Norwood H. “Barney” Ewell thrilled track spectators from State College to London’s Wembley Stadium, where he won three medals at the 1948 Olympics. At Penn State, Ewell’s career inspired action on racial equity, leading students, faculty, and administrators to fight segregation in intercollegiate sports.
John T. Biggers was a muralist, educator, and Penn State alumnus who dedicated his work to establishing a sense of African American identity and pride through art. His murals, portraying rural Black laborers, can be seen at Penn State in the Burrowes Building and the Paul Robeson Center. Born on April 13, 1924, in Gastonia, […]
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.
The history of radio in Centre County has been shaped by technological developments, social change, and commercial interests. Radio is an intimate medium, and local stations are often the only stations available to listeners, even as they are shaped by distant economic trends and federal regulation.
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 Neff Round Barn, popularly known simply as the Round Barn, is one of the most recognized agricultural structures in Centre County. Built in 1910 by Calvin R. Neff and Aaron Thomas, the barn is on State Route 45 about 2 miles from Old Fort in Potter Township. After his retirement as a school teacher […]
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 […]
Sherman Lutz was an aviator, flight instructor, and advocate of commercial flight in Centre County. In 1932, he built an airport in Boalsburg that was primarily a flight school where he supervised the first solo flights of 476 pilots.
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 […]