MIDDLETOWN, Pa. — A newly established partnership between the Pennsylvania Center for Folklore at Penn State Harrisburg and the William G. Pomeroy Foundation aims to put Pennsylvania’s folklore in the spotlight through a roadside marker grant program called Legends & Lore.
Established in 2015, the Legends & Lore Marker Grant Program helps to commemorate local folklore and legends with fully funded roadside markers.
“Folklore is around us all the time, everywhere, every day. It’s the stories we tell, the songs we sing, the things we make, the customs we observe, and so much more,” said Anthony Buccitelli, associate professor of American studies and communication and director of the Pennsylvania Center for Folklore. “The Pennsylvania Center for Folklore is delighted to partner with the Pomeroy Foundation to highlight the rich traditional life of the Commonwealth and the extraordinary creativity of its people and communities.”
The Pennsylvania Center for Folklore at Penn State Harrisburg serves as a focal point for folklore and folklife research, teaching, and educational programming at Penn State. The center conducts and manages research projects on folklore and folklife; provides students with hands-on experience in archival management and qualitative field research; engages the public with folklore and local historical source materials held or managed by the center; and coordinates with regional, national, and international organizations.
“The Pomeroy Foundation is pleased to partner with the Pennsylvania Center for Folklore at Penn State Harrisburg on our growing Legends & Lore program,” said Bill Pomeroy, founder and trustee of the Pomeroy Foundation. “This is a wonderful opportunity to showcase the folklore near and dear to Pennsylvania. We’re proud to work with your communities in celebrating and preserving your folklore and legends.”
The Pomeroy Foundation is a private, grant-making foundation based in Syracuse, New York. The foundation helps people celebrate their community’s history through a variety of historic roadside marker programs, including Legends & Lore. The foundation’s grants cover the entire cost of a marker, pole and shipping.
Legends & Lore grants are available to 501(c)(3) organizations, nonprofit academic institutions, and local, state and federal government entities in Pennsylvania. Interested individuals are encouraged to contact an eligible local organization, such as a municipal historian or historical organization. They will often apply for the grant on behalf of the individual. To apply for a grant or review application guidelines, visit the Pomeroy Foundation’s Legends & Lore webpage.
To date, the foundation has funded more than 75 Legends & Lore markers commemorating local stories, including "Ichabod Crane" in New York State. The grant program is currently available in 11 states.
About the Pennsylvania Center for Folklore
The Pennsylvania Center for Folklore is committed to studying, documenting, and interpreting historical and contemporary cultural traditions and communities, especially in Pennsylvania, in order to promote greater knowledge of the diverse range of folklore and folklife across the commonwealth, region, and nation.
About the Pomeroy Foundation
The William G. Pomeroy Foundation is a private, grant-making foundation established in 2005. The foundation is committed to supporting the celebration and preservation of community history. To date, the foundation has awarded over 1,000 roadside markers and plaques nationwide through its Legends & Lore Marker Grant Program.
