The Woman’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) is an international organization that promotes abstinence from alcohol and also campaigns for other social causes. The organization was active in Centre County for decades with chapters across the county.
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.
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.
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.
Ag Progress Days is an agricultural exposition that has been held annually by Penn State for more than fifty years. Sponsored by the College of Agricultural Sciences, the three-day outreach event is one of three held by a major university in the United States.
William Fisher Packer, a native of Howard Township, served as governor of Pennsylvania during the turbulent years before the Civil War. He also served in the Pennsylvania General Assembly, representing Centre County and nearby counties.
Dr. Edith Schad was a pioneering Bellefonte physician who was the first woman elected to serve as president of the Centre County Medical Society. She also was a leader in moral reform movements locally and across Pennsylvania.
Jail Hill is the area near the Centre County Courthouse in Bellefonte where at least three 19th century jails were constructed starting in 1800, the same year the county was established. The first “prison houses” or “common goals,” as they were sometimes known, were built on East High Street.
Penn’s Creek is the longest limestone stream in Pennsylvania. The scenic stream, which has its headwater near Penn’s Cave in Centre County, is known for outstanding fly fishing.
The manufacture of refractories – brick capable of withstanding extremely high temperatures – was one of Centre County’s major industries for more than seventy years. By the early 20th century, about 800 workers at eight brickyards were producing what was commonly known as fire brick.
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