Centre County Architecture Bibliography

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, […]

Researching Historic Properties

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, Original Land Warrants and The First Settlers

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 […]

List of Iron Products

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, […]

Be a Successful Ironmaster

To be a good ironmaster, you have to plan ahead. You need to know how much of all the raw ingredients you need to make good charcoal iron. You need to know how much iron you can safely transport to market. You need to know what your expenses might be before you know how much […]

Centre Furnace Ironworks & Mansion Timeline

This timeline incorporates various notable Centre Furnace, Centre County, national events to provide context. Period of Log Structure 1775—1783 Revolutionary War 1779 First schoolhouse in Centre County/Aaronsburg 1789—1797 George Washington, US President 1790—1791 Samuel Miles and John Patton acquired fifty-three land warrants covering over 16,000 acres to begin the Centre Furnace charcoal iron operation. 1791 […]

Centre County and the Civil War

Pennsylvania’s important role in the Civil War cannot be denied. Over 360,000 soldiers, including 8,600 African Americans, fought for the preservation of the Union while valuable resources such as iron, steel, and agricultural products helped to sustain the effort. Those along the southernmost part of the Commonwealth had a direct view of war through battles, […]

The ABCs of Centre County

An Alphabetical Look at Places and Spaces around Centre County A Aaronsburg (Haines) — Philadelphia land speculator Aaron Levy laid out the village of Aaronsburg in 1786. It was the earliest town in what would become Centre County, along its earliest road. Aaronsburg’s location near the geographic center of Pennsylvania probably prompted Levy to propose […]

Centre County Overview

By Douglas Macneal Located in the center of Pennsylvania, Centre County lies on a striking landscape overlaid with history. Rock and water shape the surface. The County is divided diagonally almost equally into two parts, bisected by the Allegheny Front: The northwestern half, the Allegheny Plateau, is a forested high plateau divided by deep valleys […]