Source of image: https://www.flickr.com/photos/governortomwolf/50273969193/
As a senior psychology major who is new to digital public humanities and the Digital Harrisburg initiative, I look forward to working with the Digital Harrisburg team and community partners in Harrisburg.
Throughout the course of this semester, I will be working on two major digital public humanities projects. The first pertains to new yard signage at the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Monument on the south side of the State Capitol Grounds; I will help to design two signs that will serve to promote Harrisburg’s multi-cultural history and voices. Our goal is to complete this by December 4, 2025.
In addition to the yard signage, I will be working on updating and posting various articles and blogs to our social media accounts and websites. We are tentatively planning to post a series of new stories on Harrisburg Historical throughout the semester, and will post links to those on our Instagram and Facebook pages (Old Eighth Ward and Digital Harrisburg). Some of the articles we will be publishing this semester include, among others, an essay on Charles Dickens’ visit to Harrisburg, a piece on St. Clare’s Infirmary in the Old Eighth Ward, an article on baseball player Eleanor Engle, and one on racially restrictive covenants in downtown Harrisburg.
Along with promoting and writing about our new signage, I intend to routinely build followers and manage our social media accounts. The prime goal here is to promote stories and events that will increasingly reach more people through WordPress, Instagram, and Facebook. I look forward to all the great work we have planned this semester!
Patrick Cosgriff is a senior psychology major at Messiah University who is working with the Center for Public Humanities and Digital Harrisburg Initiative in fall 2025.
Digital Harrisburg 