Discovering bridges that received awards from the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) from 1928 to 2009 is easy with a detailed spreadsheet of all 315 award winners, available online from the University of Memphis, Dept. of Civil Engineering. Continue reading
“The Society for Commercial Archeology (SCA) conference in Wildwood on September 26-29 will feature tours and papers highlighting the largest collection of mid-century resort architecture in the United States. Tours will offer an opportunity to contrast cultural landscapes from the “Doo Wop” resort era of the 1950s and 1960s with nineteenth-century seaside tourism sites like Cape May. SCA recognizes the unique historical significance of the 20th-century commercial built environment and cultural landscapes of North America, emphasizing the impact of the automobile and the commercial process. Continue reading
Rare wrought-iron bridge installed at new site on Gateway Trail
The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) has shared a new video of this recently completed project on its Facebook page, showing details that can inspire and guide others who are planning to relocate a truss bridge for trail use. This rare wrought-iron truss bridge, now located on the Gateway State Trail near Stillwater, was originally built in the 1870s and functioned for years on a state highway in northern Minnesota. Continue reading
This study provides state departments of transportation (DOTs), preservation advocates, and cultural resource and engineering professionals with an enhanced understanding of historic bridge practices nationwide. The goal of the 2008 study was to inform the national dialogue about historic bridge preservation and encourage continued management of significant structures that represent the nation’s engineering history.
The attached report was prepared by Mead & Hunt in cooperation with the Historic Bridge Alliance based on the results of a national survey of state DOTs, FHWA Division Offices, and SHPOs about historic bridge programs. This study helps states put their historic bridge preservation efforts into the national perspective.
The Transportation Research Board (TRB) ADC50 Committee on Historic and Archaeological Preservation is partnering with the Pennsylvania Statewide Conference on Heritage for their annual summer meeting. The joint conference will be July 15-19 in Downtown Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
The conference will feature workshops, sessions and speakers from the historic preservation, archaeological, heritage tourism, transportation, legislative, and planning communities, as well as tours.
Mead & Hunt historians, Emily Pettis and Amy Squitieri, will be presenting results from recent projects involving the evaluation of Post-World War II residential properties and historic roads. You can find out more and register for the conference at: www.pennbyways.org.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently introduced NEPAssist as part of a White House initiative directed toward increased efficiency and effectiveness of environmental reviews. NEPAssist, a web-based mapping tool, was developed for Federal agencies to facilitate environmental reviews and project planning. Continue reading
The next National Register of Historic Places Program webinar will focus on Historic Contexts. The webinar is titled – Context, Context, Context and will be presented on May 15thfrom 1-3 pm (EST) by NPS historian Paul Lusignan. Continue reading
Last Saturday, historians and cultural resource professionals met at the National Council of Public History/Organization of American Historians conference to discuss historic roads and how to advance their understanding, preservation and public interpretation. Although all those professionals who submitted a case study were not able to attend, the conversation was lively and addressed the importance of the road’s setting, application of National Register Criteria, the need for more tools to assist in evaluation, and ways to engage the public.
In particular, we were all interested in Alicia Barber’s oral history project on former U.S. 40 and previous route of the Lincoln Highway that is being sponsored by the county’s transportation agency. Her oral histories are informing the planning process by engaging folks who may not attend typical stakeholder meetings and providing feedback gathered in a non-traditional way to be considered in the development and preservation of the roadway. In addition, the oral histories provide historical background and a record of the use of the road and its role in the community that can be used in interpretative programs.
To hear more about issues professionals are encountering with historic roads see the case studies.
Also to follow the dialogue on key themes and questions raised in the case studies, see my initial blog post.
The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) used Earth Day to share the many ways its State DOT members are protecting the environment by reducing, reusing and recycling materials, as well as conserving energy. John Horsley, AASHTO executive director, said “Earth Day is an excellent time to draw attention to the many state DOT success stories that might otherwise go untold.” Continue reading
From Reid Nelson Director, Office of Federal Agency Programs Advisory Council on Historic Preservation
The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) is preparing to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) in 2016. An important part of this celebration will include the collection of “106 Success Stories” that illustrate how Section 106 of the NHPA has been used to engage people in the discussion about protecting historic properties that matter most to them. These stories will provide examples of how federal agencies have used the Section 106 process to protect historic properties, improve federal planning, and raise awareness of the benefits of historic preservation. Continue reading
Past & present
