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Resist Funding Cuts to PA Historical Sites!

While states across the country are slashing funds for their parks and historical sites – “the most aggressive threat and dismantling to state preservation programs everywhere,” according to Adrian Fine, director of the Center for State and Local Policy at the National Trust for Historical Preservation – Pennsylvania residents have borne witness to the worst budget cuts in the nation.

Facing a massive budget shortfall for 2010, Governor Rendell has reduced the budget for the state’s History and Museums Commission by almost forty percent, and 200 of the Commission’s employees have been furloughed. Almost a quarter of the State’s historic locations have been closed since the budget was adopted in October, including Washington’s Crossing, the site from which George Washington famously crossed the Delaware river to fight the Hessians at Trenton, and the Old Economy Village, a historic Christian commune. Elsewhere, other historical sites are operating on vastly reduced schedules.

These cuts leave Pennsylvanians with a bleak view of the future for their history, but residents have shown remarkable commitment to their state’s legacy. Volunteers have assembled to replace staff members at such sites as the Brandywine Battlefield and the Joseph Priestley House, and to raise funds in order to keep other sites open to the public. We encourage you to volunteer your time to the History and Museums Commission, and to contact your state representative to protest further cuts.

Above: General Washington crossing the Delaware, one of the most celebrated episodes of the Revolutionary War. The site of this crossing is no longer open to the public.

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[...] Art in the Age » Blog Archive » Resist Funding Cuts to PA Historical Sites! http://www.artintheage.com/blog/resist-funding-cuts-to-pa-historical-sites – view page – cached While states across the country are slashing funds for their parks and historical sites – “the most aggressive threat and dismantling to state preservation programs everywhere,” according to Adrian Fine, director of the Center for State and Local Policy at the National Trust for Historical Preservation – Pennsylvania residents have borne witness to the worst budget cuts in the nation. Tweets about this link Topsy.Data.Twitter.User['artintheageroot'] = {“location”:”Philadelphia”,”photo”:”http://a3.twimg.com/profile_images/532920591/AITA_Root-072051_normal.jpg”,”name”:”ROOT Liqueur”,”url”:”http://twitter.com/artintheageroot”,”nick”:”artintheageroot”,”description”:”Root signifies a return to creativity and quality in spirits production. “,”influence”:”"}; artintheageroot: “Resist Funding Cuts to PA Historical Sites! http://www.artintheage.com/blog/resist-funding-cuts-to-pa-historical-sites/ ” 11 minutes ago view tweet retweet Topsy.Data.Twitter.User['artintheage'] = {“location”:”Philadelphia, PA”,”photo”:”http://a1.twimg.com/profile_images/81825328/l6836637082_3279_normal.jpg”,”name”:”artintheage”,”url”:”http://twitter.com/artintheage”,”nick”:”artintheage”,”description”:”A boutique + gallery space in Philly. Here you’ll find our latest announcements plus art + music findings curated by Michael Feldman”,”influence”:”"}; artintheage: “Save our Historical Sites! http://bit.ly/aJZRXN #philadelphia #history ” 17 hours ago view tweet retweet Filter tweets [...]