For information about arranging a group tour of the Boogersburg School, please contact the Centre County Historical Society at msorensen@centrefurnace.org or call 814-234-4779.
On May 1, 1877, Moses Thompson, the ironmaster and owner of Centre Furnace, deeded property along what is now Fox Hill Road for the Boogersburg School. The schoolhouse was built that same year. Thompson wanted to ensure an education for the children of his tenant farmers who lived over two miles from the iron village. For the next 75 years, the Boogersburg School served first through eighth grade youth during some very significant times in our nation’s history.
In 2004, the school was given to the Centre County Historical Society by Society members Bob Struble and Susan Crary. Prior to 2004, the school was closed for many years, then used as an art studio by sculptor Sybil Grucci, until its purchase by the Strubles. The Strubles, winners of a 2003 CCHS Historic Preservation Award, have beautifully restored and furnished the building for use in interpreting school life in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
It has become a favorite museum resource for the many local elementary school children who have visited the school to experience a typical late 19th century school day. With the help of our volunteer “school marms”, we welcome hundreds of school children every year. CCHS looks forward to continuing to offer rich educational experiences and opportunities for children (and adults) that the Strubles have so successfully initiated and carried out.
For group tour information, please contact the Centre County Historical Society at 814-234-4779 or email info@centrecountyhistory.org
READ MORE about Boogersburg School on the Centre County Encyclopedia of History & Culture!
Before and after restoration images at the Boogersburg School:
The 2024-2025 restoration of the Boogersburg School was made possible by The Hamer Foundation, leadership gift benefactors, and generous donors. We are also grateful to Alan Popovich, and our contractors for their work that will endure for years to come: Veronesi Building & Remodeling, Inc., Alex’s ProScape, Cutting Edge Tree Professionals, House Wire Electric, and Homewrights Construction.
With our heartfelt thanks to The Hamer Foundation, Donors, and contractors who saw this project through:
Read about 2024-2025 restoration projects at the Boogersburg School: