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The Pennsylvania State University The Graduate School School of Humanities A NEW DEAL FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION: THE IMPACT OF RELIEF FUNDING ON THE CULTURAL LANDSCAPE OF PENNSYLVANIA, 1932-1941 A Dissertation in American Studies by Lynne M. Calamia © 2015 Lynne M. Calamia Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy May 2015 ii The dissertation of Lynne M. Calamia was reviewed and approved* by the following: Anne A. Verplanck Associate Professor of American Studies and Heritage Studies Dissertation Adviser Chair of Committee Charles Kupfer Associate Professor of American Studies and History Michael Barton Professor of American Studies and Social Sciences Joseph J. Cecere Associate Professor of Engineering, Science, Engineering, and Technology Program Chair, Civil Engineering & Structural/Construction Engineering Technology Simon J. Bronner Distinguished Professor of American Studies and Folklore Program Director, Doctor of Philosophy in American Studies Chair, American Studies Program *Signatures are on file in the Graduate School. iii ABSTRACT As one of only a handful of states to have a government agency responsible for historic matters, Pennsylvania was well-positioned to benefit from funding made available through New Deal relief programs. New Deal labor and funding played a pivotal role during the formative years of the field of historic preservation, but its impact is often overlooked on both a regional and national level. Through analysis of the records of the Pennsylvania Historical Commission, this dissertation explores the significance of historic preservation undertaken using New Deal relief funds and its relationship to the national urge to celebrate, remember, and commemorate history. Recent scholarship has identified that historic sites are shaped by the ideals of the groups that rallied to preserve and interpret them. This study identifies how the Pennsylvania Historical Commission affected the development of the state’s cultural landscape using New Deal relief funds. Moreover, it explores the ways in which a legacy of political influence remains imprinted on state historical landmarks. The effect New Deal funding had on heritage management systems in Pennsylvania can offer broad insights into the formation of the character of the cultural landscape of the United States and the development of the field of historic preservation. This research expands on previous findings and contributes additional evidence that the history of historic preservation needs to be revisited in order to reveal fully the political and cultural dynamics of preservation and commemoration. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Abbreviations ………………………………………………………………...………………......vi Acknowledgements ………………………………………………………………………….......vii Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION: A NEW DEAL FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION Introduction……………………………………………………..……………………..…..1 Defining New Deal Historic Preservation…………………..………………………..…...5 Preservation and Commemoration.………………………………….……………….….10 Professionalization of Cultural Production …………...………………………………....12 National Identity Formation ……..…………………………………..……………….….19 Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………….22 Chapter 2. THE SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION OF MEMORY THROUGH THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT Introduction ………………………………………….………………………………......27 Preservation and Commemoration Impulse Begins, 1780s-1870s……………………....30 Centennial Celebrations, Colonial Revival, and Cultural Heritage, 1870s-1906………..42 State and Federal Support for Preservation, 1906-1942 ………………………..……….48 Conclusion …………………………………………………….…………………….…..56 Chapter 3. THE POLITICS OF PRESERVATION Introduction …………………………………………………………………………..….59 The Origins of the Pennsylvania Historical Commission …..…………...………………63 Overview of the New Deal …..……………………………………….…………….…...85 State Cooperation with National New Deal Programs…………………………………..88 Relief through Historic Preservation………………………………………………….…93 Conclusion …..…………………………...…………………….…………….………...109 Chapter 4. THE SHAPING OF PENNSYLVANIA’S HISTORIC SITES DURING THE NEW DEAL ERA Introduction ……………………………..………………………….………..…………112 The Administration of the Pennsylvania Historical Commission………..………..……115 Daniel Boone Homestead and the National Youth Administration……....………….....124 The Impact of General State Authority Funding………………………….………...….134 Conclusion ……………………………………………………….…………………….146 Chapter 5. NEW DEAL, NEW MODEL OF ACCOUNTABILITY Introduction ………………………………………………………………...…..………149 Authenticity ………………………….…………………………………………………151 Architects ………………………………….………………………………...…………159 v Pennsbury Manor Reconstruction Controversy……………………………...…………176 Conclusion…………………………………………………………………...…………187 Chapter 6. CONCLUSION Introduction ………………………………………………………………...………..…190 Limitations of the Study……………………………………………….………..………193 Areas for Further Research …………….…………………………………...……….…194 Conclusion ......................................................................................................................198 Appendix: Act 777 ………………………………………………………………...……...……202 Bibliography……………….……………………………………………………...……………206 vi ABBREVIATIONS AIA American Institute of Architects APVA Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities CCC Civilian Conservation Corps CWA Civil Works Administration DAR Daughters of the American Revolution FERA Federal Emergency Relief Administration GSA General State Authority HABS Historic American Buildings Survey HVAC Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning NPS National Park Service NYA National Youth Administration PHC Pennsylvania Historical Commission PWA Public Works Administration SPNEA Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities WPA Works Progress Administration vii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS “One must first begin by not understanding many things!” Fyodor Dostoevsky, The Idiot Someone once told me to remember that the dissertation is the least significant, least important thing I would do throughout my career. This bluntly stated advice helped me to maintain a sense of proportion, but I would like to raise the fact that it was still a daunting task from start to finish. It would not have been possible to complete this dissertation without the help of many people. First, I am grateful to my dissertation advisor, Dr. Anne Verplanck for her guidance and patient support throughout my coursework and the process of writing my dissertation. Her help and council, always generously given, made the completion of this project considerably less difficult. Many thanks go to Dr. Charles Kupfer whose unfailing encouragement, adventurous intellectual spirit, and good advice shepherded me through the entirety of my graduate studies. Dr. Michael Barton and Dr. Joseph J. Cecere also offered assistance and I am thankful for their time as well. During the course of this project, I benefited from the financial support of the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission through receipt of the Pennypacker Fellowship. This fellowship gave me the opportunity for full-time research and study in the Pennsylvania State Archives, The State Museum of Pennsylvania, and the State Historic Preservation Office, as well as at many of the Commission’s historic sites and museums viii throughout the Commonwealth. Staff at each of these institutions was exceedingly helpful prior to, during, and after the completion of the fellowship. Similarly, in early stages of this project, I emailed representatives from state and private historic preservation outfits in all 50 states to gather information about the scope and reach of New Deal preservation projects. Their warm, thoughtful replies and willingness to connect me with others helped initiate this project, setting me off on the proper path, in the right direction. At the onset of this research, I was enrolled in what could be seen as a modern-day New Deal program, AmeriCorps VISTA. As a full-time VISTA volunteer engaged in national service, I received a living stipend that hovered just slightly above the poverty line. It helped me to identify with those scraping by during the depression era. Subsequently, I acknowledge the tacit but substantial role that being gainfully employed in my field, at the Pennsylvania House of Representatives Archives and later the historic Arch Street Quaker Meeting House, has played in completing this degree. I will always be indebted to those who make it possible for me to engage in historical pursuits in exchange for money. Finally, I must take a moment to include a note of thanks to my informal support committees across the country. These F\friends held me accountable for writing deadlines, checked in to make sure I was eating, and helped me celebrate mini-milestones along the way. A special debt of gratitude is due to Jacqueline Rowe, who did all of the above and more. On top of the considerable duty of listening to me complain about graduate school, she edited nearly every chapter of this dissertation. The dedication and care she applied to adding commas and editing for clarity is matchless and worthy of distinction. 1 Chapter 1: A New Deal for Historic Preservation Introduction On historic site tours, I am not the type of visitor who smugly points out mistakes in period dress or anachronistic furniture styles. I do not offer corrections on chronological dates or ask unknowable questions to stump the volunteer tour guide. Instead, the way I choose to embarrass my friends and family at historic sites is to ask the docent or curator about the HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) and fire suppression