From the 1900s to 1930s, Harrisburg underwent many transformations that affected its residents. The City Beautiful Movement was sweeping across the U.S. and was helped along in Harrisburg by the old capitol burning down and a push to move the state capital back to Philadelphia (Williams, 1). The destruction of the old eighth ward and … Continue reading Mapping Harrisburg’s Population from the Old Eighth
I went in to my experience at the archives somewhat daunted, because I didn't have an extremely concrete idea of what I was going to be looking for. Initially interested in researching restrictive covenants, I soon found that the archives would not be much help in that area. I decided to look at arrest records … Continue reading Research at the PA State Archives: My Last Hands on Experience for a Long Time
Digital History and online learning have taken on a whole new meaning for me and many other students across the county and the world in the past few weeks. Last Thursday we visited the PA state archives and sorted through materials left behind from those living in Harrisburg a hundred years ago. I was looking … Continue reading Digitization and the Demolition of the Eighth Ward
Cities hold history in various forms. Some cities utilize murals to capture their past, others may use walking tours, but most city histories resides in archives and with local residents. Harrisburg, the capital of Pennsylvania, does not have the most accessible history. Due to my work with the Digital Harrisburg Initiative, I have spent an … Continue reading Mystery of McFarland
The first thing that strikes you about Sankofa Theatre Company's latest production is its music. The play opens with an old-fashioned piano riff as we look at a picture of a Harrisburg building from the early 1900s. As the image shifts to an image of the same building in the present day, the soundtrack fades … Continue reading “Voices of the Eighth” is Historical Theater at Its Finest
Last Sunday my friend Andre Frueh and I jumped in the car and drove twenty minutes from Messiah to the steps of the Harrisburg Capitol. We parked on the street by a meter, where parking is free on Sunday. We may be budding historians, but that doesn't mean we aren't on a budget. Our reason … Continue reading Story Mapping Harrisburg’s Old Eighth Ward with ArcGIS
The team of students and faculty at Messiah College's branch of the Digital Harrisburg Initiative have been hard at work for the past few months on a variety of different projects. Our on-going involvement in the Look Up, Look Out campaign and Commonwealth Monument project allows many different students to lend their voices to important … Continue reading New History: Updates on Digital Harrisburg
As the Capitol building was erected The Old Eighth Ward, a culturally rich area mostly populated by immigrants and minorities was torn down to make space. The narrative cast painted The Old Eighth as a place of vice. Destroying it was justified because it was believed to be a seedy crime hub, a place not worth saving. The goal of this project is to restore life to a place that it was taken from.
At the end of the fall semester of my sophomore year of college, I was told that through my current internship I would be able to research and write for a monument that would later be installed in the Pennsylvania State Capitol Building. Without hesitation I accepted, but as the exhibit developed it became a … Continue reading My First Job as a Digital Historian
Join us this Saturday, May 4, 2:00-4:00 for a Salon Celebration honoring white carnation descendants of the 100 Voices and other inhabitants of the Old Eighth Ward. The event will be held at Harrisburg Midtown Arts Center at 1102 N. 3rd Street. Between 2:00 and 3:00, visitors can circulate between different tables and information booths, … Continue reading Saturday Salon, May 4, 2:00-4:00
Digital Harrisburg 