HRB Systems was a State College-based research and development company that created intelligence, defense, and information systems technologies for the U.S. government. During five decades, it grew into a major Centre County business employing more than 1,500 people.
For nearly a century the coal industry was an important element of Centre County’s economy. Bituminous coal from the Mountaintop and Moshannon Valley areas helped to power the nation’s industrial revolution and later fueled electric generating stations.
Schwab Auditorium is one of Penn State’s oldest and most iconic venues. Opened in 1903, the performance space hosts speakers, concerts, and student performances. It was the school’s first building funded by a private donation and named after the sole benefactors: Charles M. Schwab and his wife, Emma.
C-COR manufactured equipment for the rapidly expanding cable TV industry after World War II, while its sister firm, Centre Video, owned and operated cable systems throughout Pennsylvania. The companies were key players in the development of cable television, and their leaders were generous members of the community.
The Pasto Agricultural Museum chronicles agricultural history and development, focusing on Pennsylvania and the northeastern United States. Its vast collection includes historic items that showcase tools and technology related to agricultural and rural life.
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 Hetzel Union Building, better known as the HUB, is the student union on Penn State’s University Park campus. It is named for Ralph Dorn Hetzel, the president of Penn State during the initial planning of the building.
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 Penn State Earth and Mineral Sciences Museum & Art Gallery is home to a vast collection that highlights the history of the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences and Pennsylvania’s extractive industries.
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.
© 2026 Centre County Historical Society
Website by Graphics & Design