Era: 1860-1900 Centre County

Millheim

Millheim is a historic Centre County community that for more than 150 years was the industrial center of Penns Valley. Its history has been shaped by Elk Creek, which provided power to the mills that gave the borough its name.

Limestone

Limestone has played an essential role in Centre County’s economic history. Widely used for both industrial and agricultural purposes, limestone has been mined in the county for more than 200 years.

Boalsburg Heritage Museum

The Boalsburg Heritage Museum preserves the history of the Centre County village known for the Boal Mansion, Pennsylvania Military Museum, and Memorial Day celebration. The museum is in the Boalsburg historic district that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Penn State Golf Courses

Penn State’s golf courses have evolved from a rudimentary course of four or five holes in the late 1800s to the 18-hole Blue and White courses that the university operates today.

St. John’s Episcopal Church

St. John’s Episcopal is one of the oldest churches in Bellefonte and the last to still have its spire. Episcopalians began meeting in Bellefonte in 1825, first in a cabinet shop and later in the Masonic Lodge.

Logging Industry

Before European colonists arrived, Pennsylvania was an estimated 97 percent forested. Centre County is in an ecological region in which the aboriginal forest was dominated by white pine and hemlock, both of which had lucrative industrial applications that attracted colonists and entrepreneurs.

Advent Church

The Advent Church is a historic evangelical church in Boggs Township maintained by the local Advent Historical Society. The church, originally known as the Advent Chapel at Marsh Creek, was built in 1849 by followers of William Miller, a New York farmer and minister.

Centre Furnace

Centre Furnace was the first charcoal iron furnace in what would become Centre County. The remains of the furnace stack on East College Avenue are a reminder of the role the iron industry played in the early decades of the county’s history.

Unionville

Unionville was founded as a Quaker settlement and for decades was one of the lumber-producing centers of the Bald Eagle Valley.  Located five miles west of Milesburg, the town is on the State Road from Philadelphia where it climbs the Allegheny Front to Philipsburg and eventually to Erie.