By Brian O’Leary, AICP

Like many planners, I like to explore places around Pennsylvania, which has such fascinating and diverse history. On the Friday after Thanksgiving, my family likes to hike rather than shop, and we usually combine the hiking with stops in downtowns and tours of historic sites. Last year, we visited the Pearl S. Buck National Historic Landmark in Bucks County, which I hadn’t even realized existed before putting together our itinerary.

That’s one of the great things about Pennsylvania – the depth and breadth of our heritage, with many hidden gems and interesting sites wherever you go. Protecting this heritage can be a real challenge, particularly with dramatic economic changes and population shifts. This is one of the reasons we celebrate May as Historic Preservation Month. There are so many reasons to support historic preservation – encouraging economic development, enhancing community character, acknowledging our shared history – but for me, the main reason is the sheer pleasure of immersing oneself in a place and time that is different from our own.

If you’re interested in acknowledging Historic Preservation Month, The National Trust for Historic Preservation has a tool kit you can use, which can be found online.

If you’re interested in doing more about historic preservation, perhaps getting a grant or changing some zoning, you can get more information from the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission.