STATE COLLEGE — The Centre Cunty Historical Society, community members and university leaders gathered on Thursday, Jan. 11, to unveil a new historical marker at the Centre Furnace Mansion in State College.
The historical marker commemorates the Centre Furnace Mansion as the “Birthplace of Penn State” and is the latest addition to the 68 campus historical markers sponsored by the Penn State Alumni Association.
Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi, CCHS President Roger Williams and CCHS Executive Director Mary Sorenson unveiled the new marker to the crowd at the ceremony.
“In 1855, the commonwealth of Pennsylvania showed such foresight in saying we need to establish collegiate level education,” Bendapudi said. “From the very beginning for Penn State, the goals have been what we do to support and reach Pennsylvania. … I find it remarkable that Penn State from the beginning said, what’s good for Penn State is good for Pennsylvania and what’s good for Pennsylvania is what drives us. That is what is good for Penn State.”
Centre Furnace Mansion played a major role in Centre County being selected back in 1855 as the location for the newly chartered Farmers’ High School of Pennsylvania, which now is known as Pennsylvania State University.
Ironmaster James Irvin, who once called the Centre Furnace Mansion his home, offered 200 acres of the property to the Board of Trustees site selection committee in June 1855. The trustees visited other potential sites across the commonwealth, but on Sept. 12, 1855, the motion to locate the school on Centre Furnace land was approved.
The new blue-and-white marker now stands at the Centre Furnace Mansion in honor of the trustees’ decision.
“What is remarkable to me is that this Farmer’s High School was the very first place in the entire country to offer baccalaureate degrees in agriculture, and that’s amazing,” Bendapudi remarked.
The school eventually became Pennsylvania State College in 1874 before finally becoming Pennsylvania State University in 1953.
Centre Furnace Mansion is significant to Centre County history as it’s the site of the first charcoal-fed iron furnace in this region of Pennsylvania, first put into place in 1792. By 1820 Centre, Huntingdon and Blair counties were producing more than half of the pig iron generated in the country.
The remains of the furnace stack still stand, providing a glimpse into the past of Centre County.
The new historical marker signifying Centre Furnace mansion as the “Birthplace of Penn State” reads, “The charter for the Farmers’ High School of Pennsylvania was signed on Feb. 22, 1855, and on June 26 the Board of Trustees Site Select Committee visited Centre Furnace Mansion to inspect 200 acres offered by ironmaster James Irvin and enjoy a dinner hosted by Moses and Mary Thompson. After visiting sites across the state, on Sept. 12, 1855, the trustees approved Board President Frederick Watts’ motion to locate the fledgling school here.”
The Penn State Historical Marker Program is a collaboration between the Penn State Alumni Association, the Office of Strategic Communications, the University Archives and the Office of Physical Plant. The program commemorates notable Penn State academic and research accomplishments, as well as people, places and traditions of the university.
