Pennsylvania State Archives facts for kids
The Pennsylvania State Archives is the official place where important historical documents and records for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania are kept safe. It's like a giant memory bank for the state! The Archives is managed by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC). You can find it in Harrisburg, which is the state capital, and it's part of the Pennsylvania State Capitol Complex.
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What the Archives Does
The main job of the Pennsylvania State Archives is to collect, protect, and make available for study the really important public records from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. They pay special attention to records created by the state government. The State Archives also gathers private papers that are important to Pennsylvania's history.
How the Archives Started
The State Archives began in 1903. Back then, it was called the Division of Public Records and was part of the State Library.
In 1945, some big changes happened. The Archives joined forces with the State Museum and the Pennsylvania Historical Commission. Together, they formed the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC). The Archives then became known as the Bureau of the Pennsylvania State Archives within the PHMC.
Today, the PHMC has two main parts that help manage records:
- The Division of Archives and Manuscripts: This team works to keep historical records safe. They also help people find and use these records in the Archives' special search room. They answer questions about what the Archives holds.
- The Division of Archival and Records Management Services: This group helps government offices manage their records. They decide which records are important enough to keep forever and help make sure records are created and stored correctly.
Amazing Collections at the Archives
The State Archives has a huge collection of historical items! As of 2000, it held 165 million pages of documents. It also had 17,000 reels of microfilm and 1 million special items. These special items include old photographs, maps, blueprints, and even old movies and audio tapes. The collection covers history from 1664 all the way to today.
Most of these treasures are kept in the twenty-story Archives Tower. To keep the documents safe, the temperature inside the tower is always kept cool, around 68 degrees Fahrenheit. The humidity is also carefully controlled between 45 and 50 percent. All the records are stored in special acid-free folders and boxes. This helps them last a very long time.
Some of the most special items you can find at the State Archives include:
- The 1681 Charter from England's King Charles II to William Penn. This document officially gave William Penn the land that became Pennsylvania!
- The 1737 Walking Purchase document, which was a land agreement.
- An 1857 photograph of the famous Horseshoe Curve, a unique railroad track.
- Photographs showing the ruins of Chambersburg after it was damaged in 1864 during the Civil War.
- A letter to Governor Duff about the 1948 Donora smog disaster.
People Who Work There
- Cindy Bendroth, Chief of the Records Services Division
- David Carmicheal, Director of the Bureau of Archives and History
- Ruth E. Hodge, a retired archivist and author of a guide to African American resources at the Archives.
