Pennsylvania Lawmakers Celebrate Newest State Scenic Byway within the Journey Through Hallowed Ground National Heritage Area

For Immediate Release  
June 18, 2009
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Waterford, Virginia — Pennsylvania state and local officials will come together on June 19 to celebrate the official unveiling of the newly designated Pennsylvania State Scenic Byway, which is a part of the four-state Journey Through Hallowed Ground Partnership’s efforts to create a National Scenic Byway.

Exactly 14.454 miles of Adams County, Pennsylvania on PA Route 394, Bus.15,and U.S. 15 will be recognized under the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) Pennsylvania Byways Program as only the 17th State Scenic Byway.

“We are inspired by and applaud Adam County’s elected officials, business owners, state and local professionals, and the citizens of the county for their vision and leadership. This designation is the result of untold hours of work, each minute of which was voluntary, and all of which has resulted in ensuring that the scenic beauty as well as the history of this region are honored and rightfully recognized,” said Cate Magennis Wyatt, president of the Journey Through Hallowed Ground Partnership. “The towns and the people, the beauty and the history found along this extraordinary Pennsylvania Byway are emblematic of this entire national heritage area and why this region is known as Where America Happened.”

At 2:00 pm. on Friday, June 19, the public and the media are invited to join in the celebration at the Gettysburg Foundation and Visitors Center, located at 1195 Baltimore Pike Gettysburg, PA 17325.

From Gettysburg to Monticello, the Journey Through Hallowed Ground National Heritage Area is a swath of land from Adams County Pennsylvania, through Maryland, sweeping into Harpers Ferry West Virginia, and then through Virginia to Albemarle County. It is known as the region Where America Happened because of the 11,000 years of dense history the corridor has experienced, from ancient burial grounds and Native American history to 400 years of European, American and African American heritage. Today, nine U.S. presidential homes grace the rolling hills, along with two World Heritage sites, 49 National Heritage districts and more than a million acres on the National Registry of Historic Places.

In 2001, Pennsylvania initiated the Pennsylvania Byways Program. Pennsylvania Byways are designated in support of local planning efforts to enhance and improve the visual impact of specific routes; maintain the natural resources and qualities along specific routes; and educate residents and visitors on the history and culture of the Commonwealth. Pennsylvania now has 17 scenic byways. Qualified projects are eligible to apply for funds from the Federal Highway Administration’s National Scenic Byways program.