Regarding the National Endowment for the Humanities’ Section 106 Review of
The Humanities Inspired: Creative Exploration and Scholarship Enabled by a Modern
Archives and Special Collections Suite
The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) has offered Juniata College in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, an Infrastructure and Capacity Building grant (CHA-286670) to renovate the Archives & Special Collection within the L.A. Beeghly Library.
NEH is an independent grant-making agency of the United States government dedicated to supporting research, education, preservation, and public programs in the humanities. This public notice is issued as part of NEH’s responsibilities under 36 C.F.R. Part 800, the regulations which implement Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) of 1966, as amended, 54 U.S.C. 306108. NEH, a funding agency, is required by regulation to identify and assess the effects of any proposed actions on historic properties. If any proposed action will have an adverse effect on historic resources, NEH works with the appropriate parties to seek ways to avoid, minimize, or mitigate any adverse effects. Additionally, the Section 106 regulations require NEH to consider the views of the public on preservation issues when making final decisions that affect historic properties.
The L.A. Beeghly Library, located at 1815 Moore Street, Huntingdon, PA, 16652-2196, is a three-story Modern Georgian building with an original footprint of 34,610 SF, constructed in 1962-63. The NEH project is limited to the renovation of the Archives and Special Collections Suite within and modernization of an elevator within the existing building.
In a letter dated March 25, 2020, Douglas C. McLearen, the Pennsylvania State Historic Preservation Officer, determined that the L.A. Beeghly Library is not individually eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. This was reaffirmed in a Section 106 consultation email dated May 27, 2022, from Emma Diehl, Environmental Review Division Manager with the Pennsylvania State Historic Preservation Office. Subsequently, NEH has determined that the project will have no effect on historic properties.
As required by Section 106, NEH is providing the public with information about this project, as well as an opportunity to comment on any knowledge of, or concerns with, historic properties in the proposed project area, and issues relating to the project’s potential effects on historic properties. Comments may be submitted to the NEH by e-mail to FPO@neh.gov. The deadline for submitting comments is Wednesday, June 22, 2022.