Education Resources

Education Resources for Kids

Teaching with Historic Places
The National Park Service provides sample lesson plans and professional development materials, helping students connect history with their own lives.

History and Culture
The National Park Service also provides a variety of other educational materials on its History and Culture site, including materials for kids, teachers, travelers, and others.

Economic Benefits of Historic Preservation

Much research has been conducted demonstrating the benefits of historic preservation on property values and tax revenues, plus benefits to businesses housed in historic structures. The National Trust for Historic Preservation researched these 12 Economic Benefits of Historic Preservation as a starting point.

Please also read the document Considering the Repair, Retrofit and Replacement of Historic Windows created by Preservation Pennsylvania in 2016.

Additionally please view the Leimenstoll Property Values Study created in 2014.

CCHPN Education Workshop Resources

2017 Spring Workshop: Working Effectively In Your Community

Historic Preservation Planning: Working for You

Karen S. Marshall
Heritage Preservation Coordinator, Planning Services Division, CCPC
Overview
Ms. Marshall is the county historic preservation officer for state and federal projects within Chester County. She encourages historic preservation projects to enhance interpretation and heritage planning throughout Chester County in keeping with the goals for historic resources in Landscapes2, the county comprehensive plan. The technical assistance she provides to municipalities and the public includes guidance related to: education and outreach programs highlighting area history; historic resource protection; historic resource surveys and documentation; historical commission organizational development and membership recruitment, National Register nominations; Section 106 and local ordinance application guidance; and historic structures reports and impact studies.

Role of the SHPO & PHMC

Shelby Splain
Education and Outreach Coordinator, PHMC
Overview
Shelby Weaver Splain is the Education and Outreach Coordinator for the Pennsylvania State Historic Preservation Office. Shelby is a native of Bucks County and holds a Master's degree in Historic Preservation Planning from Cornell University and a Bachelor of Arts with Honors in Historic Preservation degree from Goucher College. Before joining the PA SHPO in 2014, Ms. Splain worked as a private practice preservation consultant for 16 years specializing in historic tax credit consulting, National Register nominations, and Historic Structures Reports.

State Codes & Preservation Ordinances: Basic Guidelines

Jeannine Speirs
Senior Community Planner, Planning Services Division, CCPC
Overview
Ms. Speirs provides professional planning consulting services related to comprehensive plans, zoning and subdivision/land development ordinances, and special projects. In this role, she is responsible for authoring materials and providing technical assistance to client municipalities, as well as monitoring municipal planning contracts under the county’s VPP program. She also serves as the Planning Commission historic preservation planner providing assistance to staff, other county departments, municipalities, consultants, partners, and the public on historic preservation planning issues and projects. She has worked extensively with the Brandywine Battlefield Task Force, and working on battlefield strategic landscape conservation and interpretation plans through funding by the National Park Service.

What is a Historic Resource & How Do You Document & Defend It

Wade P. Catts, MA, RPA
Regional Director, Commonwealth Heritage Group, West Chester Office
Overview
Wade Catts is a Registered Professional Archeologist (RPA) with 35 years of cultural resource management experience. His cultural resources experience includes archaeological and historical investigations, preservation and interpretive planning, geophysical and GIS studies, historical reports, and determinations of National Register eligibility. Extensive public outreach and public engagement are additional skill sets. He is a nationally-recognized historian and historical archeologist with research interests in the history of farmsteads and agricultural landscapes, urban development, military history and archeology, environmental history, African-American studies, and Middle Atlantic regional history and historic preservation. In 2016 he received the Archibald Crozier Award for distinguished achievement in and contributions to archaeology from the Archaeological Society of Delaware. Wade is currently completing a book on the history and archaeology of the Battle of Cooch’s Bridge, Delaware’s only Revolutionary War engagement.

Historic Preservation Planning Projects

Seth B. Hinshaw
Senior Preservation Planner, RGA, Inc.
Overview
RGA, Inc., provides professional historic resource protection planning and cultural resource management services to local governments, land planners, developers, attorneys, engineers, and individuals. Seth Hinshaw’s extensive experience Historic Resource Surveys; Historic Structures Reports; Historic Resource Impact Studies; National Register Nominations; Conservation Easement Inspections; Municipal Planning Assistance Subdivision/Land Development Review; Site Interpretation, etc. throughout southeastern Pennsylvania, New Jersey, etc. Specific specialties include property, genealogical, and municipal research, architectural and historic documentation, on-site analysis of historic resources, professional-quality measured drawings, managing PHMC-produced municipal databases of historic properties, and overall computer management of a variety of historic preservation planning projects.

Both Sides of the Table: Effective Meetings

David D. Ward, AICP
Assistant Director, CCPC
Overview
David serves as the assistant director of the Chester County Planning Commission for the County of Chester, Pennsylvania. His work responsibilities have been devoted to managing the department’s work program and budget in the fastest growing county in Pennsylvania. He managed the preparation of the Landscapes2, the county comprehensive plan. Mr. Ward has also worked as a training consultant with the Pennsylvania Municipal Planning Education Institute (PMPEI) and previously served as a private planning consultant in his own firm.

The New East Pikeland Model: Local Preservation Planning

James B. Garrison, RA
Architect and Author
Overview
James Garrison is an architect and author with over thirty years in the profession and several books to his credit. The majority of his professional work has been in historic preservation, adaptive re-use and new buildings designed in traditional styles. The projects have included many National Historic Landmarks including several state Capitols and noteworthy institutional campuses. His work has received national, state and local awards from architectural and preservation organizations. His interest in architectural design and building technology also informs his writing and lecturing on architecture and local history in the middle Atlantic region. Recent books include a monograph on the domestic work of John Russell Pope, a survey of early 20th century houses in the Philadelphia region and a pictorial monograph about traditional houses of southeastern Pennsylvania. Recently he has moved from historic preservation architectural practice to corporate real estate and facilities management. He continues to be active in local and regional preservation matters while writing and lecturing.

2011 Spring Workshop: Section 106 Review

An Introduction to the Section 106 Review Process Handout of the ACHP Presentation (filesize: 397K)

For additional information, visit the website of the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation

2010 Fall Presentation

Maintaining Historic Buildings (PDF filesize: 1MB)

2010 Workshop: Green Preservation

Sustainability and Historic Resources (PDF file)
Green Building Basics and LEED(PDF file)

Materials from the Brandywine Conservancy:
    Community Sustainability Assessment(PDF file)
    Sustainability Resources for Municipalities(PDF file)
    Sustainability Tips For Municipal Operations(PDF file)

2009 Workshop:

Grants, Grant-writing, and Fundraising Essentials, handouts in pdf (filesize: 642KB)

2007 Workshop:

Historic Resource Impact Studies (PDF filesize: 8MB)