Tag Archives: Civil War

UnCivil Words: Fake news and the partisan press–then, today.

January 31, 2018 | by Robert Naeye

Fake news, hyper-partisan media and the desire of some government officials to curb freedom of the press all seem to be hallmarks of our modern, fractured society. To many people, these problems are the worst they have seen in their lifetimes and have reached a low in our nation’s history.

But historians know better. All they have to do is harken back to the Civil War era. This was not just a matter of North vs. South. The partisan divide between Democrats and Republicans in the North was bitter and deep, even as the nation was struggling for its very existence. Harrisburg was not immune. Debates surrounding slavery and the role of blacks in society drove controversies that make today’s political divide pale in comparison.

A prime example is the Harrisburg Patriot & Union, the forerunner of today’s Patriot-News. The Patriot & Union was a rabidly pro-Democratic newspaper that was read across Pennsylvania, but which was particularly popular in Dauphin, Cumberland and Perry counties. As the unabashed mouthpiece of Pennsylvania conservatives, it was the Fox News of its day.

During the Civil War, the Patriot & Union was published once a week, but it came out three times a week when the General Assembly was in session. According to an article by the late local historian Richard L. Dahlen, the newsstand price was 2 cents and an annual subscription was $5. A typical issue ran four pages.

Its two publishers, Oramel Barrett and Thomas C. MacDowell, were implacably hostile to President Abraham Lincoln, the Republican Party and abolitionists. Their editorials urged a conciliatory attitude toward the Confederacy that would preserve the Union by leaving slavery intact.

In August 1862, the paper even went so far as to undermine the Union war effort. Barrett and MacDowell published and distributed a flyer for a fictitious rally to recruit black soldiers. They were presumably trying to discourage white enlistment by disseminating the false belief that whites would be forced to serve alongside African Americans.

This flyer came out at a critical juncture in the war, when Union casualties were mounting and the Lincoln administration was calling for hundreds of thousands of additional troops. For Secretary of War Edwin Stanton, this blatant threat to the war effort trumped freedom of the press, so he ordered arrests. Barrett, MacDowell and two of their writers were taken into custody.

Before a military commission could be arranged to try the case, the four prisoners agreed not to discourage future enlistments and were released after being held for 16 days. Upon their return to Harrisburg, the four men were greeted by hundreds of cheering supporters.

Unfazed by their imprisonment, Barrett and McDowell took a harsh line toward Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. Their paper called it “an outrage upon the humanity and good sense of the country, to say nothing of its gross unconstitutionality.” Barrett and MacDowell predicted it would lead blacks to “massacre white men, women and children till their hands are smeared and their appetites gutted with blood.”

Like many Democratic newspapers of the era, the Patriot & Union also issued a scathing condemnation of Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. On Nov. 24, 1863, five days after Lincoln gave his now-legendary speech, the paper wrote, “We pass over the silly remarks of the President; for the credit of the nation we are willing that the veil of oblivion shall be dropped over them and that they shall no more be repeated or thought of.”

The same editorial also blasted Secretary of State William Seward.

“He did not hesitate to re-open the bleeding wound, and proclaim anew the fearful doctrine that we are fighting all these bloody battles, which have drenched our land in gore, to upset the Constitution, emancipate the Negro and bind the white man in the chains of despotism,” it stated.

In a spirit of “better late than never,” the Patriot-News’ editorial board published an official retraction on Nov. 14, 2013, almost 150 years after Lincoln’s speech. The editors began their retraction with echoes of Lincoln.

“Seven score and 10 years ago, the forefathers of this media institution brought forth to its audience a judgment so flawed, so tainted by hubris, so lacking in the perspective history would bring, that it cannot remain unaddressed in our archives,” it said.

Walter Stahr, author of a recent biography of Edwin Stanton, and who spoke at the Midtown Scholar Bookstore in November, said that many newspapers of the Civil War era copied other papers, which tended to “blend” the coverage. By reading the Patriot & Union, Harrisburg-area residents could view material from Democratic newspapers around the country, particularly the influential New York World.

“One could compare it to the practice of re-tweeting today,” Stahr said. “And just as today, that which is re-tweeted is the most extreme.”

Barrett and MacDowell both departed before the war ended. But as Dahlen’s article explained, their successors exaggerated Union military failures and ignored successes, giving the paper’s readers a grossly inaccurate portrayal of the war’s progression. By late 1864, with Union victory almost assured, it had lost credibility with many diehard Democratic readers.

It remains to be seen whether such will be the fate of today’s version of the hyper-partisan press.

Richard L. Dahlen’s article on the Patriot & Union can be found by searching at https://gardnerlibrary.org.

Parting Words: A local tale, told piecefully.

December 29, 2017 | by Catherine Jordan

The serial novel has a distinguished pedigree.

No less a writer than Charles Dickens published many of his novels in serial form, with a section or chapter appearing in a periodical from issue to issue. In fact, many magazines in the 19th century published novels serially.

The format never disappeared, but rather went out of fashion.

The internet, it may be said, has helped revive the form by priming readers to read differently—micro tales suit the text-byte attitude. And—surprise—there’s an app for that. Serial fiction apps are available for Android and IOS devices.

The Perry County Council of the Arts (PCCA) is restarting the tradition locally, with plans to publish a novella, “The Blue, the Gray and the Red,” in five monthly installments as an insert in the News-Sun, Perry County Times and Duncannon Record starting this month.

The novella (defined as a short novel, about 40,000 words) is set in Perry County in 1863, at the height of the Civil War. It places fictional characters in historical events and interweaves elements of family drama, romance, loss and the supernatural.

Right now, Perry County citizens are actively engaged in historically related initiatives as the county’s bicentennial is in 2020. So, according to former PCCA Executive Director Roger Smith, the novella project is timely.

Loose Ends

The novella is a product of PCCA’s “A Novel Idea,” a yearlong writing program for aspiring authors. The goals behind the writing course are to teach participants how to avoid writing pitfalls, rouse inspiration and benefit from the wisdom of published authors. Participants stoke ideas through writing exercises and group critiques.

The writing program also offers students publication opportunities. For instance, in December 2016, Sunbury Press published a collection from the program titled, “Strange Magic.” That anthology caught the attention of Wade Fowler, editor of the Perry County Times and chairman of the Robert H. and Beverly U. Fowler Foundation.

Fowler presented PCCA with a grant to publish the novella in his three newspapers as a practical way to honor his late father, who loved to encourage and support writers.

“I am excited that the Arts Council has developed this novel way to recognize and promote local literary talent,” Fowler said.

Carrie Jacobs, a third-year student writer, wrote the first installment. Her guidelines were simple—set the project during the Civil War somewhere in Perry County and include a supernatural element.

“The most challenging part has been writing without ending the story, leaving enough conflict and loose ends for the next writers to pick up where I left off,” Jacobs said.

Angela Binner, also a student writer, followed with the second installment.

“My job was to build the tension through additional conflicts,” she said.

Book Format

For Binner, the project combined two subjects of fascination—the Civil War and Pennsylvania Dutch magic. As a bonus, it allowed Binner to work one-on-one with Christian/Amish/romance writer Laurie Edwards (who also writes under the pen name Rachel J Good), whom Binner admires.

“One of our goals as teachers is to pass along our hard-earned knowledge and make it easier for beginning writers to learn the craft and avoid many of the pitfalls in the industry,” Edwards said. “As their skills improved, we hoped to provide opportunities for them to experience publication.”

Cindy Simmons, a second year student with the PCCA writing workshop, and contemporary romance author Heather Heyford partnered for the third installment.

Sandra Bush, a student in the “A Novel Idea 102” program, and writing program founder/author Don Helin, will pen the fourth installment.

Brenda Tadych, a participant in the charter “A Novel Idea” writing workshop, and yours truly (Catherine Jordan), will tackle the fifth and final piece.

Lawrence Knorr, founder and CEO of Sunbury Press, has agreed to publish the complete story as a novella in book format. Look for the completed novella in May.

“I think that ‘The Blue, the Gray and the Red’ will engage the readers of our newspapers in a uniquely Perry County story,” Fowler said.

For more information about the Perry County Council of the Arts, visit www.perrycountyarts.org. The next installment of “A Novel Idea” begins in March 2018.

Worth of a Man: Freedom, identity explored in “Father Comes Home.”

January 31, 2017 | by Laura Dugan

Leonard Dozier

How does a man define his own worth?

That is the question at the core of “Father Comes Home from the Wars (Parts 1, 2 & 3),” a play set in the Civil War-era and running this month at Open Stage of Harrisburg.

“Father Comes Home” focuses on Hero, a slave in Texas, who has to choose between staying home with his wife and joining his master and fighting for the South in return for his freedom. The play offers a moving insight into the epic journey of a slave coming to terms with what it means to be free—and if freedom is even desired.

Leonard Dozier, who returns to Open Stage of Harrisburg in the role of Hero, explains why the focal character struggles with the possibility of freedom.

“Being a lifelong slave, slavery is all that is known,” he said. “He equates slavery with value—he is worth something. If he is free, he’s free to do what? Free from value? Freedom is the unknown. Freedom represents no value. Freedom represents losing all sense of one’s self.”

Written by Suzan-Lori Parks, the first African-American woman to receive the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, “Father Comes Home from the Wars (Parts 1, 2, & 3)” is the first three of a nine-play cycle, which begins with the Civil War and ends in modern times.

Dozier is excited by the concept of the show.

“Each of these ‘acts’ represents a totally different thematic concept,” he said. “Each part is really its own play. I think it’s neat—the idea that the audience is watching this ‘miniseries’ in one night and yet it moves fluently, poetically, historically, dramatically.”

The first part of the play, “The Measure of a Man,” focuses on the difficult choice facing Hero. Should he fight for the South and trust that his master will deliver on his promise of freedom or stand his moral ground and stay at home with his wife? The question—and which answer Hero should choose—is discussed, in detail, by Hero and his fellow slaves. Part 1 tackles the personal effects and impossible situation of slavery head-on.

In the second part of the play, “A Battle in the Wilderness,” Hero faces a white, imprisoned Union soldier who is guarded by his master, now a colonel in the Confederate army. The plight of the slave is discussed both by the Colonel and his prisoner, named Smith—and by Smith and Hero. Hero finds himself examining his self-worth, unable to comprehend a life in which he’s free, while Smith works to open his mind to the possibility.

The third part, “The Union of My Confederate Parts,” returns to Texas, where Hero’s wife and Homer, a fellow slave, are harboring three runaway slaves. Hero’s return is preceded by the tale of the last year and a half from the perspective of Odd-See, Hero’s dog. Only Hero is now Ulysses, having changed his name on his journey. With his trek complete, and the Emancipation Proclamation in place, Hero-turned-Ulysses still struggles to imagine a future where he is free.

The themes of the show are timeless.

“I do think, particularly with this political and cultural climate we’re in, we’re very much revisiting the divide this country has known,” said Dozier. “That division magnified against the backdrop of the Civil War will provide real food for thought as to how we can potentially avoid another one.”

At times deeply moving and unexpectedly comedic, “Father Comes Home from the Wars (Parts 1, 2 & 3)” is a play resonant throughout time, tackling issues that have carried through from the Civil War to today.

“If you love a war story, a love story, this is a play to see,” Dozier said. “It really paints an alternative view of history that is provoking and challenging.”

“Father Comes Home” also features Tanisha Hollis, Louis Riley III, Mark Douglas Cuddy, Aaron Bomar, Ciera Spencer, Diane L. Hetes, Caliph White, Ron Chapel and Jedidiah Franklin.

“Father Comes Home” was named the winner of the 2015 Edward M. Kennedy Prize for Drama and was a finalist for the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

“Father Comes Home from the Wars (Parts 1, 2 & 3)” runs Feb. 3 to 26 at Open Stage of Harrisburg, 25 N. Court St., Harrisburg. Tickets and information are available at www.openstagehbg.com.

Upcoming Theater Events

Open Stage of Harrisburg

www.openstagehbg.com

“Father Comes Home from the Wars (Parts 1, 2, & 3)”
A new play by Suzan-Lori Parks
Feb. 3 to 26

Studio Workshop at Open Stage
Free evenings of one-act plays
March 8 & 9 at 7:30 p.m.
No reservations required

Sundae Best Variety Show
March 11 & 12 at 7:30 p.m.
At Open Stage of Harrisburg

“The Diary of Anne Frank”
Open Stage’s 18th annual production
At Whitaker Center
Sunday, March 12 at 2 p.m.

Author: Laura Dugan

Water Ways: Freed from crisis mode, Capital Region Water focuses on needs today, upgrades for tomorrow.

November 30, 2016 | by M. Diane McCormick

Photo by Dani Fresh

There’s so much to do.

Like a homeowner restoring a neglected house or a certain solid waste authority rehabbing a neglected incinerator, Capital Region Water is juggling a maintenance backlog, regulatory demands and modernization of the city’s water and sewer system. Add to that community outreach, and they’re bringing sunshine to a vital asset that is largely unseen.

“We don’t want to be the island underground,” said CEO Shannon G. Williams. “We want to try to make the most of the situation we’re in. The city is rising like a Phoenix, and we want to rise together.”

Today, the fully professional Capital Region Water provides sewer services for about 130,000 residents in Harrisburg, the townships of Lower Paxton, Susquehanna and Swatara and the boroughs of Paxtang, Penbrook and Steelton. It also provides drinking water for 67,000 people. (And let’s put this myth to rest right now: Harrisburg drinking water DOES NOT come from the Susquehanna River. Read on.)

Created from restructuring the Harrisburg Authority and revitalized through the city recovery plan, Capital Region Water now operates as a “special purpose unit of local government.” Peek inside, and it’s as busy as the North Pole on Christmas Eve. A $50 million upgrade brought a decrepit sewage-treatment plant into the 21^st century. Long overdue maintenance is getting attention. Partnerships are leveraging resources for mutual benefits. And a plan for controlling stormwater is generating ideas for greening up neighborhoods and exciting ratepayers who are, after all, the ultimate customers.

Become Clear

Jess Rosentel pointed to a tree at Capital Region Water’s Advanced Wastewater Treatment Facility. The wastewater division superintendent is a whiz with analogies, and this tree explained the path of water from dirty to clean.

The leaves: houses and businesses with toilets and drains. Twigs and branches: connectors linking to sewer lines. The trunk: sewer mains carrying all that, um, stuff here for thorough, environmentally friendly scrubbing before restoration to the river.

The AWTF occupies nine acres off Cameron Street, near Steelton. Built in 1957, its last major upgrade was in 1976, when men wore polyester suits and disco was king. On average, 22 million gallons flow into the facility daily—enough to fill tanker trucks stretching from Harrisburg to Baltimore, said Rosentel.

Add a sudden deluge, and 80 million gallons can surge in. “I figure that’s from here to Georgia,” he said.

When wastewater arrives, it’s been pulverized by the trip through pipes flowing under 43 square miles of land. Bars catch large debris, such as toilet paper or litter washed from streets. Of course, as seen through a small glass jar Rosentel held up, it’s still an unappetizing gray flecked with brown and green.

The plant slows its passage, allowing more solids to settle and be swept up. Then, Rosentel said, an “astronomical population of naturally occurring beneficial bacteria” is added, along with specially generated oxygen those aerobic bugs need to breathe. The process converts still-dissolved solids into solids that will, once again, settle and be collected.

Now, the water in another jar has become clear, but there is still the matter of nitrogen. It once flowed from the plant to the Susquehanna River and, eventually, the Chesapeake Bay, promoting algae buildup harmful to aquatic life and all the human life dependent on it.

Hence, upgrades required by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. The $50 million project was funded with a $21.5 million Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority loan, a $973,000 Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development grant, a $26.7 million bond and $2,234.36 in Capital Region Water funds.

The upgrades introduced another “biologic process,” no chemicals required, said Rosentel on a stroll across catwalks winding through the outdoor complex. In 3.5 million gallon tanks, churning fins pump oxygen into the water, and additional naturally occurring bacteria convert those harmful nitrates into nitrites.

That was “nitrification.” Now comes denitrification, when a tiny trickle of methanol piped into each tank feed bacteria that convert nitrite to nitrogen gas. The gas, said Rosentel, “will bubble up and out.” Bye-bye, nitrogen.

The water is also chlorinated to kill disease-causing pathogens before it’s returned to the Susquehanna River, and all those solids generated are squeezed of their water and turned into nutrient-dense biosolids that permitted farmers can use on their fields. Plus, residual methane helps heat digesters and buildings, while creating electricity that’s sold back to the grid and generates renewable energy credits, for additional revenue.

Rosentel is a 12-year facility veteran who lauded its 42 workers, and supportive members of the community and CRW board, for turning around a neglected asset.

“There’s nothing that makes you feel better than seeing the effluent become clear,” he said. “The job that we do down here has an enormous effect on the environment.”

Going Green

Remember those 80 million gallons of potential wastewater? It’s an important point. Like about 700 older U.S. cities, Harrisburg houses a combined system that carries wastewater and rain in the same pipes. When a storm blows in, any excess water is designed to overflow into the Paxton Creek and Susquehanna River, bypassing all the purification processes built into the wastewater treatment plant.

Not good. So, in 2014, Capital Region Water reached a consent decree with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the state DEP to reduce overflows. There will be costly engineering and construction involved—some cities build giant tanks for holding the excess—but in tangent, CRW has also launched City Beautiful H20.

The concept is simple. Dirt and greenery absorb water. Pavement does not. So, community greening—or green infrastructure—strategically installs trees, gardens and other projects such as rooftop gardens that slow stormwater from rushing off pavements and into sewers.

Capital Region Water seeks ideas for greening from a community ambassador group, and it goes out into the community, where it is increasingly visible. Residents gladly share opinions, whether they want traffic bump-outs that make space for greenery while forcing motorists to slow down or parks to make neighborhoods more inviting.

“City Beautiful H20 is really about investing in our community to reduce those overflows and improve water quality, but also using green infrastructure and other structures to beautify our community,” said Williams.

Initial greening projects are planned for Harrisburg’s Camp Curtin and Summit Terrace neighborhoods, and others will follow. CRW officials note that these are carefully engineered initiatives, designed to extract the hoped-for stormwater reductions and requiring long-term maintenance to stay effective.

Critical Needs

Don’t pay attention to 134 miles of collection system for, say, 50 years, and you have a giant mess on your hands. Lines half clogged with gunk. Leaking pipes eroding the ground around them, causing costly and dangerous sinkholes. Brick sewers hand-laid in the Civil War era that have stood the test of time but, in the words of Engineering Director David W. Stewart, still require “tender loving care.”

The painstaking road to good maintenance starts with triage—CRW officials use the word a lot—to manage immediate dangers. They also inspected inside 4,000 manholes for evident signs of trouble, like standing at an intersection and looking around for visible traffic hazards.

Add to that, sorely needed recordkeeping through computerized management and millions of dollars invested in GIS mapping just so CRW knows what it has. Put the pieces together in coming years, and CRW can catch up to deferred maintenance, addressing the most critical needs first, and create an upkeep schedule.

“That’s what you don’t see living in this community day to day, but it’s so fundamental to having a professional utility that’s managing the community’s infrastructure to do the tracking of the work, seeing what’s underground and assessing criticality,” said Community Outreach Manager Andrew Bliss.

Common Goals

Efforts for City Beautiful H20 and much else that Capital Region Water undertake are leveraged in classic fashion through partnerships with community groups, businesses and government.

After all, said Williams, the people of CRW are “stewards of the community’s water system.” When the city is repaving a street, CRW might take advantage of the opportunity to rebuild the water infrastructure below. As CREDC tries to attract businesses to the region, CRW markets its high-quality water as an enticement.

Operating “out in the sunshine, as opposed to underground” broadens the ratepayer base while promoting economic development that creates jobs, taxpayers and opportunities, said Williams.

“It’s not just siloed,” she said. “If we’re all working toward the common goals of the community, and we’re working together, then we get bigger impacts.”

Capital Region Water says it strives to keep the impact of its $40 million capital budget in the area. Local residents are hired whenever possible, and a partnership with Harrisburg School District is introducing students to water management careers and the educational path needed to get there.

Stewart said that Capital Region Water officials were disappointed that only about 3 percent of the $30 million spent on general contracting went to minority- and women-owned businesses in the wastewater plant upgrades (all electrical work was done by a woman-owned business). Staff and board are “doing whatever necessary” to develop capability—such as giving minority-owned businesses experience as subcontractors on larger jobs—and requiring contactors to comply with a pending MWBE, he said.

As for that drinking water, the community asked that Capital Region Water’s DeHart Watershed, the northern Dauphin County reservoir that provides drinking water for 67,000 people, be preserved in its pristine state, said Williams. In 2016, years of careful negotiations yielded an agreement that will save in perpetuity the surrounding 7,500 acres of filtrating forest lands that help keep the water so genuinely tasty that it wins industry awards.

Under the agreement, the Ward Burton Wildlife Foundation and The Nature Conservancy got an easement protecting the land’s natural assets. Simultaneously, Fort Indiantown Gap contributed $9 million to compensate Capital Region Water for the easement, under a program that helps the Army cushion its facilities.

Real Impact

All this sweat and toil begs the question: Why should a professional with the talents and capabilities needed to revitalize a creaking water system come to work for Capital Region Water?

It’s the “rare opportunity,” said Stewart. Larger cities, such as Philadelphia, are doing the same work for 100-year payoffs. In smaller Harrisburg, Capital Region Water staff and board members, working with many others, are “planning for the next 40 years, and doing it in a way that can be really transformational to the city and really benefit residents who had been neglected.”

“It can make a real impact in 20 years,” Stewart said. “There’s going to be a dramatic transformation.”To learn more about Capital Region Water, visit www.capitalregionwater.com.

Author: M. Diane McCormick

It’s in His Blood: Jeb Stuart has spent his life devoted to a single cause—the welfare of the historic capital city.

June 30, 2016 | by Barbara Trainin Blank

Ask Jeb Stuart to speak about himself, and he’ll likely steer the conversation right to Harrisburg.

Growing up in Camp Hill, he used to ride his bicycle into the capital city, taking in the church architecture, getting a haircut at the old Penn Harris Hotel, and dropping by his father’s clothing store.

“I gravitated toward Harrisburg,” he said. “It was in my blood from day one.”

Stuart’s maternal grandparents lived on N. Front Street, in a 1927 southern Colonial-style home built by his grandfather, E. C. Snyder—founder of a Harrisburg lumber mill—in 1911.

The Snyder home is now the residence of Stuart and his wife, Robin. Its preservation in near-original appearance has been an extensive labor of love for the couple, one that earned the Historic Harrisburg Preservation Award in 2008.

But that’s just one of Stuart’s many efforts on behalf of the city. Historian, preservationist, developer, civil servant—he’s done it all.

For his lifetime of commitment, Historic Harrisburg recently sponsored “A Toast to Jeb Stuart.” Appropriately, the celebration was held at Harrisburg’s most historic building, the John Harris and Simon Cameron Mansion, which celebrates its 250^th anniversary this year.

“Few people have contributed to the vitality of this community as extensively, and with as much dedication, as Jeb Stuart, “ said HHA interim executive director David Morrison. “Jeb has devoted his life to Harrisburg.”

A Different Path

Stuart might easily have become a businessperson—that was in his blood, too. His father, Allan Stuart, opened his first store in 1935. Later, he ran the 212 Men’s Shop in the Mary Sachs store before going off on his own again.

But the younger Stuart took a different path. A special consultant to the city of Harrisburg for 10 years, he helped coordinate the Civil War Trails project. He also was involved in the creation of the African-American Heritage Trail and chaired the Harrisburg SusqueCentennial Commission from 2009 to 2010.

Among other commitments, Stuart is a board member of the Historical Society of Dauphin County, the Harrisburg Cemetery Association and Historic Harrisburg’s Community Historic Preservation Fund.

Previously, he was on the boards of Historic Harrisburg Association and the National Civil War Museum.

In fact, Stuart shares the name of a famous Civil War general, but, ironically, one from the Confederate side. His given name is James Allan III, but even before birth, he was told, his father called him “Little Jeb.”

“My father went to the University of Virginia and was always into the romance of the South,” he said.

A Gem

After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Susquehanna University, Stuart went to work for Harrisburg—as city clerk. He hasn’t stopped serving the city since.

It’s hard to summarize all of his accomplishments, so I asked him what he considers to be most significant. One, he said, was historic preservation.

Decades ago, when the Harristown Urban Renewal Plan was being developed, one of the goals of the Downtown Harrisburg Historic Preservation Project, which Stuart directed, was to target buildings for preservation that were potentially included on the plan’s demolition list.

This was particularly true with Old City Hall on Walnut Street. Stuart nominated it to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and it was subsequently sold for adaptive re-use and market rate housing.

Another was the Cameron School project, for which Stuart was managing general partner, with Arnie Kogan as his business partner. Stuart oversaw the drive to convert the old schoolhouse, in a transitional neighborhood, to 35 upscale apartments.

“The apartment project, the Simon Cameron School Apartments, at 1839 Green St., planted the seed to transform and stabilize the neighborhood,” Stuart said.

He placed the property on the National Register of Historic Places and gained historic tax credits to bring in an investor. He also managed the building for 12 years.

Stuart also was director of the Dauphin County Office of Economic Development and a charter member of the Susquehanna Area Regional Airport Authority, as well as chair of the Authority’s Economic Development Committee.

From 2011 on, he has been a consultant-at-large. He was instrumental in reestablishing the Harrisburg Parks Foundation, which he chairs. The foundation raises funds to support the preservation, maintenance, expansion and development of parks throughout the city.

A golf outing sponsored by the foundation recently raised $8,000, a portion of which was used to buy a new swing set for an Allison Hill playground. This summer’s outing will raise money for the band shell in Reservoir Park.

Stuart is not a man of intensely pursued hobbies. He works “all the time,” he said, including on his landmark house. But he does enjoy classical music—especially Baroque—and historic photography.

“I’m a stay-at-home guy,” he said.

With one clear exception. He and Robin always make time for the beach they love at their house in Cape Hatteras, N.C.

Still, his ongoing love affair with Harrisburg takes precedence. When David Morrison interviewed him as a “living legacy” as part of the SusqueCentennial celebration, Stuart spoke eloquently.

“The city is a wonderful urban environment,” he said. “The setting is stunning…. It is architecturally a gem.”

Capital in Conflict: Civil War Days stresses Harrisburg’s role in the war.

May 31, 2016 | by Phyllis Zimmerman

Camp Curtin

Harrisburg’s relationship to the Civil War is a complicated one.

The city was targeted, but never invaded. It played a vital role as a logistics and training center, but never saw battle itself. Today, Civil War buffs and tourists flock to Gettysburg, but usually bypass Harrisburg.

This month, the city’s story will be in focus during the first annual Civil War Days, a widespread historic celebration touching on many aspects of Harrisburg’s important place in the war, particularly in the Battle of Gettysburg.

“A National Civil War Museum was built (in Harrisburg) 15 years ago and a lot of people said, ‘Why?’” noted Joe Benish, a member of the event’s organizing committee, noting the need for public education.

The three-day extravaganza overflows with events, including a Civil War narrative cruise on the Susquehanna, a re-enactors’ encampment at the National Civil War Museum and historic site bus tours.

Civil War Days is the brainchild of Gary Crowell, event chairman and a Civil War history enthusiast since relocating to Harrisburg from California in 1969. Although he initially focused his interest on Gettysburg, he eventually realized that Harrisburg, too, played a significant role in the events that led to the battle on July 1 to 3, 1863.

“I found out that (Confederate Gen. Robert E.) Lee came into Harrisburg three days before Gettysburg,” Crowell said. “Then I thought, we should just dedicate a whole weekend about this for the whole community.”

To publicize the events, organizers have coined the slogan, “Before Gettysburg, Lee headed for Harrisburg. So why don’t you?”

Cooper Wingert, already a prolific author of 10 Civil War books at age 17, said it was an easy choice for him to join the gala’s organizing committee that’s comprised of a dozen local Civil War enthusiasts.

“Gary had the best plan ever,” the East Pennsboro High School senior explained.

Wingert, who begins studies this fall at Dickinson College, said Lee’s initial plan before Gettysburg was to burn and cripple Harrisburg, which was the capital of the second-most populous state in the North.

On June 28, 1863, Gen. Richard S. Ewell and 1,500 Confederates were based in Carlisle in anticipation of a Harrisburg attack. On the same day, Gen. Albert Jenkins and 1,200 members of the Virginia Calvary arrived in Mechanicsburg, ready for a fight.

On June 29, Confederates became engaged in battle with the Union militia at Oyster Point at 31^st and Market streets in Camp Hill. The next day, the Skirmish of Sporting Hill occurred at the Carlisle Pike and Sporting Hill Road in Mechanicsburg, the northernmost town to surrender to Gen. Jenkins’ troops.

The South’s next goal was to overtake Fort Washington, a Union fortification site on Lemoyne’s heights, and Fort Couch, situated about a half-mile west. The Confederates, though, were ordered to leave for Gettysburg due to encroaching Northern troops.

“(The Confederates) were only a couple of minutes away from attacking Fort Washington,” Wingert said, which could have marked a Battle of Harrisburg instead of Gettysburg’s famous fight.

Harrisburg also played a notable part in the Underground Railroad, a network that helped slaves escape from the South, Wingert noted. President Abraham Lincoln was no stranger to Harrisburg, either. In 1861, the president-elect was welcomed with a citywide celebration. In 1865, Lincoln’s funeral train stopped in Harrisburg, as well, and his body lay in state at the Capitol building.

Civil War Days kicks off on Friday, June 17, with “Breakfast with Mr. Lincoln” at the Hilton Harrisburg, followed by a historic Harrisburg bus tour, a bus tour of historic Civil War sites on the West Shore and a Civil War narrative cruise on the Pride of the Susquehanna.

Friday also offers Civil War dance demonstrations, a Civil War social at the Harrisburg Midtown Arts Center, a Civil War artist and author gathering, and the re-enactor encampment at the National Civil War Museum.

Several panel presentations take place on Saturday, including “Harrisburg’s Black Community,” “Camp Curtin,” “Lee’s Second Invasion of Pennsylvania” and “Abolitionist John Brown—PA and Harrisburg Connections.” A historic Harrisburg walking tour also is available on Saturday, and the re-enactor encampment continues at the museum.

On Sunday, June 19, a Civil War commemorative church service will feature Negro spirituals and other songs of the era, and the re-enactor encampment concludes. A Civil War tour of the historic Harrisburg Cemetery also is available that day.

David Morrison, acting executive director of Historic Harrisburg Association, hopes that the weekend will help people not only understand Civil War-era Harrisburg, but modern-day Harrisburg, as well.

“If people have a stronger understanding of Harrisburg’s history, it leads to a greater understanding of what makes this town tick,” he said.

Civil War Days takes place June 17 to 19 at locations throughout the Harrisburg area. Many events are open to the public at no cost, but some require advance registration and a small fee. More information is available on Facebook: Civil War Days in Harrisburg.

February News Digest

February 29, 2016 | by Lawrance Binda

Budget Passed Again

For a second time, Harrisburg has passed a 2016 budget, which was largely unchanged from the version approved last year.

By a 6-1 vote, City Council last month OK’d a $60.4 million spending plan that adds 36 new positions, most in a newly created Neighborhood Services division. Councilwoman Shamaine Daniels was the sole member to vote no, stating that she believed the budget total was too high.

Council passed a budget in December, but reopened it a month later after three new council members took their seats. The new version is almost identical to the original, but it does give raises to a handful of city workers pending a study of pay equity in city hall.

The budget factors in about $3 million from a planned tripling of the local services tax (LST) to $156 per year for each person who works in Harrisburg and earns more than $24,418 annually. At press time, council still needed to approve the LST increase.

Commonwealth Court Judge Bonnie Leadbetter, who must approve changes to the city’s financial recovery plan, already has signed off on the tax hike.

Harrisburg Mayor Eric Papenfuse regards the LST increase as a way for commuters to contribute more to the city’s financial stability and to fund improved services, particularly for sanitation and road maintenance.

Stolen Firearms

Three antique guns were stolen from the National Civil War Museum in Reservoir Park last month, taken from an NRA-sponsored exhibit there.

A pair of Colt revolvers, dating to 1860 and 1861, was owned by the city, while an engraved Henry rifle from 1861 was on loan from a private donor, according to museum CEO Wayne Motts.

All three firearms were claimed to have once belonged to Simon Cameron, a Harrisburg native who served as President Abraham Lincoln’s secretary of war at the beginning of the Civil War. They were on display together as part of a “Guns & Lace” exhibit that was sponsored by a $25,000 grant from the National Rifle Association.

Police Capt. Gabriel Olivera confirmed that the thief made entry by breaking through a window and then breaking into the display case to remove the guns. The theft was not detected until hours later due to an apparent failure in the museum’s alarm system. Olivera added that the precise nature of the security lapse was not yet clear.

Olivera said surveillance footage captured images of a male thief, but that the images are not clear and that police are not yet releasing them because they “would not be of any use.” Police have not ruled out the possibility of an inside job, Olivera said.

The city released the following information identifying the weapons:

A .44 caliber M1860 Colt Army Revolver with serial number 11708.
A .36 caliber Colt M1861 Navy Revolver with serial number 1825.
An M1860 Henry Repeating Rifle with serial number 115, manufactured by the New Haven Arms Company and engraved with the word “Cameron” on the receiver.

Council Rethinks Pot Penalties

Harrisburg’s marijuana laws may soon change as City Council last month introduced a bill to reduce penalties for possession of the drug.

The city administration’s proposal would change possession from a misdemeanor to a less-serious summary offense and ease penalties to $100 for a first conviction and $200 for a second. After a third offense, possession again would be considered a misdemeanor crime.

Mayor Eric Papenfuse supports the change, saying too much city police time is occupied by low-level drug cases. He said he also doesn’t believe the change would encourage drug use, a charge leveled by some opponents.

At press time, a council committee was slated to consider the issue for further action.

Serious Crime Declines

The rate of serious crime in Harrisburg fell significantly last year, the Police Bureau said last month.

“Part 1” crimes declined by 17 percent in 2015 compared to 2014, the police said. These crimes include murder, rape, assault, burglary, theft and arson.

Of these, robbery fell from 283 to 228 reported incidents; assault decreased from 1,328 to 1,233 reported incidents; and theft dropped from 1,235 to 875 incidents.

Harrisburg tallied 19 homicides in 2015, the same as in 2014. However, three of those murders were categorized as self-defense, meaning that criminal homicides actually went down.

New Home for City Islanders

The Harrisburg City Islanders will make FNB Field (formerly Metro Bank Park) their home stadium for the 2016 season.

The city-based soccer team will play 10 home matches at the City Island ballpark, which also is the home stadium for the Harrisburg Senators. Another five home matches will be played at Clipper Magazine Stadium in Lancaster.

For the past two years, the Islanders have been looking to move out of the Skyline Sports complex, also on City Island, because the team considered it too small and lacking in basic amenities, such as bathrooms.

Mayor Eric Papenfuse said that the city, which owns the stadium, may benefit financially through increased ticket, sales and parking fees, especially if the move leads to greater attendance at Islanders’ matches.

Separately, First National Bank last month announced the stadium would be renamed FNB Field, as F.N.B. Corp. recently merged with Metro Bank’s parent company, Metro Bancorp.

Housing Sales Improve

The Harrisburg area continued to see improvements in housing sales, the Greater Harrisburg Association of Realtors (GHAR) reported last month.

Region-wide, sales totaled 557 units in January, compared to 501 in January 2015 and 448 in January 2014. The median price increased to $152,000, $4,000 more than in the year-ago period.

In January, Dauphin County tallied 185 sales at a median price of $134,000, compared to 177 units and a $132,000 median price in January 2015.

In Cumberland County, 201 units sold for a median price of $174,000 against 179 units at a price of $160,800 in January 2015, GHAR said. Perry County sales were also up, totaling 27 units for a median price of $147,000 versus 18 units at a price of $144,950 for the year-ago period, according to GHAR.

So Noted

Bricco, a downtown Harrisburg restaurant, plans a series of events and specials to celebrate its 10-year anniversary. These include special pricing, dining events and a new menu. For all the details, visit www.briccopa.com.

Changing Hands

Berryhill St., 1249: R. Eisner et al to E. Graves, $37,000

Berryhill St., 2116: Secretary of Housing & Urban Development to M. Wijaya, $31,000

Cumberland St., 1322: E. Brinkman to D. Brotz, $114,900

Derry St., 2416: S. Moose to I. Class & Y. Aguayo, $45,000

Derry St., 2513: L. Parker to R. Tortorelli, $59,900

Edgewood Rd., 2300: B. & C. Mark to T. Paradise, $195,000

Green St., 1425: M. Araujo to J. Miller, $95,000

Green St., 1701A: R. Myers to J. & V. Wills, $180,000

Green St., 2959: D. Jamieson to D. & V. Moore, $202,900

Hoffman St., 3214: M. Angelo to J. Gantt & H. Mahmood, $109,900

Hunter St., 1609: T. Vo to D. Vo, $160,000

Kelker St., 422 & 434, 1821 Fulton St. and 1820 N. 5^th St.: Hamilton Health Center to Christian Recovery Aftercare Ministry, $250,000

N. 2^nd St., 321 & 209 South St.: B. Hattingh to VMV Smart Solutions LLC, $425,000

N. 2^nd St., 1509: J. Tang to Vortex Properties, $105,000

N. 3^rd St., 3205: Secretary of Veterans Affairs to H. Pontius, $42,000

N. 4^th St., 3211: J. Kardisco to D. Cameron, $89,000

N. 17^th St., 1001: Miracle Group Inc. to E. Price, $80,000

Parkside Lane, 2906: R. & V. Eaton to R. & K. Riley, $210,000

Penn St., 1522: S. Faridi to M. Lindsay, $133,000

Regina St., 1414 & 2139 N. 4^th St.: SNL Realty Holdings & Touch of Color to NJR Group LLC, $71,500

Rudy Rd., 1916: R. Wagner to J. Burno, $53,000

Rudy Rd., 2413: J. Boutselis to PA Deals LLC, $55,000

Rumson Dr., 2586: PA Deals LLC to J. Tucker, $80,000

S. 19^th St., 14: C. Butler to M. Martinez, $45,000

S. 25^th St., 729: R. Wylie Jr. to 729 25^th Street LLC, $170,000

S. 26^th St., 733: T. Navas to E. Lowe & S. Fuentes, $72,000

State St., 213: Douglas, Hassler & McKillop to Legion Premier Properties LLC, $247,000

Susquehanna St., 1725: M. Gojmerac & C. Roma to B. & K. Martin, $94,000

Verbeke St., 309: S. Rosso to R. Green & D. Govender, $113,000

Wyeth St., 1406: A. Van Dyke to PA Deals LLC, $82,000

Harrisburg property sales for January 2016, greater than $30,000. Source: Dauphin County. Data is assumed to be accurate.

Heroism Honored: Black troops were excluded from the Union’s victory parade, so Harrisburg held its own. This month, that event will be commemorated.

October 30, 2015 | by John Duffy

In late May 1865, the Civil War was finally at an end.

The contest had cost more than 700,000 lives, destroyed countless others, and left the South in ruins. That month, the victorious Union armies paraded through Washington, D.C., in what organizers called The Grand Review—two solid days of celebration recognizing the efforts made by a generation in preserving the Union and ending slavery.

For most of the veterans who took part, it was their last act of soldiery. But conspicuously absent were the 180,000 African-American troops who had, by many historians’ estimations, made the crucial difference in achieving victory as the war dragged on for four long years.

“These soldiers played a pivotal role in victory, in saving the Union when it was being torn asunder,” said Dr. Frank Smith, founder and director of the African American Civil War Memorial and Museum in Washington, D.C.

They Earned It

When black troops were finally approved after much debate within the Lincoln administration, the outcome of the war was still very much in doubt.

“Yet after all the suffering and humiliation, after being bought and sold like animals, these men showed their worthiness and had some skin in the game, so to speak,” said Smith. “When Congress was debating the 13^th, 14^th and 15^th amendments after the war, we can read that many of them said ‘these people deserve this because they earned it on the battlefield.’ ”

They had passed through the crucible of war.

However, black and white soldiers could not share the Grand Review in Washington because it was politically toxic, said Dr. Harry Bradshaw Matthews, associate dean and director of intercultural affairs at Hartwick College.

“It would have been troubling to the unification process to have black troops presented on the same footing as whites,” he said. “It is important to remember that, for many white abolitionists, an end to slavery was not the same thing as equal rights.”

But thanks to several men from Pennsylvania’s capital region—politicians, abolitionists, clergy, journalists—the city of Harrisburg did what the nation had not. On a sunny November day, they held a parade of their own, a second Grand Review to honor the African-American men (the vast majority of them former slaves) who had done nothing less than help save the nation.

“And the Harrisburg victory parade showed the country, and indeed the world, that these men indeed had a right to be proud,” said Smith, who will be the keynote speaker at this month’s commemoration in Harrisburg, which takes place Nov. 13 to 15.

The Very Idea

While often delegated for garrison, general labor or guard duty, soldiers of the United States Colored Troops fought with distinction in most major actions of the war’s later years. Some 8,000 would enlist from the commonwealth, more than 1,000 of them from the Harrisburg region alone.

The dangers they faced once at war were often worse than their white comrades. At a time when most military deaths occurred in camp and not on the battlefield, black soldiers died of disease at nearly twice the normal rate. It was also Confederate policy that any black soldiers captured on the field would be re-enslaved. In several instances, surrendering and wounded colored troops were simply executed.

Yet they fought with conspicuous valor at New Market Heights, Nashville, the ill-fated Battle of the Crater, and in actions throughout Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas and the Carolinas.

By the fall of 1865, as most Union troops were back home re-entering normal life, most African-American troops were still in the military. A French army bent on taking over Mexico, and maybe Texas for that matter, required immediate attention. So, off to the Rio Grande the veterans went.

Many scholars have debated whether the absence of black soldiers in the Grand Review was a move of a pragmatic command—after all, many colored troop enlistments would not be up for another year—or racially motivated, as many ranking army commanders at war’s end still objected to the very idea of colored soldiers.

“There were more than enough black soldiers in uniform that could have participated in the Grand Review,” stated Matthews.

The end of slavery was, in fact, represented at the Grand Review, but in the form of thousands of camp followers—former slaves who sought the relative safety of the Union armies in a vengeful south.

“It is ironic and also in very poor taste that contraband slaves could take part in the parade only by parading behind those conquerors that saved them,” Matthews said.

All the Rights

Sensing an injustice, Pennsylvania Gov. Andrew Curtin invited several USCT regiments to the city and, on a crisp and sunny November day—a Tuesday—the soldiers formed up at State and Filbert streets and marched through Harrisburg to the cheers of residents, both black and white.

The event had been loudly promoted in the preceding days in the local press, including a notice in The Christian Recorder, which, in proclaiming the event, hoped that “our people will not fail to show their appreciation of the services of our country’s defenders…”

Serving as grand marshal of the review was Thomas Morris Chester, a Harrisburg lawyer, abolitionist and colored troop recruiter. More than anyone present that day, he was intimately familiar with the heroism of the troops he reviewed.

In the waning days of the war, Chester served as the only black war correspondent for a major newspaper, covering the actions of colored soldiers as they helped bring the war to its end outside of Richmond. When the city finally fell in early April 1865, Chester personally witnessed a column of well-armed, smartly uniformed veteran black troops become the first Union men to enter the fallen Confederate capital.

Now, Chester led a column of the same men through his hometown, not as conquerors, but as honored victors. The procession paused at the Front Street home of Simon Cameron, former Secretary of War and U.S. senator. Cameron had been an early advocate of both emancipation and the recruitment of colored soldiers.

Like Chester, he hoped the Harrisburg review would help the nation work quickly towards universal black suffrage.

“Like all other men, you have your destinies in your own hands,” Cameron said to the troops. “And if you continue to conduct yourselves hereafter as you have in the struggle, you will have all the rights you ask for, all the rights that belong to human beings.”

But even if the exclusion from the Grand Review in Washington was intentional, as Matthews insists, the benefits to colored troops of their service were numerous.

“A large number learned to read and write due to their service,” Matthews said. “That was critical.”

Along with nearly $5 million in pension pay starting in 1870, this literacy helped former soldiers become leaders of the post-war South.

“They served in elected offices, became teachers and community leaders, and founded many of the self-help organizations that built the African-American communities of the South,” he said. “At a time when Jim Crow laws were seeking to reassert the old order, they became the new backbone of freedom.”

Many events are planned in Harrisburg from Nov. 13 to 15 to commemorate the 150^th anniversary of The Grand Review. The highlight, The Grand Review procession featuring United States Colored Troops re-enactors, will take place on Nov. 14, beginning at 10 a.m. from Grace United Methodist Church, 216 State St. For a complete schedule of events, visit www.2015grandreview.com.

History & Hospitality: Gettysburg’s historic Brafferton Inn welcomes those looking for a fall respite, a quaint retreat–or maybe a spooky ghost tour.

September 30, 2015 | by Stephanie Kalina-Metzger

For many Pennsylvanians, fall is their favorite season, and scheduling a final getaway before the temps grow frigid is on many to-do lists.

Because there is such beauty in our own backyard this time of year, there’s little reason to venture far. For history buffs, in particular, the Brafferton Inn in Gettysburg offers guests a comfortable environment to explore and learn about the rich events of our past.

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the bed and breakfast is conveniently located a block from Lincoln Square, an easy walk to restaurants, museums, art galleries, antique shops and ghost tours, which are especially popular this time of year.

Steeped in History

Built in 1786, the Brafferton Inn is touted as the oldest deeded house in downtown Gettysburg and the oldest continual residence.

Joan Hodges, who operates the bed and breakfast with her son Brian and his wife Marybeth, explained that the house was built on land purchased from John Penn by Samuel Gettys.

The land later was sold to Michael Hoke, a tanner by profession, who worked with the Gettys family. Hoke began building a townhouse on the lot before the town was established, eventually transferring it to his brother, Henry, who added onto the structure before it was put up for sale.

In 1843, Nicholas Codori, who emigrated from Alsace, France, purchased the property for $1,600. The father of 11 was a butcher by trade and, at the start of the Civil War, purchased a farm on Emmitsburg Road to raise livestock in the area later known for Pickett’s Charge.

“Their butcher shop was next door, and they raised and slaughtered their livestock out there and then brought it into town,” said Hodges.

During the battle, the Codoris took refuge in the basement of what is now known as the Brafferton Inn as bullets struck their home and whistled through the air above their heads.

After the battle ended, the Codoris opened their home to worshippers.

“One of the rooms upstairs was used as a Catholic church because the churches were filled with the wounded,” Hodges said.

Five generations of Codoris lived in the house over the course of 150 years until a lack of male descendants forced a change of hands.

The property has been operating as an inn for 31 years. The historic property was once featured in Country Living Magazine when former New York publicist Mimi Agard owned the operation and persuaded the national publication to come out and have a look.

More recently, Sam and Jane Back, former administrators at Choate Rosemary Hall Prep School in Wallingford Conn., ran the inn before selling to the Hodges about 11 years ago.

Welcoming Visitors

Those seeking a comfortable getaway can choose from among 17 rooms, nine suites and a three-bedroom guesthouse, with décor varying from Colonial to Victorian.

Each morning, B&B patrons gather for a hearty breakfast in the original dining room, which dates back to 1815 and features a unique mural.

“It’s a Rufus Porter-type mural painted by artist Virginia McLaughlin from Frederick, Md., and depicts 90 buildings in Gettysburg and what they may have looked like in 1863,” Hodges explained.

Elaine Harvey, who hails from Beallsville in Washington County, Pa., said she has been visiting the award-winning establishment for at least a decade.

“When I arrived the first day, it was like meeting friends,” said the self-described “Civil War nut.” “They were warm and welcoming. The food is excellent, and the rooms are wonderful. My oldest grandchild, who is 13, thinks it’s the best. Brian cooks and Joan bakes. Her lemon poppy seed muffins are wonderful.”

After breakfast, guests can relax in the adjacent parlor and choose from an array of books on Gettysburg and the Civil War and admire Keith Rocco’s work, which adorns the walls. Hodges will be happy to provide background details on the artist, who goes to great lengths to ensure his paintings are historically accurate.

David Vesser and his wife traveled from Fredericksburg, Va., for the convenient location and the hospitality of the proprietors.

“Joan, Brian and Marybeth are fabulous people who would do anything in the world for you, like arranging transportation for tours and providing information on meals,” said Vesser. “It’s just a great place to go.”

The couple likes the Inn so much that they recently renewed their vows there for their 25^th anniversary.

Hodges said visitors come for a host of reasons, but most can be divided into the following categories: history, the arts, ghost tours and the nearby college.

“There are parents who stay with us year after year while their children study at the college nearby,” she said.

Hodges, who was a critical care nurse and is retired from Philips Medical and Hewlett Packard, said she’s well suited to her third act as innkeeper.

“It seems like six degrees of separation from everyone who comes here, so I find an interesting connection with a lot of different people, which is very fun,” she said.

To learn more about the Brafferton Inn, visit www.brafferton.com.

War of the Worlds: Harrisburg’s mayor and Civil War Museum supporters not only disagree–they don’t even exist in the same reality.

August 31, 2015 | by Lawrance Binda

A year ago, Harrisburg Mayor Eric Papenfuse asked Dauphin County to stop giving a portion of the city’s hotel tax money to the National Civil War Museum.

Then in July, following the arrest of former Mayor Steve Reed, he called on the museum to shut down entirely, saying it was a “monument to corruption.”

“That’s classic Papenfuse,” joked my colleague Paul Barker during an episode of TheBurg Podcast. “When you don’t get what you want—ask for more.”

Indeed, escalation does seem to be one of the mayor’s go-to strategies when faced with a setback. But, for me, Papenfuse’s desire to starve the museum of money, even close it, begs the question—what exactly is his motivation?

A lot of folks in Harrisburg seem to think that Papenfuse’s crusade against the museum is part of his war against Reed—what I call the de-Reedification of Harrisburg.

There’s something to that, given that Papenfuse waged a decade-long battle against the alleged wrongdoing and profligacy of the Reed administration, and the museum, arguably, was Reed’s signature project.

The fight over the Civil War Museum, though, is more than that. It’s as much a clash of worldviews and priorities as it is a tussle over a disgraced former mayor and his legacy.

Simply put, Papenfuse lives in the unforgiving world of being the mayor of a poor, under-populated city that struggles to balance its books and deliver decent services to its people. The museum’s board and its allies live in another world entirely—the museum world—in which Harrisburg (Harrisburg!) has one of the best collections of Civil War artifacts on the planet.

So who has the better argument?

If you’re the mayor, you might reasonably see the museum as a source of funds, as the collection, owned but not controlled by the city, is estimated to be valued north of $10 million.

In his world, that money buys a lot of street repairs, light poles, police patrols, trash pickup and other basic services that the city needs but can barely afford. Liquidating the museum’s assets would allow Harrisburg to better provide for its people, which should be the first priority of any mayor. It’s a this-or-that world in which you can fix your streets, maintain your parks and protect your people—or you can have a sparsely attended, pretty museum on a hill.

Papenfuse also sees the museum as an enormous potential financial liability as the city is on the hook for maintaining the building, which it also owns. Meanwhile, it receives just $1 a year in rent, while $300,000 in city hotel tax money goes directly to the museum. From this viewpoint, the city gets all the downside from the museum and little, if any, of the upside.

Then there’s the museum world.

The museum world does not have to deal with an anemic tax base, sinkholes, bumpy roads or crime. It mostly needs to keep the lights on in a single building.

In the museum world, Harrisburg receives tremendous prestige from having a world-class museum, housed in a stunning building, within its borders. Many of the museum’s board members and allies live in the even smaller world of history and Civil War buffs, collectors and experts.

The museum world is not without its economic case, as the board claims the facility contributes $5.7 million to the regional economy a year. The city disputes that figure and, in any case, says much of the benefit falls to suburban hotels, restaurants and attractions.

But that’s another thing about the museum world. It exists mostly as a suburban phenomenon—its leaders well-educated professionals who largely live outside the city, its chief defenders the Dauphin County commissioners.

Two different worlds, two different sets of priorities.

So, that’s where we are today, caught in a no man’s land between the mayor and the board, the city and the suburbs, one man’s past museum fixation and another man’s present budget fixation.

How should this end? While I respect both sides, as a Harrisburg resident, I find myself more in agreement with the mayor. Likewise, your opinion probably depends upon which world more closely resembles yours.

Lawrance Binda is editor-in-chief of TheBurg.

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