This is the thirty-eighth diary in my Expanding the National Parks System series of diaries. Prior Diaries are linked below at the bottom of the diary. Last Time I was in Oregon, this time I’m in Pennsylvania. Like with most states East of the Mississippi, Pennsylvania was settled long before the idea of conservation took root, and thus the state does not have much federally protected land- at 2.5%, Pennsylvania is 36th in the country in that metric, slightly ahead of Indiana and Delaware , and slightly behind North Dakota. Currently, Pennsylvania has 1 national forest, 4 wildlife refuges and 21 historic sites and other NPS units. I will propose giving the state its first monuments.
Pennsylvania
Total Area 46 054 sq miles
Land Area 44 743 sq miles
Water Area 1 311 sq miles
Coastline 140 miles
Additional Monuments-3
ADDITIONAL MONUMENTS-3
* Great Lakes Marine Proposed Area 39,000,000 acres or 61000 sq miles(In MN, WI, MI, IL, IN, OH PA and NY) https://sp1.yimg.com/.... The Lakes are shown above in a photo Would Set aside the portions of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron Erie and Ontario within the borders of the Great Lake States (including Pennsylvania) as a marine Monument, protecting the lakes from being drawn off by thirsty states outside of the watersheds, and preventing drilling in the lakes themselves. this action will not apply to the Canadian portions of Superior, Huron, Ontario and Erie, as US monument designations only apply to areas owned by the US.
* Valley Forge Proposed Area 5000 acres
Would redesignate and expand the existing historic park to a monument, to protect the site where Washington and his army spent the bitter winter of 1777. Originally set aside in 1893 as Pennsylvania’s first state park, the state gave the park to the Park Service in 1976 as a gift to mark the Bicentennial. Granting it monument status would honor those who suffered through that dreadful winter nearly 240 years ago, and whose sacrifices helped earn this nation its independence.
* James Buchanan Proposed Area 30 acres
Would set aside areas affiliated with James Buchanan in the state as a monument- particularly the site of his birthplace(now currently a state park) and his former home known as Wheatland. Buchanan is the only president to come from Pennsylvania, and despite his very poor historical standing, deserves to be honored for the services he rendered this country.
EXISTING AREAS
NATIONAL FORESTS-1
* Allegheny Established 1923 Covers 513175 acres
Stretching North to the New York border, Allegheny is the largest area of federally protected land in the state by a large margin. Established in 1923, Allegheny is one of the oldest forests east of the Mississippi . During the Depression, the CCC built recreation areas in the Forest, including Twin Lakes and Loletta. The forest contains 2 wilderness areas, Allegheny Islands-covering 368 acres in th river of the same name- and Hickory Creek covers 8663 acres. the forest is split into two Districts- Bradford and Marienville, and contains two Wild and Scenic rivers — the Allegheny and Clarion rivers.
WILDLIFE REFUGES-4
* Cherry Valley Established 2008 Covers 185 acres
The newest and smallest of the states 4 refuges, Cherry Valley was set aside to conserve wetlands and uplands in Cherry Valley, to provide habitat for migratory birds and other wildlife. the refuge is currently in the process of expansion. the legislation creating the refuge set a boundary of 20,466 acres, nearly 2-3rds of the valleys 30000 acres. the first purchase of land for the refuge happened in 2010. Once all lands have been acquired, Cherry Valley will be the largest refuge in the state
* Erie Established 1959 Covers 8777 acres
The Oldest refuge in the state, Erie is named after the Erie tribe, which lived in western New York, western Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio up until the 1650s when they were defeated in battle by the Iroquois Confederacy. Most of the surviving Erie merged into the Seneca nation, which is why there is no distinct Erie nation today. The refuge is divided into two section- Sugar Lake, which covers around 5200 acres, and Seneca, which covers 3500 acres, with Seneca being about 10 miles north of Sugar Lake. the refuge was declared an Important Birding Area by the Audubon Society, because it provides habitat for over 200 species of birds.
* John Heinz Established 1972 Coves 1200 acres
first protected in 1972 as the Tinicum National Environmental Center, the refuge was created to protected the remnants of Tinicum Marsh, a freshwater marsh which had been developed and drained by settlers in the 1630s. at one time covering 5700 acres, by the 1960s, only 200 acres remained. First set aside as a wild preserve by Philadelphia in 1955, the area was declared a national Natural Landmark in 1965, and in 1972, Congress declared the area a refuge. in 1991, the refuge was renamed John Heinz to honor the former Republican Senator from Pennsylvania after he was killed in a plane crash in 1991.
* Ohio River Islands Established 1990 Covers 3354 acres (In KY, PA and WV)
Consisting of 22 islands along 392 miles of the Ohio River, the refuge lies mostly-85%- in West Virginia. 2 islands(Manchester 1 and 2) lie in Kentucky, and 2 (Georgetown and Phillis) lie in Pennsylvania. the refuge was established to restore areas of the rivers floodplain to a natural state, after years of being used for farming, oil and gas exploration and other uses. Other islands in the river may be added into the refuge in the future.
HISTORIC SITES AND OTHER NPS UNITS-21
* Allegheny Portage Railroad NHS Established 1964 Covers 1296 acres
Set aside in 1964 the historic site conserves the remains of the first railroad to pass through the Appalachian Mountains in the state. Finished in 1834 after 3 years of construction, the railroad was Pennsylvania's answer to the Erie Canal in New York, and the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal and Baltimore and Ohio Railroad in Maryland. in 1854 the completion of a locomotive railroad over the Alleghenies rendered the portage railroad obsolete, and most of the line was abandoned in a few years. the site includes the Staple Bend Tunnel, the first railroad tunnel in the US. over 100000 people visited the site in 2009.
* Allegheny NRA Established 1984 Covers 23100 acres
Located within Allegheny national Forest, the NRA was created in 1984 as part of the Pennsylvania Wilderness Act. the refuge covers three separate areas, and is divided into two districts, one on the west bank of the Allegheny River, and the other in the Allegheny Reservoir near Kinzua Dam.
* Benjamin Franklin NM Established 1972 Covers 1 acre
An Affiliated site managed by Independence Hall NHP, the memorial consists of a 20 foot tall statue of a seated Franklin. the statue was sculpted between 1906 and 1911 by James Earle Fraser, who also designed the Indian head Nickel. Unlike most memorials, Benjamin Franklin is not listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
* Blue Marsh NRA Established 1979 Covers 6147 acres
Created from the damming of Tulpehocken Creek, Blue Marsh Lake is named after the former town that stood where the lake is today. the RA consists of 5000 acres of land and 1147 acres of open water.
* Delaware Water Gap NRA Established 1965 Covers 70000 acres (in NJ and PA) upload.wikimedia.org/...
Silver Threads Falls, part of the NRA, is seen above Straddling the Delaware River along the NJ-PA border, the RA is roughly split evenly area-wise, between New Jersey and Pennsylvania. It is managed by the Park Service. the 40 miles of the Delaware River within the NRA is managed as the Middle Delaware NSR. nearly 5 million people visited the NRA in 2011.
* Edgar Allen Poe NHS Established 1980 Covers 5 acres
Conserving the last surviving house that Edgar Allen Poe lived in during his 7 years in Philadelphia, the NHS is affiliated with Independence Hall NHP. Poe lived in the home for roughly a year from early 1843 until April of 1844, and which of his works were written in the home are up for debate, but ‘A Tale of the Ragged Mountains’ was probably written during this period. After Poe moved out, several other families owned the building until 1933, when Richard Gimbel, son of the founder of Gimbels Department stores, bought it. Gimbel was an avid fan of Poe and began restoring the house and turned it into a museum.The Park Service started overseeing the property in 1978 and reopened it to the public in 1980.
*Eisenhower NHS Established 1967 Covers 691 acres
Consists of the home and farm of former President Eisenhower, the historic site is located outside Gettysburg, within view of the battlefield. Eisenhower bought the property in 1950, which originally included many old buildings dating back to the 18th and 19th centuries. Eisenhower donated the home to the Park Service in 1967 on condition he and his wife Mamie be allowed to live at the home until their deaths. Eisenhower died in 1969 at age 78. Mamie died in 1979 at the age of 82. the Park Service opened the site to the public in 1980. over 60000 people visited the site in 2010.
* Friendship Hill NHS Established 1978 Covers 675 acres
Set aside in 1978, Friendship Hill conserves the home of Albert Gallantin, who served as Secretary of the Treasury from 1801-1814, the longest period anyone has held that position. Gallantin also served as Senator and a Representative from Pennsylvania, despite his being born in Geneva in what is now Switzerland. Friendship Hill was first built in 1789, then added on to over the next few decades, four of the 7 sections were built by Gallantin or his son Albert Rolaz Gallantin. the others were added on by later owners. the House was declared an historic landmark in 1965 and was designated an historic site in 1978, and is managed by the staff at Fort Necessity Battlefield. 25000 people visited the site in 2006.
* Flight 93 NM Established 2002 Covers 2200 acres
Created after 9-11 to honor the passengers of Flight 93, who overpowered the plane hijackers and caused the plane to crash rather than let it reach its target- which was probably the US Capitol Building-, the Memorial was opened to the public in 2011, and regularly gets 300000 visitors a year.
* Fort Necessity NB Established 1931 Covers 903 acres
Established on the site of Fort Necessity, which was surrendered to the French on July 3 1754 by a young George Washington. the French, upon occupying the fort , burned it to the ground.the fort onsite today is a reconstruction. Washington later bought the area around the fort and a tavern was built in the 1830s. in 1931 the fort was declared a National Battlefield Site under the War Department. in 1933 it was transferred to the Park Service and became a national battlefield.
* Gettysburg NMP Established 1895 Covers 3985 acres
Site of one of the most famous battles of the Civil War, as well as President Lincoln’s legendary address, the park was established in 1895 and managed at first by the War Department, then was transferred along with all other military parks to the Park Service in 1933. the park has undergone a number of border adjustments over the years. 3 million people visit the park each year.
* Gloria Dei (Old Swedes) Church NHS Established 1942 Covers 3.7 acres
the oldest church in Pennsylvania, the church was built between 1698 and 1700 (only Holy Trinity in DE is older), and was listed as national historic site in 1942 as an affiliated site with the Park Service. the site is managed by Independence Hall NHP.
* Grey Towers Established 1963 Covers 102 acres
Home to Gifford Pinchot, the first director of the Forest Service, Grey Towers is the only historic site managed by the Forest Service. Pinchot lived in the house until his death at age 81 in 1946. Pinchot also served two terms as governor of Pennsylvania.
*Hopewell Furnace NHS Established 1938 Covers 848 acres
An Iron Plantation that operated for over 100 years, Hopewell Furnace exemplifies iron-making in rural areas in the early 19th century. like many other locations , Hopewell Furnace used charcoal to make iron, since charcoal was readily available from the forested areas of the state. The change to anthracite coal in the middle of the 1800s rendered charcoal furnaces obsolete. Hopewell closed down in 1883. the area was declared an historic site in 1938 and many of the buildings have been restored to look as they did in the 1800s. nearly 50000 people visited the site in 2005.
* Independence Hall NHP Established 1948 Covers 55 acres
Conserving several structures related to the founding of this country, the park conserves iconic landmarks like Independence Hall, where both the Declaration of Independence and Constitution were drafted, debated and ratified, and the Liberty Bell, which stands across the street from Independence Hall. Philadelphia served as the seat of Congress during the Revolution (1775-83) and was the nations capital from 1790-1800, when it was moved to Washington DC. Congress declared Independence Hall a national historic park in 1948, and the park was listed as a World Heritage Site in 1979. Over 3.5 million people visited the park in 2011.
* Johnstown Flood NM Established 1964 Covers 164 acres
Conserves portions of the South Fork Dam, which broke on May 31 1889 and caused the Johnstown Flood, which killed 2209 people. The Flood ended up changing American law, as efforts by the survivors to gain compensation from the hunting club who owned the dam were fruitless under existing law at that time, and state courts afterwards started invoking an 1868 English ruling- Rylands vs Fletcher- which held that that a defendant could be held liable for damages caused by unnatural use of land, and a precursor to strict liability,where a person can be held financially responsible for damages caused by their action or inaction. the flood caused 17 million in damages (450m in today’s dollars). Congress created the memorial out of the remains of the dam and the former lakebed in 1964. Over 100000 people visited the site in 2005.
* Middle Delaware NSR Established 1978 Covers 25600 acres (in NJ and PA) the NSR preserves the portion of the Delaware River that flows through the Delaware Water Gap NRA. established alongside the NRA in 1978, Middle Delaware preserves 40 river miles, and is managed by the Park Service.
* Steamtown NHS Established 1986 Covers 62 acres
Created by Congress in 1986, Steamtown preserves Steamtown USA a steam engine museum located on the site of the the former Delaware Lackawanna&Western Railroad which ran from 1851-1960. the museum was created from the collection of F Nelson Blount, who first set up his museum in new Hampshire in 1963 then moved to Vermont in 1964. Blount died in 1967 in an aircraft accident, and the museum moved to Scranton in 1984 before the federal government stepped in to preserve the collection. Over 100000 people visited the site in 2005.
* Thaddeus Kosciuscko NM Established 1972 Covers 0.02 acre
Preserves the house where Revolutionary War hero Thaddeus Kosciuscko lived in Philadelphia in 1796. the site is the smallest existing site in the Park Service at 0.02 acre. the house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1970 and was declared a National Memorial in 1972.
* Upper Delaware SR Established 1978 Covers 55575 acres (in NY and PA) Lying on the border between New York and Pennsylvania, the scenic River including 3 counties in New York and two in Pennsylvania and includes the remains of the Delaware and Hudson Canal, which operated from 1828-98, the Zane Grey Museum(former home to the author) and the Roebling Bridge, the oldest wire suspension bridge in the country (built in 1849 as a aqueduct). over 250000 people visited the site in 2005.
*Valley Forge NHP Established 1976 Covers 3466 acres
First protected as a state park in 1893 (the first state park in the state), Valley Forge became part of the Park Service in 1976 as an historic park. The Site conserves the camp where Washington and his troops spent the winter of 1777, widely considered one of the low points in the Revolution for the Continental Army. the park got 1.3 million visitors in 2011.
This concludes my look at Pennsylvania. Next Time I’ll be in Rhode Island, the smallest state in the Union. As Always. comments and input are welcome. See you in the comments!
Prior Diaries
1.Alabama http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/10/02/1243412/--Expanding-National-Park-System-1-Alabama
2 Alaska http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/10/09/1245427/-Expanding-the-National-Park-System-2-Alaska
3 Arizona http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/10/23/1247503/-Expanding-the-National-Park-System-3-Arizona
4 Arkansas http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/10/30/1251319/-Expandng-the-National-Park-System-4-Arkansas 5 California http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/11/13/1253027/-Expanding-the-National-Park-System-5-California 6 Colorado http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/11/20/1255469/-Expanding-the-National-Park-System-6-Colorado 7 Connecticut http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/12/04/1259648/-Expanding-the-National-Parks-System-7-Connecticut
8 Delaware http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/12/11/1261227/-Expanding-the-National-Park-System-8-Delaware 9 Florida http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/12/24/1263220/-Expanding-the-National-Park-System-9-Florida
10 Georgia http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/01/14/1267376/-Expanding-the-National-Park-System-10-Georgia 11 Hawaii http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/02/07/1272832/-Expanding-the-National-Parks-System-11-Hawaii 12 Idaho http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/03/09/1280257/-Expanding-the-National-Parks-System-12-Idaho
13 Illinois http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/03/13/1280256/-Expanding-the-National-Parks-System-13-Illinois 14 Indiana http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/03/19/1285004/-Expanding-the-National-Parks-System-14-Indiana 15 Iowa http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/03/27/1286741/-Expanding-the-National-Parks-System-15-Iowa
16 Kansas http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/03/31/1288153/-Expanding-the-National-Parks-System-16-Kansas 17 Kentucky http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/04/11/1289523/--Expanding-the-National-Parks-System-17-Kentucky
18 Louisiana http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/04/23/1293116/-Expanding-the-National-Park-System-18-Louisiana
19 Maine http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/05/21/1294652/-Expanding-the-National-Park-System-19-Maine
20 Maryland http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/08/20/1302283/-Expanding-the-National-Park-System-20-Maryland
21 Massachusetts http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/09/15/1323356/-Expanding-the-National-Parks-System-21-Massachusetts
22 Michigan http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/10/16/1330047/-Expanding-the-National-Parks-System-22-Michigan
23 Minnesota http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/12/16/1344656/-Expanding-the-National-Parks-System-23-Minnesota
24 Mississippi http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/12/26/1352277/--Expanding-the-National-Parks-System-24-Mississippi
25 Missouri http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/12/31/1354279/--Expanding-the-National-Parks-System-25-Missouri
26 Montana http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/02/25/1357306/-Expanding-the-National-Parks-System-26-Montana
27 Nebraska http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/02/28/1366819/-Expanding-The-National-Parks-27-Nebraska
28 Nevada http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/03/03/1367699/-Expanding-the-Narional-Parks-System-28-Nevada 29 New Hampshire http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/03/04/1368340/-Expanding-the-National-Parks-System-29-New-Hampshire
30 New Jersey http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/03/18/1368859/-Expanding-the-National-Parks-System-30-New-Jersey
31 New Mexico http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/07/17/1390348/-Expanding-the-National-Parks-System-31-New-Mexico
32 New York http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/08/08/1404728/-Expanding-the-National-Parks-32-New-York
33 North Carolina http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/08/20/1410688/-Expanding-the-National-Parks-System-33-North-Carolina
34 North Dakota http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2015/10/21/1436539/-Expanding-the-National-Parks-System-34-North-Dakota
35 Ohio http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2015/11/9/1447813/--Expanding-the-National-Parks-System-35-Ohio
36 Oklahoma http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2015/11/19/1451344/-Expanding-the-National-Parks-System-36-Oklahoma
37 Oregon http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2016/3/6/1460601/-Expanding-the-National-Parks-System-37-Oregon