Featured Exhibition
Jackie’s Joinery: Early American Woodworking Tools
Past Exhibitions
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Building on the Past
Archaeological excavations conducted in 2009 and 2010 by Heberling Associates, Inc., unearthed the foundations of the Valentine iron ore washing plant, which operated from 1887-1898. Also found were pieces of machinery and the tools used by the men who worked there. Read More
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Centre County and the Civil War
Pennsylvania’s important role in the Civil War cannot be denied. Over 360,000 soldiers, including 8,600 African Americans, fought for the preservation of the Union while valuable resources such as iron, steel, and agricultural products helped to sustain the effort. Those along the southernmost part of the Commonwealth had a direct view of war through battles,… Read More
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Everyday Iron
Iron Objects of the 18th and 19th Centuries Everyday Iron explores the progression from “furnace to market”, with a special emphasis on the role of the blacksmith. This exhibit featured a rich and wide variety of over 100 iron artifacts from CCHS, private collectors and other local historical organizations, this broad range of artifacts made… Read More
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The ABCs of Centre County
An Alphabetical Look at Places and Spaces around Centre County A Aaronsburg (Haines) — Philadelphia land speculator Aaron Levy laid out the village of Aaronsburg in 1786. It was the earliest town in what would become Centre County, along its earliest road. Aaronsburg’s location near the geographic center of Pennsylvania probably prompted Levy to propose… Read More
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Those Who Came Before: The Archaeology of Centre County’s Native Americans
Those Who Came Before – The Archaeology of Centre County’s Native Americans, explored the rich history of the people who lived in Central Pennsylvania for thousands of years before Euro Americans arrived. This exhibit was presented in 2011 by the Centre County Historical Society, the Bald Eagle Archaeological Society, and the Matson Museum of Anthropology… Read More
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Tough Times and Lasting Legacies
Tough Times and Lasting Legacies: The Great Depression, the New Deal, and Centre County Presented by the Centre County Historical Society in 2008. Pennsylvania’s history as an industrial leader made it especially vulnerable to the economic breakdown that epitomized the 1930s and the Great Depression. Within four years of the stock market crash of 1929,… Read More
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Unraveling the Threads of History
Objects like samplers and fraktur often hold important historical context and family history. Examples in the exhibition are from Centre County, and more broadly Central PA for the most part. Read More
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Up, Up, and Away: Sherm Lutz and the State College Air Depot
In the beginning of the 20th century, aviation was not a technology on the minds of most everyday folk. A technology known for its dangerous crashes and malfunctions, aviation failed to resonate as a meaningful science. Centre County’s own pilot pioneer, Sherman “Sherm Lutz” embraced the adventure, but also had a grander vision of bringing… Read More