Welcome to the Centre County Encyclopedia of History & Culture, an online resource sponsored by the Centre County Historical Society.
Currently, we are featuring articles about the Rowland Theater and movie theaters in Centre County. The Rowland Theater opened in 1917 in Philipsburg and was the region’s most opulent theater at the time. The theater has closed several times during its history, but was saved by the borough and community volunteers who oversee its operation today. Dozens of movie theaters have operated in the county since the beginning of the 20th century. Some of the earliest screenings of motion pictures took place in existing vaudeville houses, such as Bellefonte’s Garman Opera House, built in 1888.
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Public motion picture screenings in Centre County paralleled the growth of the movies as a popular form of public entertainment in rural and small-town America in the first half of the 20th century, and their transformation to part of a wider range of entertainment in the late 20th and early 21st century.
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The Rowland Theatre in Philipsburg is a historic venue that for more than 100 years has been a popular place for Centre County residents to see films and other events. The downtown theater has closed several times during its history, but was saved by the borough and community volunteers who oversee its operation today.
Learn More>>John Hamilton was one of the most influential leaders in the early history of Penn State and State College. He served in numerous roles with the new college, was a member of the borough council, and built a home that started the Highlands Historic District.
Learn More>>Rhoneymeade is a rural arboretum and sculpture garden at the ancestral home of Leonard Rhone, a founder of the Centre County Grange Encampment and Fair. It hosts various events annually, as well as art classes, and is open seasonally from sunrise to sunset.
Learn More>>Sibyl Barsky Grucci was an acclaimed artist and sculptor, best known locally for the bust of Penn State author and professor Fred Lewis Pattee. She and her husband bought and renovated the historic Boogersburg School, which she used as a studio.
Learn More>>The Soldiers’ Orphan Schools provided education for children in Pennsylvania beginning during the Civil War and continuing until 2009. Established by Governor Andrew Gregg Curtin of Bellefonte, one of the schools operated in Centre County for four years.
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