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: […]
Blumenson, John. Identifying American Architecture: Pictorial Guide to Styles and Terms, 1600-1945. Nashville: American Association for State & Local History, 1977. Carley, Rachel. Visual Dictionary of American Domestic Architecture. New York: Henry Holt, 1994. Downing, Andrew Jackson. The Architecture of Country Houses. New York: Dover, 1850/1969. Downing, Andrew Jackson. Victorian Cottage Residences. New York: Dover, […]
Some basic techniques and resources required for researching a historic property. Whether the research is intended for personal or academic interest, or for the nomination of a property to the National Register of Historic Places,the following information will help the researcher get started. 1. Asking the Right Questions: Research for a National Register nomination must […]
Native Americans Native Americans – Delaware, Shawnee, Mingo, Iroquois – flourished in the early history of Centre County, planting the valleys in corn and squash, and hunting in the ridges. Their paths through the valleys and the water gaps were linked to paths extending to the Susquehanna and the Allegheny River systems. County place names […]
1780s: Hammers, anvils, pots, forge castings 1800s: Dutch ovens, hollow ware, pots, skillets, kettles, lids, flat irons, wheelbarrow wheels, sash weights, wagon boxes, mill screws, mill nuts, teakettles, irons, clock weights, forge castings, anvils, bake plates, 1810s: Backs and jambs, clock weights, sash weights, street grates, stew pans, pots, mortars, hardware, waffle irons, hollow ware, […]