Black Moshannon State Park is a 3,394-acre park that conserves a unique natural environment surrounding Black Moshannon Lake. The park, was established in 1937 after the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) built a dam, log cabins, picnic pavilions, and trails.
The Centre County Courthouse in Bellefonte, built in 1805, is one of the county’s most historic landmarks. The courthouse has been transformed over the years with additions and renovations. The Soldiers and Sailors Memorial and Andrew G. Curtin statue stand in front of the building framing it from High Street.
A quest for natural resources shaped the development of Centre County’s rail network, beginning in 1859 when the Bellefonte and Snow Shoe Railroad began hauling coal and timber from the Mountaintop area to the Bald Eagle Valley.
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. The […]
University House is the former home of Penn State’s presidents and their families that is now part of the university’s Hintz Family Alumni Center. The two-story home is located on the south end of the Penn State campus, between Pollock Road and College Avenue. It was originally built for university President Evan Pugh, who died […]
Spring Creek Canyon is an 1,800-acre recreation area in Benner Township popular for fly-fishing, hiking, bicycling, and hunting. The six miles of trout stream within its boundaries are a destination for fishermen from around the world.
Edwin Erle Sparks, Penn State’s eighth president, served from 1908 to 1920. Using his skills in outreach, he took advantage of the public’s growing appreciation for the value of Penn State programs to build the college’s popularity to levels never achieved before. Sparks was born in Newark, Ohio, in 1860 and earned a B.A. in […]
Leonard Rhone was a farmer, Pennsylvania state legislator, and founder of the Centre County Grange Encampment and Fair. Rhone was born in 1838 in a log cabin built near Centre Hall by his grandfather. Rhone and his father Jacob rebuilt the family homestead into the Georgian-style estate they called Rhoneymede, a German-derived name meaning “Rhone’s […]
Meyer Dairy, established in 1887, is the oldest continuously operated retail dairy in Centre County. The dairy store on South Atherton Street in Harris Township is particularly beloved for its milk, which is still sold in glass bottles.
“Such times and scenes were witnessed in this beautiful valley during these last two weeks were never before dreamt of much less imagined,” Samuel Gramly of Rebersburg wrote in a journal on August 31, 1862. A school teacher in Brush Valley, Gramly had marveled at the recruitment and enlistment of dozens of local men into […]