Tag Archives: Commonwealth Monument Project

The Week that Was: News and features around Harrisburg

August 28, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda and Maddie Conley

The Commonwealth Monument Project held an unveiling at the state Capitol on Wednesday.

On Monday, our September issue of the magazine comes out! Be on the lookout for a great issue dedicated to local flavors. Until then, find below our lineup of local coverage from the past week.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Capital Region finds support through board member Joe Holston’s upcoming challenge to golf 100 holes in a day. He hopes to raise money for the organization that has helped hundreds of local kids, even throughout the pandemic, our online story reports.

Bob’s Art Blog highlights the signature work of artist Pamela J. Black. Read our online story to see some of Black’s work, which she hopes will inspire peace and calmness among her audience.

The Commonwealth Monument Project was unveiled on the state Capitol grounds on Wednesday. The monument celebrates Harrisburg’s African American history, including the Old 8^th Ward, a historic majority Black and immigrant neighborhood that was demolished, our online story reports.

The Court Appointed Special Advocates of Dauphin County provide positive relationships to children in the foster care system. Read more about the heart behind this organization in our magazine story.

COVID-19 cases in PA dipped over the last week. There were an average of over 600 new cases per day in the state, our online story reports.

Drew Hart, a Messiah College professor and author, shares his thoughts on the division between white and Black Americans. In our magazine story, Hart talks about the Black Lives Matter movement and the role Christianity plays in racial division.

Harrisburg City Council plans to make amendments to the document proposing a citizen’s police advisory board, our reporting found. After weeks of town hall meetings to solicit community feedback, council member Ausha Green said that council will take residents’ input into account as they make changes.

Harrisburg Opera Association presents its virtual program this weekend. This year, the group focuses on showcasing diversity and featuring Harrisburg locations, our online story reports.

Historic Harrisburg Association this year handed its 2020 Preservation Awards to Elementary Coffee Co. and The Fox on Washington. Our magazine story describes the restoration processes and why they were considered award-worthy.

Lavelle Muhammad seeks to help disadvantaged boys from the inner city as the principal of Nativity School in Harrisburg. In our magazine story, Muhammad shares how his own story shaped his passion for mentoring youth.

Rich Askey is working to ensure quality education and a safer space for every student in Pennsylvania public schools. Read our magazine story to find out more about the president of the Pennsylvania State Education Association.

Sara Bozich has quite the lineup of local events this weekend. If you want to try a new restaurant, stretch out in a yoga class or relax at a drive-in-movie, she has plenty of options for you in her Weekly Roundup.

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Local leaders, elected officials cut the ribbon on African American history monument

August 26, 2020 | by Maddie Conley

Community members cut the ribbon on a monument celebrating African American history in the state.

As you walk downtown you may see some new faces.

Local leaders, elected officials and community members gathered to cut the ribbon on a new monument on the state Capitol grounds recognizing Harrisburg’s African American history.

For the past few years, members of the Commonwealth Monument Project have been planning and preparing the large bronze monument that now sits at 4^th and Walnut Streets.

“Today’s monument is a long-overdue tribute to the hardworking Pennsylvanians who lived and worked here in the 8^th Ward,” PA Gov. Tom Wolf said.

The project’s Executive Director Lenwood Sloan saw the memorial as a way to pay tribute to Harrisburg’s Old 8^th Ward, a historic primarily Black and immigrant neighborhood that was demolished to make room for the Capitol complex.

The monument is titled “A Gathering At The Crossroads: For Such A Time As This.” The base, or the “Orator’s Pedestal,” features 100 names of families from the Old 8^th Ward. On top sits a map of the historic neighborhood’s streets. Two figures surround the pedestal, African-American abolitionist William Howard Day and suffragist Frances E.W. Harper.

Sloan said on Nov. 14, two more figures will be added, Jacob T. Compton, a sergeant of the 24th United States Colored Infantry (USCT) and local musician, and T. Morris Chester, Civil War correspondent and recruiter.

The A.R.T Foundry of Lancaster is responsible for creating the monument.

The small plaza where the monument sits is being named the Irvis Equality Circle. It allows visitors to walk around and view the monument.

“It is a proud day to be mayor of the City of Harrisburg,” said Mayor Eric Papenfuse. “This has completely changed the streetscape.”

Papenfuse presented Sloan with the key to the city, a significant gesture he said he doesn’t do often.

Leaders, elected officials and others who had a hand in the project gathered around the monument to form a “unity circle.”

“Behold how good and pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity,” Sloan said.

The Commonwealth Monument Project is part of the IIPT Harrisburg Peace Promenade.

Philanthropist Peggy Grove, Dauphin County and the City of Harrisburg were the top funders of the project. M&T Bank, Giant Company, Highmark and The Foundation for Enhancing Communities contributed as well.

“What started as a vision has come to fruition,” said Phyllis Bennett, a member of the project’s team.

For more information on the Commonwealth Monument Project, visit https://digitalharrisburg.com/commonwealth/. For more on the IIPT Harrisburg Peace Promenade, visit their website.

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The Week that Was: News and features around Harrisburg

August 7, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda and Maddie Conley

A Black Lives Matter mural was painted on the Harrisburg Improv Theatre in Midtown last weekend.

These summer weeks seem to fly by. If you missed any of our reporting amid the crash of the waves or the routine of work, we have our week’s stories listed and linked below.

A Black Lives Matter mural was painted in Midtown last weekend, our online story reported. Organizer Mike Fitzgerald hopes it will create dialogue and promote social justice in the community.

“Candles on the Water” promotes peace and harmony through its 75^th annual commemoration of the bombings of the Japanese cities of Nagasaki and Hiroshima. In our magazine story, read more about the event and how it connects to Harrisburg’s Peace Garden along the Susquehanna River.

The 2020 census approaches its final two months, and we have an update on response rates thus far. Read about how Dauphin County is encouraging participation and why some fear the Latino community will be undercounted.

Commonwealth Monument Project leaders presented Dauphin County commissioners with a bronze replica of a map of Harrisburg’s Old 8^th Ward. Our online story has more on that, as well as updates on the monument scheduled to be unveiled Aug. 26 on state Capitol grounds.

COVID-19 cases in Pennsylvania are finally declining after a month of increasing cases. There was an average of 747 new diagnoses each day last week, our weekly reporting shows.

Harris Family Brewery has joined other local brewers to create a special “Black is Beautiful” beer. They hope the message will spark conversation on racial inequality while enjoying a good drink. Read more about their latest collaboration with Troegs Brewery as well as two other partnerships.

Musicians have taken their tunes to the internet during the COVID-19 pandemic. Guitar teacher Paul Wegmann has done the same with his lessons. Read more in our magazine story.

A proposed citizen’s policing advisory board was the topic of discussion at a Harrisburg town hall Thursday night. Our reporting outlines city residents’ criticisms and frustrations with the lack of power of the board as it stands.

Sara Bozich has a great lineup of events in her Weekend Roundup. Find the list that includes a drive-in movie event, a yard sale and Virtual Beer Olympics, here.

Schools in the Harrisburg area are making plans for the upcoming academic year. Our magazine story tells how brick-and-mortar schools are split on whether to return to in-person classes or virtual. Many students seem to be turning to cyber charter schools for their education.

TheBurg’s editor has what he calls a “mask problem” in his August magazine column. Read about his journey to embracing the mask, despite the discomfort, and additional thoughts on the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Bronze map of Old 8th Ward presented to Dauphin County; Commonwealth Monument Project offers update

August 5, 2020 | by Maddie Conley

Members of the Commonwealth Monument Project present Dauphin County commissioners with a bronze replica of Harrisburg’s Old 8th Ward.

Monuments around the country have been in the news recently, many taken or torn down by people who regard them as symbols of racism.

But for over a year, members of the Commonwealth Monument Project have had a plan to erect a new monument in Harrisburg, one that highlights and honors Harrisburg’s African American heritage.

Today, they discussed updates to that plan, as they also honored the Dauphin County commissioners who helped make it possible.

“In other places in our country, we are seeing monuments taken down,” Commissioner George Hartwick said during a public meeting today. “We are putting monuments up.”

Earlier this year, the commissioners awarded the IIPT Harrisburg Peace Promenade a $100,000 gaming grant, indicating their support for the monument project.

Lenwood Sloan, the project’s executive director, phoned in to the meeting to present the commissioners with a bronze replica of the Old 8^th Ward. The replica shows an aerial view of the historic primarily Black and immigrant neighborhood that was demolished to make room for expansion of the state Capitol Complex.

“We cannot bring back the buildings or the ancestors, but we can raise the level of dignity,” Sloan said.

The bronze map models a larger one that will sit atop the “Orator’s Pedestal”—the base of the forthcoming monument.

The bronze replica presented to Dauphin County today is one of a series of four. The first was given to Peggy Grove, a supporter of the Monument Project. The second went to Gov. Tom Wolf, the third to the City of Harrisburg, and the last to the county today.

The four maps were created by the A.R.T Foundry in Lancaster.

“I would really like people to understand the history of the Old 8^th Ward,” commission Chairman Jeff Haste said. “Bringing history a little more alive for folks will make this a better region.”

The Commonwealth Monument Project is scheduled to be unveiled on Aug. 26 on the Capitol grounds at 4^th and Walnut Streets.

On the pedestal, 100 families’ names are engraved, as well as maps of Old 8^th Ward streets. On top of the pedestal will be the Old 8^th Ward map, as well as four historic African American figures from Harrisburg—Frances Harper, Thomas Chester, Jacob Compton and William Howard Day.

Two of the figures will stand on the pedestal when it is unveiled. The other two are being finished and will be installed by Nov. 14.

Land surveyor Melham Associates has already done construction at the site where the monument will be placed. A small plaza, the Irvis Equality Circle, will allow visitors to walk around and view the monument.

For more information on the Commonwealth Monument Project, visit https://digitalharrisburg.com/commonwealth/. For more on the IIPT Harrisburg Peace Promenade, visit their website.

Voices of Our Community: Lenwood Sloan

June 30, 2020 | by Lenwood Sloan

Lenwood Sloan

Following the death of George Floyd and the nationwide and local Black Lives Matter protests, we asked several members of our Harrisburg community if they would like to share their personal stories.

I’ve been so many places in my life and times!

My journey includes three U.S. coasts and four continents. Since 2005, I have referred to myself as Harrisburg’s “foster child.” A refugee of Katrina, I fled New Orleans and was lucky enough to land here in the Rendell administration as director of cultural and heritage tourism.

Refugees are different than immigrants. We fled from one place instead of choosing another. Foster children are in a perpetual state of waiting for “a forever family.” While I work hard to belong, I’m constantly confronted with the salutation, “You’re not from here, are you?”

Fifteen years doesn’t count! I know people who have been here five decades and still get the same question. You see, unless you were born here, you are never from here. You’re instantly measured and identified by your church, the neighborhood you grew up in, or the year you graduated from John Harris or William Penn High School. You’re constantly asked, “Who’s your Momma? What lodge did your grandfather belong to?”

Foster children always have that lost look in their eyes. We are always searching for a sense of permanency. We’re always looking for “our people!”

When I arrive in a new place, I always head directly for the town’s MLK Boulevard. Every town usually has a roadway named for the great civil rights leader, right? Not Harrisburg. In fact, it’s the only city I’ve come across that named a boulevard after the Exemplar of Peace and then reversed the action! The only evidence I could ever find of its existence is a disturbing archival record and a pile of signs in the back of a public works building.

As a Black historian, I’m always looking for the presence of the past. Where are the markers of the legacy of my people? Where are the symbols of our achievement against the odds? If you were born here, you might identify the few and vanishing markers of our heritage. If not, you’re lost.

While working on a cultural project along the four-mile Riverfront Park, I could not find a single monument, plaque, bench or emblem of achievement exemplifying the contributions of African Americans. Walk the entire Capitol Complex, and you’ll find precious few markers promulgating our presence there either!

But let’s stay in the present! Where do you take African American tourists to discover Harrisburg’s Black amenities? You’ll find no thriving Black business district, no African American bookstore, art gallery, Black-owned theater, Afro dance center, literary society, public choir. There’s no local Black baseball game to attend or marching band to fall behind. Indeed, when asked, the answer often is, “There used to be!”

“Used to be” is simply not good enough! Cultural identity is built on a foundation of brick-and-mortar institutions, physical signs and symbols which ground and substantiate it. Black-owned enterprises become the loom on which we weave the cultural and multicultural warp and woof of a people. They’re the safe houses of our images, icons, artifacts and memorabilia.

I continue to wonder as I wander, where do Black people exist on the landscape of Harrisburg’s memory? Where are the safehouses of our cultural experiences? Who’s recording what it is to be Black in Harrisburg for present children and future generations? Who’s building monuments to our achievements?

Martin Delaney, the great Pennsylvania abolitionist who fought for freedom with the U.S. Colored Troops in the Civil War, wrote, “Every people should be originators of their own destiny.” Today and every day, we should work hard to pay it forward so that we have something to look forward to with hope and something to look backwards on with pride.

Lenwood Sloan is the executive director of the Commonwealth Monument Project. He serves as the governor’s appointee to the Capitol Preservation Committee and board member of the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation.

A June to Remember: Revisiting a month of history

June 30, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda and Maddie Conley

The Black Lives Matter movement dominated our news coverage over the past month, as thousands of people gathered for protests and rallies in Harrisburg demanding justice and civil rights.

Online, we featured numerous stories, editorials and photo galleries dedicated to the many events that took place. We now want to share snippets of our web-only work for our magazine readers.

Why We’re Here

Unity. Peace. Justice.

Those words were heard over and over during Sunday’s rally at the PA Capitol, the latest in a weeklong series of protests following the death of George Floyd and demands for equal rights and fair justice.

Several hundred protestors gathered at the state Capitol and marched along downtown Harrisburg streets and over to City Island before returning to the Capitol steps to rally again.

Along the way, the diverse crowd held signs decrying police violence and engaged in chants such as “Say His Name: George Floyd” and “Hands Up, Don’t Shoot.”

“This march is one of solidarity,” said community activist Kevin Maxson, speaking to the crowd. “We demand change. That’s why we’re all here today.”

—Lawrance Binda

Juneteenth Plan

It was just last year that Gov. Tom Wolf signed a bill officially recognizing June 19 as a state holiday celebrating freedom from slavery, known as Juneteenth.

In the wake of the death of George Floyd and other black men and women at the hands of police, Juneteenth takes on special meaning this year in the midst of protests and calls to action.

The Harrisburg Young Professionals of Color, La Cultura, Capital Rebirth and The Bridge are joining forces to host festivities in Harrisburg this Friday.

“It’s a celebration,” Mikell Simpson, founder of the nonprofit Capital Rebirth, said. “We have gained a lot of momentum. Now, let’s take a break for a day and celebrate.”

—Maddie Conley

African American Music Appreciation Month

If you live in central PA, you’ve probably heard of Shawan Rice and her band, Shawan and the Wonton. The singer-songwriter has brought her melodic voice and heartbreaking lyrics all across Pennsylvania and the east coast.

There is no other way to describe the 25-year-old’s voice but soulful. Her music, featuring traces of blues, R&B and folk laced together with her autobiographical lyrics, will probably wreck you but help you heal all over again.

“It’s soul music—music made for the soul,” she said. “You can feel it inside you.”

—Yaasmeen Piper

Editorial: “We Stand in Support”

We at TheBurg stand by the principals of this historic movement. We join this community in opposing racism and police brutality and in supporting equality, civil rights and black-owned businesses.

It is my greatest hope that this movement results in substantial and lasting change. I am amazed at what has already been accomplished in such a short time and look forward to seeing genuine progress towards greater equality and more opportunities in our community and our country.

—Lawrance Binda

Conversations

Every so often, the Harrisburg Regional Chamber & CREDC hosts a seminar, but this one was different.

It was one that chamber board Vice Chair Meron Yemane has waited years for.

Today, the Chamber held a webinar entitled, “Chamber Live: A Conversation about Systemic Racism.”

Yemane explained how he believes this is the beginning of the process towards change for the chamber. He pointed out the power structures within the organization itself and the hope he has for positive movement towards inclusivity.

“Next year, I’ll be the first black chair of the chamber, and that doesn’t mean anything if there’s not a second,” Yemane said. “The chamber can lead in this.”

—Maddie Conley

Stories of the Past

The weather may have been gloomy, but the day was filled with celebration as the state recognized Juneteenth, the holiday commemorating the freedom of enslaved African Americans.

As part of the day’s events, members of the IIPT Harrisburg Peace Promenade presented the City of Harrisburg with a bronze map replica of the historic Old 8th Ward.

The bronze map shows houses, churches, synagogues and other landmarks from the neighborhood that was demolished for the expansion of the Capitol grounds. The Old 8th Ward was primarily an African American and immigrant community that was displaced with the expansion.

“The future is judged by how well we preserve the true and just stories of the past,” said Lenwood Sloan, director of the project.

—Maddie Conley

Editorial: “This Remarkable Week”

A month or so ago, I told a colleague how disappointed I was with my generation—the Gen X/Baby Boomer crowd. When I was young, I attended many protests, thinking that our voices could lead to change. Looking back, however, I felt like we failed to make much progress toward a better, more equitable society.

But now this time has come like a bolt, a renewed era of activism and optimism, led by young people and people of color, but including a broad swath of society across cultures and generations—and now with, of all the unimaginable twists, assists from the U.S. Supreme Court.

Life remains unsettled. There are still plenty of questions, struggles and unknowns, especially as the global pandemic grinds on. But suddenly, the world seems so much more hopeful, so much brighter. For this incredible, history-making week, we can believe again in Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous quote: “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.”

—Lawrance Binda

Visit www.theburgnews.com to read the full stories from these excerpts.

For Juneteenth, Harrisburg gets a reminder of what’s been lost, a preview of what’s to come

June 19, 2020 | by Maddie Conley

Lenwood Sloan, right, presents a replica map of the old 8th Ward to Harrisburg Mayor Eric Papenfuse.

Although the weather is looking gloomy, today is filled with celebration as the state recognizes Juneteenth, the holiday commemorating the freedom of enslaved African Americans.

As part of the day’s events, members of the IIPT Harrisburg Peace Promenade presented the City of Harrisburg with a bronze map replica of the historic Old 8^th Ward.

“This is an exciting day for our city and country,” Mayor Eric Papenfuse said of the holiday. “This is part of a national conversation about how we can continue to learn and grow.”

The bronze map shows houses, churches, synagogues and other landmarks from the neighborhood that was demolished for the expansion of the Capitol grounds. The Old 8^th Ward was primarily an African American and immigrant community that was displaced with the expansion.

“The future is judged by how well we preserve the true and just stories of the past,” Lenwood Sloan, director of the project, said.

This piece, which will hang in the Harrisburg City Government Center, is one of a series of four replicas of the Old 8^th Ward. The first was given to Peggy Grove, a supporter of the Peace Promenade project. The second went to Gov. Tom Wolf, the third to the city today, the fourth will go to the county, and the final has yet to be decided.

The A.R.T Foundry of Lancaster is responsible for the creation of the map.

The map will reflect the top of the Orators’ Pedestal—the base of the Commonwealth Monument Project. On the pedestal, 100 families’ names are engraved, as well as maps of Old 8^th Ward streets. At the top of the pedestal will stand four historic African American figures from Harrisburg—Frances Harper, Thomas Chester, Jacob Compton and William Howard Day.

The monument will reside on the Capitol grounds at 4^th and Walnut Streets, with the finished project set to be unveiled on Aug. 26.

“This will be the first African American monument on the Capitol grounds,” said Kelly Summerford, treasurer of the project. “That has to mean something.”

While just a portion of the larger Commonwealth Monument Project was presented today, it draws even greater significance from the day’s holiday.

“We find this a very fitting way to begin our festivities on Juneteenth,” Papenfuse said.

For more information on the Commonwealth Monument Project, visit https://digitalharrisburg.com/commonwealth/. For more on the IIPT Harrisburg Peace Promenade, visit their website.

History Keeper: As Harrisburg changes, Calobe Jackson Jr. tells the stories of what came before.

May 29, 2020 | by M. Diane McCormick

LeRon McCoy, Calobe Jackson and Ryan Sanders.

Calobe Jackson nimbly treads a narrow path behind his childhood home. He plants a hand on a low concrete wall.

“My dad had this wall put in, probably around 1937 or 1938,” he said.

Jackson’s memories are modest. Sweeping barbershop floors. Pears growing on backyard trees. But when Harrisburg’s history-keepers talk about Jackson, they pull out the superlatives. “Living treasure.” “Walking encyclopedia.” “Historian’s historian.”

Calobe Jackson, Jr., turned 90 in April. With his steel-trap memory and will-do attitude, he has spent decades in community service. His contributions have broadened the scope of Harrisburg’s past, even as he steps into the future as a muse for revitalization of a key piece of African-American entrepreneurial history.

Stories They Told

In 1934, World War I veteran Calobe Jackson, Sr., relocated his barbershop and his family, including 4-year-old Calobe, Jr., from Strawberry Alley to N. 6th Street.

In a mixed-race neighborhood, “Jack’s Barbershop” joined a thriving African-American business scene. German Jackson (no relation) ran the Green Book-listed Jackson House rooming house and restaurant next door. A beauty school was on the other side. At the funeral home on the corner, morticians would embalm bodies in the basement and carry them upstairs via a stairwell leading to the sidewalk.

These are the stories Jackson shares as he walks around his old neighborhood.

“You had the major African-American businesses right together, and that is very symbolic,” he said. “They were prosperous during segregation, and they’re still the most popular businesses. Most African Americans go to the African-American barbers or beauticians, the undertakers and the restaurants.”

As young Calobe worked around the barbershop, he heard the tales of old-time Harrisburg from the doctors, lawyers and politicians in the chairs.

“I was fascinated by the stories they told,” he said.

He especially loved stories of the Old 8th Ward, where a thriving, diverse neighborhood had given way to expansion of the Capitol grounds.

His step-grandfather would take Calobe to Negro League baseball games.

“All these great stars—(Josh) Gibson and (Satchel) Paige,” he said. “I saw them play.”

Jackson graduated from William Penn High School, where he ran track. He attended Lincoln University until being drafted into the Army, where his proclivity for math landed him a spot as a surveyor. His unit—possibly one of the last all-black units before President Harry Truman desegregated the armed forces—stayed stateside during the Korean War.

After military service, Jackson worked his way up to post office superintendent, a problem-solving role that energized his puzzle-loving brain. He married Betty Canady in 1957. They raised two sons and a daughter. Betty died in 1976.

Jackson served on the Harrisburg school district’s elected school board and appointed board of control. He never feared the future, from childhood days building crystal radios to his years leading establishment of the school district’s Marshall Math Science Academy and the Harrisburg High School SciTech Campus. From 2005 to 2010, he served on the board of the fledgling Harrisburg University of Science and Technology.

“Harrisburg University has some very innovative courses,” Jackson said. “These things they’re into with the (esports) gaming—that’s part of the future.”

A Toast

After retiring in 1990, Jackson started tracking down details on all the stories he had heard over the years. He and fellow historians bonded over their hours spent in the Pennsylvania State Library’s microfilm section.

He has contributed memories and meticulous research to a long string of projects—creating African-American history trails, commemorating U.S. Colored Troops, celebrating Harrisburg’s sesquicentennial, preserving cemeteries, exploring jazz and the Negro Leagues, researching Old 8th Ward residents for the Commonwealth Monument Project.

Ken Frew, librarian for the Historical Society of Dauphin County, remembers when Jackson asked for an obituary that wasn’t in the society’s files. Visiting the State Library the next day, Frew asked for two rolls of microfilm that might yield the obit, but they were loaned out. Frew went into the microfilm room, “and there’s Calobe with the two rolls.”

“When he has a lead on something, he follows through on it,” Frew said.

With Jackson’s contributions of informational gems from his own collection, Frew expanded the Historical Society’s file of African-American history from a small file to one now outgrowing a drawer.

Fellow historians marvel at Jackson’s accuracy and his generosity in sharing his knowledge.

“He’s sort of like a living Wikipedia,” said Historic Harrisburg Association Executive Director David Morrison.

HHA’s 2020 Preservation Celebration—postponed to Sept. 20 because of the pandemic—features “A Toast to Calobe Jackson.”

For HHA, Jackson worked with historian Jeb Stuart to create an African-American history route for the YWCA of Greater Harrisburg’s Race Against Racism. He also helped HHA intern Kristian Carter write about African-American businesses and, said Morrison, “the subtle segregation in that these black-owned businesses existed and thrived because people couldn’t go downtown and shop.”

“He was one of several people, and certainly the dean of African-American historians, who have helped to integrate African-American history into general history, locally and beyond,” said Morrison.

Jackson’s accuracy derives from his talent for matching memories “with actual documentation,” said Stuart. “He’s unbelievable. He’s sharp.”

Jackson provides context that makes pictures emerge from the scattered puzzle pieces of history, said arts activist Lenwood Sloan—even if it means, as in one case, sharing a racist account of a visit by 19th-century abolitionist and journalist Martin Delaney.

“You’re creating fact-based history and not legend and mythology,” Sloan said. “Memory tends to gild things. Some of the things that Calobe turns up are not that pretty.”

A Pillar

Post-World War II, most of the 6th Street African-American business corridor gave way to Capitol Complex expansion and urban renewal. One stretch survived—the historic buildings of Jackson House, Jack’s Barbershop and the corner funeral home that was originally the Ridge Avenue UMC parsonage, later known as the Swallow Mansion.

“They’re the only thing left from that time,” said Jackson.

Through late historian Hari Jones, Jackson connected with Ryan Sanders, a partner in Vice Capital with NFL veterans LeRon and LeSean McCoy. The team is revitalizing Jackson House and the former funeral home to create Jackson Square, transforming the dilapidated buildings into apartments and retail.

Jackson’s firsthand knowledge of the site helped forge a narrative of African-American entrepreneurship and its role in overall Harrisburg history, said Sanders.

“He is absolutely a pillar of this project,” he said. “Accuracy is very, very important here. As we’re telling the narrative and the storyline, we’re setting the groundwork for future endeavors on this property.”

Jackson’s memories helped give momentum to reinvigorating “an important anchor to the community,” added LeRon McCoy. “Hearing those original stories and what these buildings meant, it only cemented the idea that we wanted to rebuild them.”

As the new federal courthouse drives revitalization of N. 6th Street, noted Morrison, Jackson is enhancing the effort by helping restore the corridor as “a special boulevard of African-American heritage.”

Keeps Him Young

In every conversation about Calobe Jackson, someone references the man himself.

“He’s one of my favorite historians,” said Frew. “One of my favorite people, even if he wasn’t a historian. He’s just a good guy.”

“He’s just a heck of a nice guy,” seconded Morrison

Added Sloan: “He is a gentle man and a gentleman.”

But make no mistake, Sloan said. Jackson’s work counterbalances Harrisburg’s culture of “perpetually emerging” but largely peripatetic African-American organizations that have no place to call home—no black bookstore or art gallery or theater group with a sign out front and its own door to walk through, Sloan said. In a heritage marked by displacement, people such as Jackson are “temples of memory” pointing toward permanence.

“If it wasn’t for people like Calobe who remind us that we were here and that we thrived and survived for a time, we would be forgotten, or worse than forgotten, discounted,” Sloan said. “Calobe reminds us that we count.”

Jackson says simply that his work keeps him young.

“It keeps your mind flowing,” he said. “I’m in good health to be 90. A couple of ailments like some people get. The way my mind works, the idea of having this thirst for history, this thirst for knowledge, keeps you going.”

“A Tribute to Calobe Jackson and Harrisburg’s African-American Heritage,” will be live-streamed on Sunday, Sept. 20, starting at 5 p.m. Click here for more information and to view the event.

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February News Digest

February 28, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

Gaming Grants Awarded

More than 80 projects in Dauphin County will receive gaming grants this year, as the Dauphin County commissioners last month approved $6.3 million in awards.

Harrisburg-based companies and organizations will receive a number of grants, the awards originating each year from the county’s share of gaming revenue generated from Hollywood Casino at Penn National.

In Harrisburg, many of the projects are geared towards either removing blight or offsetting redevelopment or construction costs. These include:

Jackson Rooming House and Swallow Mansion: $75,000 to Vice Capital for renovating the buildings on the 1000-block of N. 6th Street
Midtown Cinema: $50,000 for a major lobby and façade renovation
Open Stage: $50,000 for phase three of its renovation project
com: $60,000 for demolition of two blighted buildings on the 1400-block of N. 3rd Street
Whitaker Center: $100,000 for updates and improvements to its STEM learning gallery
The Nativity School: $50,000 for new school facility renovation
Homeland Center: $24,000 for security infrastructure improvements
Stephen’s Episcopal School: $20,000 for school safety and security improvements

Harrisburg city will receive two grants:

$250,000 for purchase and installation of new bay floors at the city’s two operational fire stations
$$75,000 for design of the city’s proposed extension of the Urban Meadow in Midtown

Other Harrisburg-based projects include:

Capital Area Transit: $96,500 for transportation services for veterans
The Salvation Army: $25,000 for a new generator
Dauphin County Library System: $40,000 for patron computer upgrades
Keystone Service Systems: $43,000 for Capital Area Head Start outdoor education space
Harrisburg University: $75,000 for HUE Invitational security services and technology
Downtown Daily Bread: $10,000 for installation of air conditioning in day shelter
Midtown Action Council: $5,000 for historic marker revitalization expansion project
National Civil War Museum: $16,000 for reduction of debt
Sankofa 21 Institute: $6,000 for student technology initiative
Dauphin County Industrial Development Authority: $100,000 to administer the Foundation for Enhancing Communities/IIPT Harrisburg Peace Promenade Commonwealth Monument Project

Each year, the commissioners make these awards based upon the recommendation of the county’s five-member Gaming Advisory Board. Last year, the county awarded $6.4 million in grants to about 60 projects.

More Downtown Apartments OK’d

More apartments are headed to downtown Harrisburg, as a split City Council has approved Harristown’s latest building plan.

By a 4-3 vote, council approved a proposal to convert a Market Square office building to residential use.

South Second Associates LLC, a development group led by Harristown Enterprises, plans to build out 30 one- and two-bedroom units from the former home of the Skarlatos Zonarich law firm, which has relocated to Strawberry Square. Rents are expected to range from $1,100 to $1,400 a month, depending on square footage and the numbers of bedrooms and bathrooms.

The developers originally planned to retain the building for offices, but couldn’t find an anchor tenant, which led to a change to residential use.

Council President Wanda Williams objected to the project and voted against it, joined by council members Ausha Green and Danielle Bowers.

Williams said she that, for years, she has urged Harristown to meet with the city or with such entities as the Harrisburg Housing Authority to include units that would meet some undefined standard of affordable housing.

“I informed you three or fours years ago that I want to see a percentage for inclusionary or affordable housing,” Williams said.

Council member Shamaine Daniels, however, said that the city shouldn’t expect a specific developer to provide affordable housing when the city itself lacks an affordable housing statute. In fact, she placed blame on council itself for inaction.

“The leadership really comes from council or the mayor,” she said. “I think it’s unfair to hold individuals responsible for lack of leadership on our own part.”

Williams has said that she expects to introduce an affordable housing ordinance later this year.

Over the past several years, Harristown has invested tens of millions of dollars to convert substandard, often vacant, downtown office space into new, market-rate apartments. It currently is signing leases for two newly renovated apartment buildings on Pine Street.

Jones said that he expects the renovation of the Market Square building, located at 17 S. 2nd St., to begin this spring and be completed early next year.

Arcade Debated

Harrisburg City Council last month introduced a resolution that would transfer ownership of the Strawberry Square arcade.

Harristown Development Corp. is asking council to transfer the arcade—the elevated walkway that connects Strawberry Square to the Hilton Harrisburg—to the Strawberry Square Condominium Association.

Neal West, Harristown senior vice president and president of the condominium association, said that they would like a permanent solution for the 66-foot-long enclosed pedestrian pathway. The city is supposed to pay for maintenance of the arcade, estimated at $70,000 per year, but Harristown has been footing that cost for decades.

Moreover, Harristown has invested some $500,000 over the years to reconstruct and upgrade portions of the arcade, and more costly improvements are needed now, West said.

In 2015, Strawberry Square became a condominium, co-owned by Harristown and the Harrisburg Redevelopment Authority, which has transferred its board seats to the commonwealth of Pennsylvania, as state workers occupy the majority of office space in Strawberry Square.

If council approves the transfer, ongoing expenses would be split between Harristown and the commonwealth, West said. Because the arcade generates no revenue, yet has expenses, its value is negative, he said.

Currently, Harristown has a month-to-month agreement with the city to maintain the arcade, so could exit it at any time.

Mayor Eric Papenfuse said that his administration believes it’s in the city’s interest to be relieved of potential maintenance and upgrade expenses.

“The liabilities associated with maintaining the arcade properly are more than the city is in a financial position to want to bear,” Papenfuse said.

Several council members wanted assurance that the arcade would remain open to the public if the city no longer owned it.

“The public use would remain in place,” West said. “People would continue to have full use and benefit of the arcade.”

CASA Expansion Ahead

The Capital Area School for the Arts is moving on up—to the third floor of Strawberry Square.

Starting next academic year, CASA will expand by one floor, into space once occupied by Gamut Theatre.

“The move is exciting for us,” said CEO and Principal Tim Wendling. “The improvements will allow CASA to support additional STEAM learning opportunities as well as sustain our academic needs well into the future.”

More than four years ago, Gamut relocated from its long-time home in Strawberry Square to the former First Church of God across N. 4th Street in downtown Harrisburg. Strawberry Square owner Harristown Enterprises has been searching since for a tenant for that third-floor space.

“It’s an ideal space for CASA to cement their future in Strawberry Square,” said Brad Jones, Harristown president and CEO. “Over time, they’ve really grown to find this to be a unique and opportune space for their campus.”

A public charter school, CASA offers full-day high school education for 200 students from 30 central Pennsylvania school districts.

According to CASA, the new, third-floor space above the food court will add classrooms, a science lab and several other academic spaces, bringing the school’s footprint to about 25,000 square feet over the first and third floors of Strawberry Square.

For the past several years, CASA has been leasing additional classroom space from Temple University Harrisburg, which is located on the other end of the office, residential and retail complex. The expansion should eliminate the need for that space.

Work on the new space, totaling about 10,000 square feet, is expected to start soon, with completion in time for the 2020-21 school year. To pay for the lease and the build-out, the CASA Charter School Foundation has begun a campaign to raise $1.6 million.

To contribute to the CASA Charter School Foundation’s capital campaign, visit www.CASAFound.org.

Monument Receives Funds

A monument honoring voting rights and Harrisburg history is a step closer to reality, as the project last month received more than $100,000 in new funding.

At a city hall press conference, the Commonwealth Monument Project received several large checks and pledges that will enable work to begin on critical aspects of the multi-part statue.

The city, the Foundation for Enhancing Communities (TFEC) and philanthropist Peggy Grove all announced additional support for the monument planned for the lawn of the Capitol’s Irvis office building at N. 4th and Walnut streets.

“It’s a wonderful and incredibly important day,” said Harrisburg Mayor Eric Papenfuse. “The monument, which has been a vision for so long, will become a reality.”

In its 2020 budget, the city pledged $25,000 to help build the base of the monument if organizers could raise a $25,000 matching grant. TFEC now has provided that match.

The $360,000 monument, called “A Gathering at the Crossroads,” consists of three distinct aspects, all crafted by Lancaster-based A.R.T. Enterprises.

The first, the orator’s pedestal, depicts scenes of Harrisburg’s old 8th Ward, which was demolished to expand the Capitol complex. It already has been completed.

The second consists of life-sized figures of four important figures in Harrisburg history: civil rights activist William Howard Day, journalist and lawyer Thomas Morris Chester, musician and restaurateur Jacob T. Compton and abolitionist and suffragist Francis Ellen Walker Harper.

In addition to honoring the demolished 8th Ward, the monument is a tribute to voting rights—specifically, the U.S. Constitution’s 15th and 19th amendments, which secured the vote for African Americans and for women, respectively.

The project’s third aspect is the base of the monument, which the $50,000 donation will fund.

Grove, who had already helped fund the monument’s pedestal, then announced additional support by the Grove Family Fund for two of the four statues.

Besides raising money, the monument’s executive committee has succeeded in receiving legislative approval to site the monument on the grounds of the Capitol complex.

Festivals on Tap for March

Two celebrations, just weeks apart, will mean a busy March around downtown Harrisburg.

First up, on March 7, the city will host its third annual Ice and Fire Festival. The one-day event closes down a portion of N. 2nd Street for free ice skating in the street, children’s activities, music, food trucks, fire dancers and other fun events, capped off by a dozen or so ice sculptures.

Two weeks later, on March 21, downtown again will spring to life with a number of St. Patrick’s Day events.

Activities begin at noon for what’s become the start of the long race season in Harrisburg, with the Lucky Charm 5K/10K. At 2 p.m., the run becomes a slow walk as the annual St. Patrick’s Day parade begins to wind its way through the downtown.

The parade will feature six Irish pipe and drum bands, fire trucks, floats, Irish dance groups and other entertainers, in addition to numerous food trucks.

“We are pleased to be hosting this year’s St. Patrick’s Day parade and are excited to show off more of our downtown business community,” said Todd Vander Woude, executive director of the Harrisburg Downtown Improvement District. “We invite you and your family to join us for a great day downtown.”

Several downtown streets will close for the Ice and Fire Festival and St. Patrick’s Day events, which both occur on Saturdays. Four hours of free parking are available in downtown metered spots by using the Parkmobile app with code “LUVHBG.”

Home Sales, Prices Up

Harrisburg area home sales and prices rose significantly in January, with strong sales data from both Dauphin and Cumberland counties.

Overall, housing sales in the three-county region climbed to 494 units versus 350 in January 2019, according to the Greater Harrisburg Association of Realtors (GHAR). The median sales price increased to $182,000, up by 7.1 percent year-over-year.

In Dauphin County, sales surged to 240 housing units compared to 179 in the year-ago period, while the median sales price rose to $171,000 versus $152,500, said GHAR.

Cumberland County also had a strong month, with sales rising to 229 units versus 154 in January 2019, according to GHAR. The median sales price increased to $196,900 from $182,500 in the year-ago period.

In Perry County, sales also were up, totaling 25 units versus 17 a year ago, but the median sales price decreased to $138,000 from $170,000, GHAR said.

According to GHAR, average days on the market in its coverage area dropped substantially, standing at 42 days in January, down 28.8 percent from the year-ago period.

So Noted

Downtown Harrisburg last month was hit by a substantial water main break. About 200 customers were either without water or had to boil their water for several days after a large crack developed in an 82-year-old pipe.

Harrisburg University has announced two more major outdoor concerts in Riverfront Park. Alt-rockers Cage the Elephant are slated to play on June 18 and DJs Steve Aoki and Deorro on June 26. In January, HU said that Riverfront Park also will be the site of a June 4 concert by the Icelandic band, Of Monsters and Men.

Just Baked Cakes & Pies held its grand opening last month inside of Midtown Scholar Bookstore in the former space of P&R Bakery. Owner Tammy Worthy-Jones heads up the eatery, which specializes in cheesecakes and also offers cookies, puddings, pies, sandwiches, soups and breakfast items.

Matthew Herren last month was named the new executive director of the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra. Herren, originally from Lancaster, will replace Jeff Woodruff, who is retiring after 17 years in the position. Most recently, Herren served as executive director of the Symphony of Northwest Arkansas.

Changing Hands

Boas St., 221: R. Sabo to S. Hart, $119,000

Briggs St., 221: G. Dori to D. Thomas, $187,000

Chestnut St., 2015: A. & G. Griffith to SPG Capital LLC, $45,000

Chestnut St., 2312: P. & J. Vander Kraats to A. & L. Myers, $140,000

Croyden Rd., 2968: A. Snyder to M. Cabrera & R. Gonzalez, $70,000

Derry St., 2345: Charles A. Sterret Investments & W. Klinger to SNB Real Estate Solutions LLC, $42,000

Derry St., 2503: S. & A. Cornick to J. Cornwall, $50,000

Division St., 507: H. Fox Jr. to A. McKonly, $44,500

Duke St., 2435: J. Smith & Genesis Opportunity Development Corp. to Genesis Opportunity Development Corp., $45,000

Emerald St., 231: Federal National Mortgage Association to H. & B. Reyes, $72,000

Forster St., 1927 & 1929: R. Mosley to K. Santamaria, $75,000

Girard St., 745: American Escrow & Closing Co. to SPG Capital LLC, $47,500

Green St., 910: J. Foreman to D. & L. Williams, $197,000

Green St., 1615: J. Scott to B. Kerstetter, $150,000

Green St., 1910: C. Reinhold & K. Hurst to D. Greenstein & M. Feldman, $219,900

Green St., 1928: J. Hardie & T. Craven to M. Stilegman, $225,000

Hale Ave., 453: KDW Real Estate Holdings LLC to Z. Garba, $31,000

Harris St., 236: Hari Group LLP to K. Kinyua, $135,000

Herr St., 1408: L. Proctor to E. Canchani, $45,000

Kensington St., 2357: J. Liddick to J. & M. Ranck, $58,700

Linden St., 109, 111, 113, 115, 117, 117½, 119, 119½ and 100 & 112 N. 13th St.: CPenn Patriot Properties Midtown LLC to G. Radon, $135,000

Lewis St., 210: T. Keller to Smith Della Porta Investments LLC, $72,500

Logan St., 2247: D. Mitchell to CR Property Group LLC, $30,000

North St., 2022: FBTB Group to D. Watson, $60,000

N. 2nd St., 817: HCH Investments LP to N&R Group LLC, $180,000

N. 2nd St., 1013: M. Weiss & M. Marsico to V. French, $105,000

N. 2nd St., 1503: J&S Estates LLC to C. Carlsen, $184,000

N. 2nd St., 1622: J. & M. Quigley to Three Bridges Holdings LLC, $67,500

N. 2nd St., 1624: J. & M. Quigley to Three Bridges Holdings LLC, $67,500

N. 3rd St., 1116: Tang & Perkins Property Management LLC to Capozzi & Ehring Realty LLC, $330,000

N. 3rd St., 2317 & 2319: Sam Hill Properties to DAG EKG Properties LLC, $187,000

N. 3rd St., 2333: 2333 N. 3rd Street LLC to S. Linder, $133,000

N. 3rd St., 3115: M. Bhatti to Equitable Rentals LLC, $97,000

N. 3rd St., 3200: Riverside Methodist Church to Kesher Israel Congregation of Harrisburg Pennsylvania, $176,000

N. 5th St., 2630: CitiMortgage Inc. to D&F Realty Holdings LP, $45,600

N. 13st St., 116: C. Castagneto to T. Gilmore, $35,000

N. 18th St., 73: B. Boyer & J. Hoover to E. Morris & C. Perez, $38,000

Norwood St., 919: H. Greene to D. De Jesus, $85,000

Park St., 1939: K. Lewis to L. Long Jr., $60,000

Paxton St., 1621: E. & Q. Rivera to L. & L. Morales, $35,000

Penn St., 1707: M. Carson to J. Becker & K. Talada, $126,900

Penn St., 2231: O. & N. Banting to T. Astuto, $105,000

Radnor St., 403: BJ Cvetko to T. Brown, $110,000

Radnor St., 630: 630 Radnor Street PA LLC to T. Gassert, $30,000

Radnor St., 631: H. Yellets Jr. to J. Fernandez, $32,000

Rudy Rd., 2130: Derry Street Evangelical Church to G. Brown, $100,000

S. 15th St., 922: PA Deals LLC to S. Chatman, $118,000

S. 19th St., 231: P. Trustey to HBK Properties 1 LLC, $41,000

S. 24th St., 608: D. & A. Hoyt to S. Welch, $160,000

S. 25th St., 438: CR Property Group LLC to M. Anwar & B. Sakina, $82,500

S. 25th St., 640: D. Hoffman to J. Regalado, $42,000

S. 27th St., 661: R. Bowser to SPG Capital LLC, $85,000

Susquehanna St., 1330: Frog Hollow Associates LLC to Green Scapes Investments LLC, $55,000

Verbeke St., 208: C. Malloy & K. Sica to J. & J. Weaver, $99,900

Vernon St., 1409: Tang & Perkins Property Management LLC to Green Book Enterprise LLC, $107,999

Woodbine St., 222: I. Sweets to K. Robinson, $36,000

Woodlawn St., 2201: Harrisburg Lodge 12 Order of Elks Assoc. to Full Circle Music Inc., $230,000

Harrisburg property sales for January 2020, greater than $30,000. Source: Dauphin County. Data is assumed to be accurate.

The Week that Was: News and features around Harrisburg

February 21, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

Tammy Worthy-Jones of Just Baked Cakes & Pies.

It was a short workweek for many, but the local news scene didn’t take a break. As always, we were out and about covering news and events, even as we finalized our March print magazine. In case you missed any of our coverage, we have it all summarized and linked below.

Commonwealth Monument Project got a step closer to reality this past week, as the planned statue honoring voting rights and Harrisburg history received several big checks. Read about this project, who’s funding it and when it will be unveiled in our web story.

Dauphin County awarded gaming grants to dozens of projects, including several re-development and building efforts in Harrisburg. Find out what got funded in our online news story.

EV charging stations officially debuted this past week in front of the State Museum. Find out how these stations came to be and, if you own an electric vehicle, how to use them in our online news story.

Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra announced a new executive director this past week to replace retiring director Jeff Woodruff. Find out more about the central PA native who will lead the organization.

Just Baked Cakes & Pies opened recently inside of Midtown Scholar Bookstore, offering a line of baked goods, as well as breakfast and lunch items. Learn about the owner and her offerings in our online story.

Michael Doub has amassed a world-class collection of artifacts related to slavery. Find out about this Harrisburg man, what he collects and where you might be able to see some of his items by reading our magazine feature story.

Presidents’ Day was this past week, and we had the perfect accompaniment for the holiday. In his bimonthly column, our wine writer tells us which varieties have received the presidential seal of approval.

Sara Bozich has some great ideas for your weekend, including attending Friday’s 3rd in the Burg. From music to theater to special events, you’ll find something fun to do on her long list.

St. Stephen’s Episcopal Cathedral will hold an unconventional special event this weekend: a silent movie with live organ music. Find out about the movie, the organist and all the event details from our February magazine story.

Tri Asian Taste has quickly garnered a following as a go-to restaurant on the West Shore. Find out about their unique offerings, with emphasis on a lesser-known Asian cuisine, from our magazine feature.

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