Historic American Engineering Record in Pennsylvania

Historic American Engineering Record in Pennsylvania
Name	Historic American Engineering Record in Pennsylvania
Location	Pennsylvania, United States
Established	1969
Governing body	National Park Service
Type	Documentation program

Historic American Engineering Record in Pennsylvania is the collection of large-format photographs, measured drawings, and written histories produced for Pennsylvania projects by the Historic American Engineering Record program administered by the National Park Service. The Pennsylvania documentation complements federal initiatives such as the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 and interacts with state institutions like the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission and university repositories including the University of Pennsylvania and the Carnegie Mellon University archives.

Overview

HAER work in Pennsylvania captures engineering achievements across regions such as Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Harrisburg, Allentown, and Erie and documents structures associated with the Pennsylvania Railroad, the Erie Canal (Pennsylvania) legacy, and industrial complexes tied to the Anthracite Coal Region and the Bituminous Coalfields of Pennsylvania. The collection emphasizes built works by firms and individuals including Alexander Graham Bell-era telecommunications installations, engineering firms such as Bollman Truss Company projects, and designers connected to the American Society of Civil Engineers. HAER Pennsylvania records intersect with preservation groups like Preservation Pennsylvania and academic programs at Lehigh University, Penn State University, and Drexel University.

History of HAER Documentation in Pennsylvania

HAER began documenting Pennsylvania sites in the 1970s following national surveys spurred by the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 and infrastructure modernization affecting bridges, canals, and mills. Early Pennsylvania campaigns recorded works related to the Pennsylvania Canal, the Allegheny Portage Railroad, and industrial complexes of the Steel Industry in Homestead, Pennsylvania and Bethlehem Steel. Notable collaborators included the Library of Congress, the Historic American Buildings Survey, and the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Subsequent decades saw targeted surveys tied to programs like the Interstate Highway Program mitigations, cooperative projects with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, and thematic studies on railroads such as the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad corridors and the Reading Railroad terminals.

Notable Recorded Structures and Sites

HAER Pennsylvania documentation covers a spectrum from mill complexes to bridges, tunnels, and transportation hubs. Key recorded subjects include the Hawkins Boiler Works-era plants, the Piney Creek Railroad Bridge-type spans, and urban infrastructure such as the Philadelphia and Reading Terminal and the Pennsylvania Station (Pittsburgh). The archives include records for the Eddystone Arsenal munitions facilities, the Sloss Furnaces-style ironworks influence, and waterworks tied to the Schuylkill River development. Railroad heritage entries document Pennsylvania Railroad Station, Altoona, Horseshoe Curve, and Conrail-era yards; canal-related surveys include the Lehigh Canal and remnants of the Delaware and Hudson Canal. Industrial architecture subjects include Bethlehem Steel Plant, Homestead Steel Works, and the Cambria Iron Company complexes, while bridge engineering examples feature the Bridge in Bucks County, lift bridges on the Delaware River, and truss designs by firms like Bollman Truss Company. Urban engineering works represented include the Frankford Avenue Bridge, trolley infrastructure tied to the Philadelphia Transportation Company, and riverine navigation structures associated with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers projects on the Allegheny River.

Methodology and Survey Practices in Pennsylvania

HAER teams in Pennsylvania follow standards established by the National Park Service and the American Society of Civil Engineers for large-format photography, measured drawings, and historical reports. Fieldwork frequently involves partnerships with institutions such as the Franklin Institute, the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, and state agencies like the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission for oral histories tied to sites including mills, rail yards, and shipyards. Documentation projects adhere to guidelines influenced by the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Archaeology and Historic Preservation and coordinate with salvage and mitigation activities under laws like the National Environmental Policy Act. Photographers and draughtsmen trained in techniques from archives such as the Library of Congress compile multi-sheet drawing sets, photographic negatives, and HAER-formatted narratives for submission to federal repositories.

Impact on Preservation and Cultural Heritage

HAER’s Pennsylvania corpus has informed National Register nominations to the National Register of Historic Places, influenced adaptive reuse decisions in cities like Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, and supported heritage tourism tied to corridors such as the Delaware Canal State Park and the Pennsylvania Route 6 Heritage Corridor. Documentation has aided litigation and advocacy by groups including the National Trust for Historic Preservation and regional preservation nonprofits, enabling rehabilitation of structures by stakeholders such as the The Heinz Endowments and local historical societies like the Allegheny County Historical Society. Educational use of the HAER collections enhances curricula at the University of Pittsburgh and the Pennsylvania State University, and informs exhibits at institutions such as the Smithsonian Institution and the National Museum of Industrial History.

Access to HAER Collections and Archives

HAER Pennsylvania records are accessible through federal and state repositories including the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division, regional archives at the Pennsylvania State Archives, and university special collections at Lehigh University, University of Pennsylvania, and Carnegie Mellon University. Researchers can consult measured drawings, large-format photographic prints, and historical reports used by agencies such as the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and municipal planning offices in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. Digital access is facilitated by cataloging initiatives coordinated with the National Archives and Records Administration and collaborative portals maintained by the Historic American Buildings Survey partnership.

Category:Historic American Engineering Record Category:Historic preservation in Pennsylvania