It always throws me off a little when there are five Wednesdays in a month, because it means one extra blog post sneaks in there. Next week is my birthday, and I'll be taking some time off from work for the occasion - not so much to celebrate getting older, but in order to get moving on a couple of projects I've been trying to get underway. If all goes well, I should be making an announcement in the next few weeks that I never expected I would be making, but here we are.
Go ahead and indulge your imaginations. No, I'm not having a child or getting another pet, but beyond that, feel free to go wild.
Anyway, for this final quest in August, we're heading out to almost the exact middle of the state for another visit to the adorable borough of Bellefonte. This time we'll just find out why the community itself is significant - it actually has two (identical) historical markers of its own.
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| This marker stands on Willowbank Street (PA 550); a second, identical marker stands in front of the courthouse in the median on High Street |
We spent more time than we expected wandering the streets of the little borough, eventually stopping outside the public library to make use of a bench. It was late July and very hot, though thankfully not too humid, so we needed the rest. But as one of us observed to the other, "This is really a nice little town." We were both completely charmed by the quiet streets and beautiful buildings, and I'm finally sitting down to learn for myself, and share with all of you, just why Bellefonte is so important to the history of Pennsylvania.
The recorded history of Bellefonte dates to 1794, when a settler named William Lamb sold his mill to John Dunlop. The following year, members of John's family (but not John himself, for reasons I can't seem to clarify) laid out the plans for a community on the land. Around this same time, the region was visited by a man whom history generally remembers as Talleyrand; he was a French prince, clergyman, and statesman, and according to Wikipedia, was regarded as a cynical and crafty diplomat. He was the one who, on visiting what would become Centre County, was enchanted by a natural spring, and proclaimed it in French to be la belle fonte - literally, "the beautiful fountain." The name was given to the fledgling community, which to this day still gets its water supply from that beautiful spring. In those days, Bellefonte consisted pretty much of one house and an intersection of two main roads.
But then they found iron.
Some of the wealthy residents of Bellefonte were also responsible for the creation of what ultimately became one of Pennsylvania's best-known institutes of higher learning. Hugh McAllister was a leading lawyer in Bellefonte, and also a farmer, and in the 1850s he joined with a few others from throughout the commonwealth to put forward the idea that a dedicated agricultural college was needed to improve the education of farmers and their families. McAllister is credited as being the one who kept the project from going bankrupt during the recession of 1857. Thanks to him, the Farmers' High School was able to open in 1859. The following year it was renamed the Agricultural College of Pennsylvania. You might not recognize either of those names, but I'm sure you're familiar with the name by which it's known today - Penn State University.
As airplanes came into reality, Bellefonte gained an unusual new distinction with the dawn of the 20th century. For air mail delivery, it became a significant refueling location for pilots flying over the Allegheny mountain range. The Bellefonte Air Mail Field, which was situated where the local high school stands today, has its own marker and I'll be telling you more about it at another time.
Other industries made use of Bellefonte's central location and wealthy tax base. I've already told you about the Pennsylvania Match Factory, which at one time was one of the country's biggest producers of matchsticks. The borough was also home to the Garman Opera House, which has since been destroyed by fire, but in its time hosted major talents including Harry Houdini and the comedy duo of Burns and Allen. The Bush House Hotel has also since been lost to fire, but it was one of the first hotels in the country to feature electric lighting, which makes it rather appropriate that one of their most notable guests was Thomas Edison.
Today, Bellefonte has a population of less than 10,000. It nevertheless serves as the county seat of Centre County and is home to the stunningly beautiful county courthouse. Its historic district is on the National Register of Historic Places, and the waterfront district and Talleyrand Park provide plenty of shade for walking, sitting, and enjoying the view. Kevin and I didn't get to explore nearly as much of it as we would have liked, as it was so late in the afternoon when we arrived; many places, including the historical museum, the library, and the charmingly restored railroad station pictured below, were closed. (I know the flag says the station is open, but it wasn't. I think they just forgot to put the flag away before they closed up.) So we definitely want to make a return trip and see more of what this beautiful little borough has to offer. And if you get out to Centre County, you should pay them a visit too.
Sources and Further Reading:
Official website of the Borough of Bellefonte
Bellefonte Historic and Cultural Association
Except where indicated, all writing and photography on this blog is the intellectual property of Laura Klotz. This blog is written with permission of the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. I am not employed by the PHMC. All rights reserved.
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