Of interest

 Lists all carriage dealers and makers throughout PA in 1898.

http://www.carriagemuseumlibrary.org/penn_carriage_makers.htm

The Morning Call   Tuesday – March 7, 2006

By Randy Kraft of the Morning Call

State misses its old barns

Historical structures are disappearing as fast as farms.  Legislature wants inventory.

            Old barns are vanishing from Pennsylvania’s landscape.

            The rural landmarks, some standing for 200 years or more, are being demolished as farmland is gobbled up for housing developments, shopping centers and warehouses.  Others are crumbling after decades of neglect.

            “We don’t know how fast they are disappearing, but we know they are going fast,” said Carol Lee, National Registrar coordinator with the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission.

            As a first step toward preserving them monuments to Pennsylvania’s agricultural heritage, the state Legislature wants a statewide inventory taken to find out how many historical barns are out there. The legislature has urged the Agriculture Department and Pennsylvania Historical and museum Commission to do the inventory and issue a report on their progress by November 30.  Initially, farmers and other barn owners will be asked to fill out surveys about barns built before the mid-1960’s.

Anyone interested in participating in the statewide barn survey can write: Center for Rural Pennsylvania, 200 N.Third Street, Suite 600, Harrisburg, Pa  17101, or call (717) 787-9555, or email: info@ruralpa.org

Randy.kraft@mcall.com   (610) 820-6557.