buildings and structures on its “watch list,” meaning they’re historic properties of concern. These include the Market Street Bridge, Balsley House, Prospect Hill Cemetery Gatehouse, Zembo Shrine Center, the Walnut Street Bridge, Grace United Methodist Church, former Coca-Cola bottling works and several Front Street mansions, among others.

Balsley House

HHA’s 2024 “Preservation Priorities” was drafted by the organization’s preservation committee and still must be approved by the full board.

“When we publicize [these properties], sometimes it spurs the owner into doing something about it. Sometimes, it spurs somebody to look into purchasing the property,” Morrison said. “So, it’s a very effective tool for promoting historic preservation.”

You can watch Historic Harrisburg Association’s “Preservation Priorities” presentation on their Facebook page. The video also will be posted on their website.

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Harrisburg weighs options, hones in on temporary home for displaced Broad Street Market vendors

Harrisburg officials have identified this grassy lot across the street from the Broad Street Market as a potential site for relocating some displaced vendors until the brick market house (upper left) is restored.

Harrisburg hopes to have a temporary home for displaced Broad Street Market vendors set up in less than a month, officials said on Friday.

On Friday afternoon, city Business Administrator Dan Hartman and Fire Chief Brian Enterline met in a large, grassy field directly across the street from the market, along with the property owner.

There, they measured off the area and assessed the utility situation, with hopes of setting up a heavy-duty, tent-like structure, complete with flooring, within two to four weeks.

According to Hartman, planning is still underway in securing a temporary home for the 23 vendors displaced from the 150-year-old brick market building following an early-morning fire on Monday.

However, he thought the site could work until the market building is restored, which likely would take 18 to 24 months, he said.

“We’re moving as quickly as we can,” Hartman said. “The mayor said that she wants this done.”

Currently, the city is considering a few different scenarios for a temporary location, Hartman said.

In one, most of the displaced vendors would take space in the new temporary spot across the street. In another, tables would be removed from the 160-year-old stone building, which was untouched by the fire, and some vendors would build out their stands there. The market’s dining area then would be relocated to the temporary structure, probably along with some of the vendors.

Hartman and Enterline also toured a nearby building that is currently empty, though, at least on Friday, that seemed like a less likely possibility.

Some displaced vendors set up on Friday in the Broad Street Market courtyard.

For a permanent solution, Hartman said that the brick building could be restored in phases, which would accelerate the reopening timeline.

The western side of the building is still largely intact, having mostly suffered water and smoke damage. Restoring and reopening that portion of the building might occur first, followed by the eastern side of the building, which was heavily damaged by the fire and lost its roof.

In fact, according to the Historic Harrisburg Association, the two-block long brick building was actually constructed in three phases, with separate openings in 1874, 1878 and 1886.

Otherwise on Friday, more than half-a-dozen displaced vendors set up outside, under small tents, in the Broad Street Market courtyard, for a second day. Tanis Monroy, the market’s executive director, said that he expects even more vendors and a large crowd of patrons on Saturday, as the market hosts its previously scheduled Christmas in July event, which will take place despite the devastating fire.

Hartman mentioned that city officials are grateful for the help of both Dauphin County and the state. Many high-ranking commonwealth officials, including from the Department of Agriculture and the Office of the Governor, live right in the Midtown neighborhood and have pledged to try to cut through the red tape so that restoration can get underway as quickly as possible.

In fact, Gov. Josh Shapiro attended a post-fire press conference on Monday, vowing to help rebuild the market.

“We’re very lucky to have all these people right here in Harrisburg,” Hartman said.

Friends of Midtown has put together a spreadsheet with donation and purchase opportunities for the market and its many vendors. Click here to see how to help. 

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The Week that Was: News and features around Harrisburg

East Shore YMCA

There’s a lot going on in Harrisburg this weekend! The city will host its annual Ice & Fire Festival, HU Presents has live music and several local theaters are taking to the stage. While you’re out and about, grab a copy of our March magazine, which came out this week!

Community Corner is where you can find a list of special events happening around the Harrisburg area this month. Also, visit our happenings section for even more live music, museum, theater and family events.

Concerts are in full swing this month in Harrisburg, with the band Certainly So taking the stage on Friday night at XL Live. Find our live music recommendations for the month, here.

The East Shore YMCA in downtown Harrisburg is considering a significant expansion project, our online story reported. According to Y officials, the project would modernize the facility and create office space for other community businesses and organizations.

Flooding is a huge concern for Pennsylvania’s emergency management and environmental experts. In our magazine story, read about how experts are trying to find solutions to climate change and weather events that could cause flooding.

Gamut Theatre has the perfect show to get you into the St. Patrick’s Day spirit, our magazine story reported. “Thistle and Salt,” a tale from Old Ireland, premieres this weekend in partnership with Narcisse Theatre Company.

Harrisburg area legislators Dave Madsen and Justin Fleming may be new to the state House of Representatives, but they have years of experience in public service in our area, our magazine story reported. The two new representatives are part of what has been called PA’s most diverse Assembly.

Historic Harrisburg Association is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. In our magazine story, read about the preservation and revitalization advocacy work that HHA has done over the years.

March is a noteworthy month in Harrisburg as it includes two big events—Ice & Fire Festival and the St. Patrick’s Day Parade. It also brings us closer to spring and summer, and because of that, our publisher is a fan.

The Roots and The Struts are headed to Harrisburg this summer to perform, our online story reported. Harrisburg University Presents announced the iconic hip hop and rock bands as part of its 2023 Summer Concert Series, which will take place in Riverfront Park.

Sara Bozich has your weekend plans covered. Click here to find out what’s happening in Harrisburg.

The Savoy, a 48-unit apartment building proposed for the 1500-block of N. 6th Street, got the final green light from the city to move forward with development, our reporting found. Harrisburg City Council approved the plan by local developer Vice Capital.

Thyroid conditions affect around 20 million Americans, but over half of them don’t even know they have an issue. In our magazine story, find out what thyroid problems can arise and how to treat them.

 

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A Past Preserved: Historic Harrisburg Association celebrates 50 years of fighting, saving

Historic Harrisburg
Association Resource Center

When Tropical Storm Agnes descended on Harrisburg in 1972, the Shipoke home of Bob and Eileen Young flooded 8½ feet on the first floor.

“It strips wallpaper beautifully,” Young recalls today. “Let’s look at the positive side.”

The Youngs and their determined neighbors fished another positive from the floodwaters—the 1973 founding of Historic Harrisburg Association. Now celebrating its 50th anniversary as a catalyst for historic preservation and urban revitalization, Historic Harrisburg can say that it has saved significant buildings and lost a few, led formation of the city’s historic districts, and created a space where developers and preservationists alike can agree on the value of smart growth.

In Historic Harrisburg’s first days, the Youngs were in on the ground floor (yes, pun intended). The flooded homes of Shipoke were slated for demolition. Citizens rallied, canvassing door-to-door to raise awareness of the threat and packing City Council meetings. In response, the city adopted the first of its historic districts and created the Harrisburg Architectural Review Board to encourage historically sensitive maintenance of homes and businesses.

“I think Harrisburg was one of the first in the state to enact municipal legislation,” said Preservation Advisor Jeb Stuart, in those days a city Planning Bureau staffer fresh out of college.

Historic Harrisburg Association incorporated on Feb. 22, 1973. Some of the same people cross-pollinated the city’s planning bureau and this new historic preservation movement, bringing the two “together for a common purpose,” Stuart said.

Eileen Young got involved because she never wanted to look at a new development and wonder who once lived there.

“I wanted to see those old homes stay there because they were the root of the history of Harrisburg,” she said. “Even though they weren’t the elite of Harrisburg in our neighborhood—they were working-class steel workers and shop owners—they were still a key part of what happened here.”

At about the same time, the official association took shape over the fight to save the State Theatre movie palace on Locust Street in downtown Harrisburg. A battle raged, but the building came down in 1974. (“Poor choice for Harrisburg,” opined a blogger on www.cinematreasures.org. “It would have made a wonderful downtown performing arts center.”)

There were other losses. The original Penn Harris Hotel came down in 1973. But there were many wins, too.

Two historic Pine Street homes were saved, as City Council upheld the validity of HARB’s rulings against demolition. The Tracy Mansion on Front Street also dodged the wrecking ball. As for the Charles Howard Lloyd-designed Old City Hall on Walnut Street, now an example of adaptive reuse through its conversion into apartments, Historic Harrisburg “fought like hell to get that off the demolition list,” Stuart said.

As suburbanization was draining city centers, cities “realized they had to do something extraordinary,” said David Morrison, executive director of Historic Harrisburg.

“Of all the things that happened in Harrisburg, historic preservation wound up to be, in the long run, the most valuable strategy rather than redevelopment or urban renewal or any of those things tried around the country,” he said. “Historic preservation proved itself to be not only economically sensible but also kind of what the people preferred.”

But enough of the “wayback machine.” Today’s Historic Harrisburg leads partnerships and gets calls from developers and agencies seeking guidance on historically sensitive approaches to their projects. PennDOT sought input on options for blending an unsightly conduit for utilities into its rehab plans for the Market Street Bridge.

Historic Harrisburg’s independently managed Community Historic Preservation Fund— created from funds earmarked after an agreement with a developer to preserve the façade of the Senate Hotel literally crashed to the ground—distributes grants for preservation projects, initiatives and advocacy. A consortium of historic and environmental preservationists is tracking the fate of the Harrisburg State Hospital’s recreationally and historically significant grounds.

“Historic preservation started out as kind of a fringe element of investing in the city, sort of a novelty,” Morrison said. “Now, it’s a mainstream concept that’s embraced by government as something important that should be incorporated into comprehensive planning and individual development proposals.”

Changing Perceptions

Morrison, who began his second stint as executive director in 2014, has led Historic Harrisburg’s readiness to yoke preservation with urban revitalization. He credits a team effort of board members and volunteers in building membership, hosting events and “expanding our role and influence in the community.”

Today, Historic Harrisburg is leading a capital campaign to restore its own home, the former Central Trust Building in Midtown now known as the Historic Harrisburg Resource Center. Already a spot for history exhibits, community organization meetings and developers’ listening tours, restoration is expected to elevate the circa-1893 building, donated in 1993, into an income-producing venue for receptions and other gatherings.

Historic Harrisburg’s annual “Preservation Priorities” list draws attention to historic properties endangered by neglect or imminent demolition. Harristown Enterprises checks the list every year for potential projects, said president and CEO Brad Jones. Historic Harrisburg has inspired Harristown’s many adaptive reuse projects, which recently included the conversion of the Victorian-era Plum building downtown into three boutique apartments.

“If we don’t do that, maybe no one else will,” Jones said.

Preservation of yesterday’s buildings creates opportunities for today’s residential redevelopment amid the character that people crave, Jones added.

“People love the architecture of Harrisburg,” he said.

Jones credits one of Historic Harrisburg’s “most heroic efforts” in helping the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency expand while preserving a Front Street mansion and two small clapboard houses—charmers from a bygone era—on Locust Street.

“In the long run, everybody wins in that kind of situation,” Jones said. “They did it collaboratively and thoughtfully together, still maintaining the ability to do an important project to create more economic development for the city but also in a way that preserved a pretty block.”

Now that Historic Harrisburg’s original focus areas of downtown, Midtown, Shipoke and Olde Uptown “are far above and beyond crisis mode,” Morrison said that he hopes to focus “more of Historic Harrisburg’s energy” on the historically significant but maintenance-challenged Allison Hill. Historic Harrisburg has given tours to draw attention to the area and supported such projects as restoration of the Allison Hook & Ladder Company firehouse.

“The cultural tapestry of Allison Hill is just amazing,” Morrison said.

At 13th and Thompson streets, the breathtaking Christ Lutheran Church came to Historic Harrisburg’s attention around 2018 through a window restoration project. The pastor, Rev. Drew Stockstill, said that tours that Morrison gave raised awareness of “this gem of a church” and, just as significantly, its free medical and dental clinics serving between 10,000 and 22,000 people a year.

“David brought that whole community of the Historic Harrisburg board and people invested in Harrisburg and its architecture and its history, so we were able to showcase the physical building and the service it provides,” Stockstill said.

Gloria Vázquez Merrick, executive director of the Latino Hispanic American Community Center, serves on the Historic Harrisburg board and sees a place for preserving the built environment as a means toward teaching young people the stories and lessons of the past.

“We’re so busy trying to instill in our kids their heritage, their culture, but let’s talk to them about their environment, where they grew up, how things have changed, and let them know that this will not always look like this,” she said.

Fifty years ago, Historic Harrisburg’s first Candlelight House Tour—still going strong—attracted throngs of people pleasantly surprised that the once-flooded homes of Shipoke weren’t teardowns but were beautiful arguments for moving back to the city.

“Whatever little role Historic Harrisburg has played and continues to play in showcasing the city as something to embrace and not something to steer clear of is really something we’ve been doing from the get-go,” Morrison said. “It’s about changing people’s perceptions. I think we’ve been very good at changing perceptions for 50 years and getting people to view the future in an optimistic way.”

 

Historic Harrisburg Association Resource Center is located at 1230 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg. For more information, visit www.historicharrisburg.org.

 

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The Week that Was: News and features around Harrisburg

Robert Lawson was appointed to Harrisburg City Council last week.

The last week of January delivered a busy news week for Harrisburg. In case you missed any of our reporting, we have it all wrapped up, with our stories listed and linked below.

Harrisburg officials offered an update on the Mulberry Street Bridge homeless encampment as the city prepared to clean up the site. They provided details on where occupants went and what the city’s next steps would be.

Harrisburg University’s Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship is on a growth path, about to open a new facility in Strawberry Square. Our magazine story explains how this incubator is helping to stoke new businesses in central PA.

Historic Harrisburg Association released its annual list of “preservation priorities,” bringing to public attention its concern for some of our area’s historic buildings and structures. Read our online story to find out which local properties topped the list this year, as well as recent “successes” and “losses.”

Jay’s Boutique is a snug shop that specializes in affordable, fashionable clothing and accessories for women. In our magazine story, read about owner Janica Wright and why she believed a store like hers was needed in the Harrisburg area.

Life Lion roars through the air, rushing to save lives. Our magazine feature tells the story of the helicopter ambulance service that quickly delivers patients to Penn State Health’s Hershey Medical Center.

Mulberry Street Bridge homeless encampment was in the process of shutting down last weekend. One of our writers was there to offer a firsthand report as the last occupants searched for a new place to go.

Robert Lawson is the newest Harrisburg City Council member, appointed Tuesday night to fill an open seat on the body. Find out who applied to be a member of city’s legislative body and how sitting members chose Lawson.

Sara Bozich has a full lineup of fun things to do this weekend in her “Weekend Roundup.” This week, she also has embedded her podcast in the column, so readers can learn even more about what’s up in and around Harrisburg.

State Street in Harrisburg’s Allison Hill neighborhood has a reputation for being a dangerous road. However, the recent death of woman hit by a car has been ruled a suicide, according to city officials.


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Historic Harrisburg outlines “preservation priorities” for 2023; Market Street Bridge tops list

The Market Street Bridge in Harrisburg (file photo)

A Harrisburg-based historic preservation group has released its annual list of endangered and threatened area landmarks, and, this year, a century-old bridge tops the list.

Earlier this week, Historic Harrisburg Association (HHA) officials announced that its top “preservation priority” for 2023 is the Market Street Bridge, a 95-year-old stone arch structure that spans the Susquehanna River.

Last year, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation unveiled a multi-year plan to restore the bridge, which includes constructing a separate utility bridge along the bridge’s southern façade.

Sara Sweeney, chair of HHA’s preservation committee, said that the organization has been in discussions with PennDOT regarding this proposal.

“We continue to applaud PennDOT for its plan to restore the bridge and hope that, in the process, the original design and features are maintained,” said Sweeney, during a Facebook Live presentation outlining HHA’s 2023 “preservation priorities.” “We will continue to monitor progress as the design progresses.”

A PennDOT rendering of the south facade of the Market Street Bridge, showing the proposed utility bridge addition

This is the first year that the Market Street Bridge has been a top priority for HHA. In 2022, the list was headed by Balsley House, a 2,590-square-foot building located at 220 N. 2nd St. According to HHA, the Federal-style building, one of the oldest structures in Harrisburg, continues to be threatened and, this year, is ranked second on the list.

However, according to HHA, there may be hope for the long-vacant, blighted structure in the heart of downtown.

“We have heard that there is actually some interest in the property by a private party, and we are hopeful for movement in 2023,” Sweeney said.

Balsley House in downtown Harrisburg

The remaining three “preservation priorities” also made last year’s top-five list. They are:

  • The former William Penn High School at Italian Lake
  • The former Harrisburg State Hospital complex
  • Prospect Hill Cemetery Gatehouse near the city line

Balsley House has been on the list since 2018, William Penn since 2017, and the former state hospital since 2014. The Prospect Hill Cemetery Gatehouse went on the list in 2021 after a car hit the structure, severely damaging it.

In the presentation, Sweeney also noted several recent preservation “successes” and two preservation “losses.”

The successes include:

  • The former Lemoyne Middle School, which has been renovated and converted into an apartment building
  • The former Gerber’s Department Store, also known as the “Carpets and Draperies building,” which was renovated into a mixed-used structure in Midtown Harrisburg
  • The former Milestone Inn, which now serves as headquarters for Dilks Properties in Uptown Harrisburg
  • The Harrisburg History Project, a series of historical markers in Harrisburg that needed replacement and updating

A win: The restored Carpets and Draperies building in Harrisburg

Sweeney also noted two recent “preservation losses”:

  • Beidleman House, an Allison Hill structure on Market Street that was razed last year
  • The Jackson Hotel on N. 6th Street in Harrisburg, which collapsed in early 2021

Moreover, HHA put about 30 structures in and around Harrisburg on its “watch list,” meaning that they’re historic properties of concern. These range widely, but include such landmark buildings as the Broad Street Market, the former Coca-Cola bottling works on Allison Hill, the Riverside firehouse and even HHA’s own Historic Harrisburg Resource Center.

Two new properties were added to the watch list this year.

The first, Myers House, at 213 N. Front St. in Harrisburg, made the watch list as the owner, the Dauphin County Bar Association, may no longer need such a large space, said David Morrison, HHA’s executive director. The second “watch list” addition this year is Buck’s Tavern, a nearly three-century-old structure located in West Hanover Township, which is threatened by blight and possible demolition.

HHA’s board is expected to approve the preservation priority list at its February meeting.

Historic Harrisburg Association is located at 1230 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg. To view the entire presentation, visit https://www.facebook.com/HistoricHarrisburgAssociation. For more information on Historic Harrisburg Association, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, visit www.historicharrisburg.org.

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The Week that Was: News and features around Harrisburg

District officials ceremoniously broke ground on a project to improve Harrisburg High School-John Harris campus’s Severance Field.

The month of June brings lots of outdoor events and happenings in the Harrisburg area. Read about a few upcoming festivities and catch up on other local news from the week, below.

TheBurg Podcast for June is focused on revitalization. Tune in to hear from several organizations on how they are beautifying and impacting Harrisburg and the state.

Boho Hoarder opened in Paxtonia with a collection of vintage and thrifted items for sale, our online story reported. Owner Rebecca Babish shares her love for second-hand shopping and offers clothing, home décor and accessories, among other items.

Free Shakespeare in the Park returned for its 29th year, presenting “The Winter’s Tale,” our online story reported. Gamut Theatre and Narcisse Theatre Co. have partnered to bring the annual event to Reservoir Park.

The Harrisburg School District ceremoniously broke ground on a project to replace the turf football field and the track at the Harrisburg High School-John Harris campus’s Severance Field. The project will include the addition of lights to the area, which will allow for use of the field after sunset, our online story reported.

The Harrisburg School District proposed its 2022-23 budget, which includes a 3.36% property tax hike, our reporting found. The $224.2 million budget includes the use of millions of dollars in federal COVID relief funds.

The Historic Harrisburg Association is devoting the entire month of June to commemorating the 50th anniversary of Hurricane Agnes and the historic flood that devastated the city in 1972. To find out more about the history, and to hear from those who were impacted, read our magazine story.

The Jackson Lick pool is set to open in Harrisburg this weekend, our online story reported. The city will also offer several summer programs for youth.

Juneteenth is coming up and Young Professionals of Color-Greater Harrisburg is ready to celebrate. The organization has several events planned for the week ahead, including its Juneteenth Jubilee. Find out what’s happening, in our magazine story.

A March Against Social Injustice and Gun Violence took place recently at the state Capitol with the goal of bringing awareness to the issue, our online story reported. All You Can Inc. and Be a Man Inc. hosted the march, followed by a panel discussion.

“Memoria” is playing this month at Midtown Cinema. In her column, read why our movie reviewer was disappointed by the “excruciatingly slow-paced” film.

Philadelphia has one of the largest collections of outdoor murals in the country, our magazine story reported. Mural Arts Philadelphia is the organization behind the art—with a tally of over 4,000 projects.

Sara Bozich has plenty of summer events for your weekend. From concerts to craft shows, she’s got it all, right here.

The “Secret Gardens of Historic Harrisburg” Garden Tour will return this weekend, our online story reported. The self-guided tour will take place on June 12, and lead tour-goers to 20 gardens and outdoor spaces in the historic Midtown and Shipoke neighborhoods.

Spotted lanternflies are headed back to Harrisburg, our online story reported. The city is offering free traps and advice on how to eliminate the invasive species.

Summer concerts are headed to Harrisburg for what could be the “best” lineup yet, according to Harrisburg University Presents. Check out what bands will play in the Harrisburg area in the coming months, here.

A Youth Commission will be reinstated in Harrisburg, as the city is currently accepting applications for board members, our online story reported. Selected residents, ages 14 to 18, will advise the city on issues concerning the youth.

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Prioritizing Revitalizing: TheBurg Podcast, June 2022

Revitalization is the focus of our June podcast, as we expand three stories from the pages of TheBurg magazine’s June issue:

Fifty years later, what’s Harrisburg’s legacy from Hurricane Agnes? David Morrison, executive director, Historic Harrisburg Association explains how revitalization efforts continue impacting the city today.

Revitalization is thriving in many Pennsylvania towns and cities, thanks in great part to the Harrisburg-based organization, The Pennsylvania Downtown Center. Executive Director Julie Fitzpatrick shares her insights—including downtown success stories—as PDC celebrates its 35th anniversary.

Philadelphia is considered the model city for one specific and unique type of revitalization, worldwide: murals. Chad Eric Smith, communications director for Mural Arts Philadelphia, explains how Philly’s murals “beautify, inspire and empower.”

June’s “most Harrisburg thing” could truly revitalize your life. Lawrance Binda, editor of TheBurg, issues a challenge, in his monthly feature. Tune in, to see if you’re up for it.

TheBurg Podcast is hosted and produced by award-winning Harrisburg-area journalist Karen Hendricks. Every month, TheBurg Podcast expands stories from the pages of TheBurg magazine because “there’s always more to the story.”

Backstories that coordinate with this episode include:

Agnes at 50 | Downtown Rebound | Mural Mecca

DYK? TheBurg Podcast has received three prestigious podcast journalism awards over the past two years, including First place, Excellence in Journalism, Society of Professional Journalists, Keystone Chapter, in 2021. 

Interested in sharing your advertising message with TheBurg Podcast’s dedicated audience? Research shows that podcast sponsorships are one of the most effective forms of advertising! Contact Lauren (lmills@theburgnews.com). 

Visit Karen Hendricks’ website for more of her writing, journalism and PR work. TheBurg is a monthly community magazine based in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Lawrance Binda, co-publisher/editor.

If you like what we do, please support our work. Become a Friend of TheBurg!

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How does your garden grow? Historic Harrisburg Association to host “Secret Gardens” tour

Flowers at Paper Moon Flowers and Events in Midtown Harrisburg.

Back by popular demand, the Historic Harrisburg Association (HHA) will host its 2nd Annual “Secret Gardens of Historic Harrisburg” Garden Tour this weekend. 

The self-guided tour will run from 1 to 5 p.m. on Sunday, June 12, and lead tour-goers to 20 gardens and outdoor spaces in the historic Midtown and Shipoke neighborhoods. Each participating house will have a sign in the yard.

“They’re going to see gardens they walk by and drive by all of the time and didn’t know existed,” said HHA’s Executive Director David Morrison. “There will be exciting discoveries.”

Shipoke and Midtown will be featured as part of HHA’s monthlong “A Celebration of Resolve,” a commemoration of the devastating 1972 Agnes flood, helping to show how these neighborhoods have progressed in the 50 years since the disaster.

While on the tour, attendees will learn how to keep a small outdoor garden and living space looking bright, especially in the city, and will leave with many gardening and landscaping tips. Homeowners and volunteers will be at each tour stop to help answer questions.

“What’s amazing is people have created lots of private, outdoor living spaces,” Morrison said of the city homes’ exterior decor. 

HHA brought the tour back last June after a 15-year hiatus to fill a programming gap that many other events left when they were canceled due to the pandemic. Morrison said that it was so popular that HHA had to bring it back this year with different neighborhoods.

“A lot of people love the idea of exploring the city themselves,” he said.

At the conclusion of the tour, there will be a vendor market for attendees to purchase tools to use to start their own gardens, as well as an afterparty with beverages and snacks courtesy of Zerøday Brewing Co. Paper Moon Flowers and Events at 916 N. 3rd St. will also be open from 1 to 5 p.m. for ticket holders only.

Tickets to this event are $20, or $25 if purchased on the day of the tour. Each participant will receive a guidebook with a map to follow.

Learn more about the “Secret Gardens of Historic Harrisburg” Garden Tour at the Historic Harrisburg Association’s website.

If you like what we do, please support our work. Become a Friend of TheBurg!

 

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