Television
Over-the-air television came to Centre County on September 15, 1949, as WJAC began “telecasting” from Johnstown. Originally assigned to channel 13, WJAC switched in 1955 to channel 6, a more favorable frequency.
Subject: Business & Industry
Reynolds Mansion
The Reynolds Mansion, built in 1885, is one of the best-known Victorian homes in Bellefonte. It is now operated as a bed and breakfast. Located at the corner of Linn and Allegheny streets, the home was built by William Frederick Reynolds. It is an eclectic blend of Gothic, Italianate, and Queen Anne styles.
All-American Rathskeller
The All-American Rathskeller was a beloved drinking establishment for generations of patrons, especially Penn State students. The “Skeller,” as it was known, was the longest-operating bar in State College until it closed in 2017.
Duffy’s Tavern
Duffy’s Tavern is a historic eating and drinking establishment in the village of Boalsburg that is now in its third century. The tavern was built in 1819 on the diamond by Colonel James Johnston, who envisioned a place for lodging and food at the crossroads of the two major stagecoach routes in Harris Township.
Philip Benner
Philip Benner was an early business leader in Centre County who established the Rock Ironworks, one of the first iron forges in the county. Benner was born in Chester County in 1762 and served in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. After the war, he operated an iron forge in Chester County. He married […]
Meyer Dairy
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.
Eagle Ironworks
Eagle Ironworks was one of Centre County’s major family enterprises for a century and the last cold-blast charcoal iron establishment to close in Pennsylvania. Roland Curtin and Moses Boggs built Eagle Forge along the Bald Eagle Creek downstream from Milesburg in 1810. Though the men had no experience in iron making, all the essential raw […]
Centre Furnace Mansion
The Centre Furnace Mansion, originally the home of the furnace’s ironmaster, was the meeting place for the founding of the institution that became Penn State. The mansion on East College Avenue is now a historic house museum and the headquarters of the Centre County Historical Society.
Roland Curtin
Roland Curtin was founder of the Eagle Ironworks and patriarch of the Curtin family that included a son who was Pennsylvania’s governor during the Civil War. Curtin, a native of Ireland, moved to the Bald Eagle valley in 1797. He lived in Milesburg initially but later moved to Bellefonte, Centre County’s new seat of government, […]
Bellefonte Central Railroad
During its ninety-year lifespan, the Bellefonte Central Railroad hauled nearly 16 million tons of Centre County limestone and lime to connecting railroads for distribution to industrial customers in a dozen states. For more than five decades, the railroad also made daily passenger round trips to State College.