Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission (PHMC) is reminding individuals, public agencies and private organizations that December 1, 2018, is the final date for submitting nominations for properties or locations with statewide or national historical significance for consideration in the State Historical Marker Program for 2019.
Since 1914 PHMC’s historical markers have chronicled the people, places and events that have affected the lives of Pennsylvanians over the centuries. The more than 2,500 markers feature a multitude of noteworthy subjects such as Native Americans and settlers, government and politics, athletes, entertainers, artists, struggles for freedom and equality, and factories and businesses.
Subjects of 17 markers approved in 2018 include African American sprinter Barney Ewell, who won a gold and two silver medals in the 1948 Olympics; Isaac and Dinah Mendenhall, Quaker abolitionists who were active with the Underground Railroad, collaborating with Thomas Garrett and Harriet Tubman; D. T. Watson Home for Crippled Children, the facility at which patients were first to receive the Salk polio vaccine; Lois Weber, the first American woman film director and a pioneer in early filmmaking; the Philadelphia Flower Show; and the Slinky toy.
One of PHMC’s most visible public history initiatives, the marker program brings together nominators, PHMC representatives, public officials, and local residents to dedicate and celebrate the installation of each new marker with a public ceremony.
Applicants are responsible for the costs of marker fabrication and installation. The approximate cost, including shipping, for the larger roadside marker is $2,060; the smaller city-type is approximately $1,620. Nominators or sponsoring organizations are asked to carefully consider these expenses before submitting an application.
Nominations should be submitted by December 1, 2018. Send completed nominations to State Historical Marker Program, Pennsylvania State Historic Preservation Office, PHMC, 400 North St., Second Floor, Harrisburg, PA 17120-0053.
Inquiries about submitting nominations for evaluation or the marker program in general should be directed to Karen Galle, program coordinator, at the same postal address; by e-mail to kgalle@pa.gov; or by telephone at 717-705-4266.
The Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission is the official history agency of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Media contact: Howard Pollman, 717-705-8639
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