The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC) is the governmental agency of the

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, Ma ...

responsible for the collection, conservation and interpretation of Pennsylvania's historic heritage. The commission cares for historical manuscripts, public records, and objects of historic interest; museums; archeology; publications; historic sites and properties; historic preservation; geographic names; and the promotion of public interest in Pennsylvania history. PHMC was established June 6, 1945, by state Act No. 446, merging the Pennsylvania Historical Commission (PHC), Pennsylvania State Museum and

Pennsylvania State Archives The Pennsylvania State Archives is the official archive for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, administered as part of the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. Located at 350 North Street in the state capital of Harrisburg, it is a part o ...

. The commission is an independent administrative board, consisting of nine citizens of the Commonwealth appointed by the

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

; the

Secretary of Education An education ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for education. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of Education, Department of Education, and Ministry of Pub ...

ex officio; two members of the Senate appointed by the President Pro Tempore and Minority Leader; and two members of the House of Representatives appointed by the Speaker and Minority Leader. As of March 2019, the chairman is Nancy Moses and the executive director is Andrea Lowery. PHMC Commissioners as of March 2019 are Ophelia M. Chambliss, Andrew E. Dinniman, Senator, William V. Lewis, Robert Matzie, Representative; Fredrick C. Powell, Pedro Rivera (ex officio, Secretary of Education), Robert M. Savakinus, Joseph B. Scarnati III, Senator, David Schuyler, Ph.D., Kenneth C. Turner, Parke Wentling, Representative; Philip D. Zimmermann. PHMC Mission: The PHMC works in partnership with others to preserve the Commonwealth's natural and cultural heritage as a steward, teacher and advocate for the people of Pennsylvania and the nation. PHMC Vision: The PHMC enriches people's lives by helping them to understand Pennsylvania's past, to appreciate the present, and to embrace the future.

Historical marker program

The PHMC administers the Historical Marker Program, which when it began in 1914, installed metal plaques onto large rocks and boulders to commemorate individuals, events, and landmarks throughout the state. The program was launched by the Pennsylvania Historical Commission, the predecessor to the PHMC. The markers were redesigned in 1945–46 to make them easier to read from a passing car. Large cast aluminum markers were mounted on poles along a street or road, close to where a landmark was located, a person lived or worked, or an event occurred. By 2020, more than 2,000 markers were in place and were being maintained by the PHMC. The PHMC has posted criteria for inclusion for new markers and accepts marker proposals from the public.

''Pennsylvania Heritage''

PHMC also publishes
Pennsylvania Heritage
' magazine in conjunction with the

Pennsylvania Heritage Foundation The Pennsylvania Heritage Foundation (PHF) is a non-profit partner of the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC), the official history agency of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), offic ...

List of PHMC administered sites in Pennsylvania

Brandywine Battlefield Brandywine Battlefield Historic Site is a National Historical Landmark. The historic park is owned and operated by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, on , near Chadds Ford, Delaware County, Pennsylvania in the United States. It is ...

Cornwall Iron Furnace Cornwall Iron Furnace is a designated National Historic Landmark that is administered by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission in Cornwall, Lebanon County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The furnace was a leading Pennsylvania ir ...

Drake Well Museum The Drake Well Museum and Park is a museum that interprets the birth of the American oil industry in 1859 by "Colonel" Edwin Drake along the banks of Oil Creek in Cherrytree Township, Venango County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The museu ...

Eckley Miners' Village Eckley Miners' Village in eastern Pennsylvania is an anthracite coal mining patch town located in Foster Township, Pennsylvania. Since 1970, Eckley has been owned and operated as a museum by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. Hi ...

Ephrata Cloister The Ephrata Cloister or Ephrata Community was a Intentional community, religious community, established in 1732 by Conrad Beissel, Johann Conrad Beissel at Ephrata, Pennsylvania, Ephrata, in what is now Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, Lancaster ...

Erie Maritime Museum Erie Maritime Museum is a maritime museum located on Presque Isle Bay which rests on the waterfront in downtown Erie, Pennsylvania. It is managed by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission ( PHMC). When it opened its doors on May 21, 19 ...

Landis Valley Museum The Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum is a 100-acre living history museum located on the site of a former rural crossroads village in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Founded by brothers Henry K. Landis and George Landis in 1925 and incorporated in ...

Old Economy Village Old Economy Village is a historic settlement in Ambridge, Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States. Administered by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, it lies on the banks of the Ohio River and is surrounded by downtown Ambrid ...

Pennsbury Manor Pennsbury Manor is the colonial estate of William Penn, founder and proprietor of the Colony of Pennsylvania, who lived there from 1699 to 1701. He left it and returned to England in 1701, where he died penniless in 1718. Following his departur ...

Pennsylvania Anthracite Heritage Museum The Pennsylvania Anthracite Heritage Museum preserves the heritage of anthracite coal mining in the U.S. State In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, e ...

Pennsylvania Lumber Museum The Pennsylvania Lumber Museum is near Galeton, Potter County, Pennsylvania in the United States. It documents the history and technology of the lumber industry that was a vital part of the economic development and ecological destruction of Penns ...

Pennsylvania Military Museum The Pennsylvania Military Museum is a museum dedicated to the military history of Pennsylvania. It is operated by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission and opened in . The Museum is located in the village of Boalsburg, Centre County, ...

Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania The Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania is a railroad museum in Strasburg, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. The museum is located on the east side of Strasburg along Pennsylvania Route 741. It is administered by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museu ...

Scranton Iron Furnaces The Scranton Iron Furnaces is a historic site that preserves the heritage of iron making in the U.S. State of Pennsylvania and is located in Scranton, near the Steamtown National Historic Site. It protects the remains of four stone blast furnac ...

*The State Museum of Pennsylvania

Partnered Properties

Bushy Run Battlefield Bushy Run Battlefield Park is a historical park that is operated by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC) and thBushy Run Battlefield Heritage Societyon in Penn Township, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania in the United States ...

Conrad Weiser Homestead The Conrad Weiser Homestead was the home of Johann Conrad Weiser, who enlisted the Iroquois on the British side in the French and Indian War. The home is located near Womelsdorf, Berks County, Pennsylvania in the United States. A designated Na ...

Daniel Boone Homestead The Daniel Boone Homestead, the birthplace of American frontiersman Daniel Boone, is a museum and historic house that is administered by the Friends of the Daniel Boone Homestead near Birdsboro in Berks County, Pennsylvania. It is located o ...

Fort Pitt Museum Fort Pitt Museum is an indoor/outdoor museum that is administered by the Senator John Heinz History Center in downtown Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania in the United States. It is at the confluence of the Monongahela and Allegheny Rivers ...

Graeme Park Graeme Park is an historic site and National Historic Landmark at 859 County Line Road in Horsham, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. It is owned by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission and operated by the non-profit group, The Frien ...

* Hope Lodge *

Joseph Priestley House The Joseph Priestley House was the American home of 18th-century British theologian, Dissenting clergyman, natural philosopher (and discoverer of oxygen), educator, and political theorist Joseph Priestley (1733–1804) from 1798 until his death. ...

* Somerset Historical Center * U.S. Brig Niagara

Placed Property Program

* Curtin Village at Eagle Ironworks Historical Site *

French Azilum French Azilum (french: Asile français) was a planned settlement built in 1793 in Bradford County, Pennsylvania for French refugees fleeing the French Revolution and slave uprisings in Saint-Domingue. Several influential Philadelphians, including ...

The Highlands Highland is a broad term for areas of higher elevation, such as a mountain range or mountainous plateau. Highland, Highlands, or The Highlands, may also refer to: Places Albania * Dukagjin Highlands Armenia * Armenian Highlands Australia *Sou ...

* Mather Mill * Old Chester Court House *

Peace Church Peace churches are Christian churches, groups or communities advocating Christian pacifism or Biblical nonresistance. The term historic peace churches refers specifically only to three church groups among pacifist churches: * Church of the Brethr ...

Transferred: DCNR

Washington Crossing Historic Park Washington Crossing Historic Park is a 500-acre (2 km2) state park operated by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources in partnership with the Friends of Washington Crossing Park. The park is divided into two sectio ...

References

External links

Trails of History
{{authority control 1945 establishments in Pennsylvania Government agencies established in 1945 Pennsylvania state historical markers State agencies of Pennsylvania State history organizations of the United States