“Hope” is the thing with feathers –
That perches in the soul –
And sings the tune without the words –
And never stops – at all –
— Emily Dickinson
Vintage image of the Mifflin House (courtesy of the York History Center) and a pre-pandemic gathering of stakeholders hosted by Preservation Pennsylvania and the Susquehanna National Heritage Area
The Pennsylvania At Risk list makes a difference in changing the outcome for threatened historic properties — but we are never assured of a positive outcome. We do the work and we try not to lose hope.
The 87.5-acre Mifflin House property (York County) was added to Pennsylvania At Risk in 2017 when a warehouse development was proposed. The site, near the Susquehanna River, was once a stop on the Underground Railroad, giving fugitives a place to rest on their journey.
Preservation Pennsylvania attended hearings, supported local advocates, solicited pro bono legal counsel, worked through courts, and, in behind-the-scenes meetings, negotiated toward a positive outcome.
The Conservation Fund and the Susquehanna National Heritage Area worked with Preservation Pennsylvania to find a solution after a successful partnership a few years earlier on Camp Security (PA At Risk 2000).
Hope and hard work paid off when a deal was reached and the property was saved. It has now been transferred to the Susquehanna National Heritage Area (SNHA) which will create a publicly-accessible community amenity.
“Conserving and re-purposing the Mifflin House site as a visitor education center and heritage park will welcome travelers to our two-county National Heritage Area and showcase the significant role this region and its people played in America’s enduring Quest for Freedom. This place is important for its Underground Railroad and Civil War history — but it’s also important as an economic development tool for this region that will bring visitors here to Wrightsville and Columbia.”
—Mark N. Platts, SNHA President
Groundbreaking Milestone
The Pennsylvania At Risk list makes a difference in changing the outcome for threatened historic properties — but we are never assured of a positive outcome. We do the work and we try not to lose hope.
The 87.5-acre Mifflin House property (York County) was added to Pennsylvania At Risk in 2017 when a warehouse development was proposed. The site, near the Susquehanna River, was once a stop on the Underground Railroad, giving fugitives a place to rest on their journey.
Preservation Pennsylvania attended hearings, supported local advocates, solicited pro bono legal counsel, worked through courts, and, in behind-the-scenes meetings, negotiated toward a positive outcome.
The Conservation Fund and the Susquehanna National Heritage Area worked with Preservation Pennsylvania to find a solution after a successful partnership a few years earlier on Camp Security (PA At Risk 2000).
Hope and hard work paid off when a deal was reached and the property was saved. It has now been transferred to the Susquehanna National Heritage Area (SNHA) which will create a publicly-accessible community amenity.
Mindy Crawford, Executive Director of Preservation Pennsylvania, addresses those gathered to celebrate the preservation milestone.