Centre County’s iron industry began with the building of Centre Furnace in 1791 – only the second charcoal iron furnace in the area known as the Juniata Iron Region. The region had been scouted for its raw materials potential, and entrepreneurs found everything they needed in central Pennsylvania. They came looking for the success and […]
In 2001, Elizabeth Cannon of State College donated her collection of 844 picture postcards to the Centre County Historical Society, dating from 1900 to 1965, from all the towns and villages of Centre County. CCHS archives volunteer, Monty Christiansen, spent nearly three years cataloging this collection uncovering fascinating county history disclosed on both sides of […]
Congratulations Schlow Library for 60 years of continued service to the State College community. This is a compilation of photos of downtown State College in the 1950s-60s.
Congratulations to the 2020 recipients of the John H. Ziegler Historic Preservation Awards of the Centre County Historical Society! Since 1988, through the John H. Ziegler Annual Historic Preservation Awards, CCHS honors members and organizations who have contributed in some way to the preservation of Centre County History. Learn more!
Centre Furnace Mansion became a quiet retreat after the first generation of Thompson children grew up and moved away from home, and Moses and Mary settled into old age. But in the last decade of the nineteenth century the Mansion was to come alive again as another generation of young people filled the house with […]
Centre Furnace ironmasters James Irvin and Moses Thompson’s longest-lasting contribution to the development of Centre County was not iron-making, but in support of agricultural science and education. In 1855, Irvin spearheaded the effort to locate the newly chartered Farmers’ High School of Pennsylvania in Centre County. He freely offered 200 acres of land, with the […]
There is a rich collection of historic houses in the Spring Creek Watershed, some of them more than 200 years old. They range from individual properties located on or near Spring Creek or its tributaries to those included in the historic villages and towns that evolved from original small settlements. They are significant through their […]
bar iron: a smaller size of raw iron than a pig, easier to handle by blacksmiths. Some bar iron also went to rolling mills, which rolled the iron into much smaller thicknesses, or slitting mills, which made iron rods for products like nails or wire bellows: a device that contracts a current or air through […]
With the help of conservation-focused nonprofit organizations, environmental educators, and county conservation districts, the Spring Creek Watershed Atlas provides the tools you need to build a comprehensive understanding of the interconnecting systems that make up our watershed. This website, containing a wealth of educational resources concerning the Spring Creek Watershed, is designed to serve the […]
CCHS Library and Archives: 1. Comprehensive Historic Site Surveys for boroughs and townships in Centre County 2. National Register of Historic Places nomination forms for Centre County 3. Books and articles related to architecture and landscape architecture 4. Mansion within a Mansion: a booklet about the miniature Centre Furnace Mansion model 5. Homestead and Streetscape: […]