Bellefonte, Pennsylvania
Encyclopedia
Bellefonte is a borough
in Centre County
, Pennsylvania
, United States
. It lies about twelve miles northeast of State College
and is part of the State College, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is the county seat
of Centre County
with the courthouse
located downtown on the square.
The town features many examples of Victorian architecture
, as well as a natural spring, from which the town gets its name (bestowed by Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord during a land-speculation visit to central Pennsylvania in the 1790s). However the spring, which serves as the town's water supply, has been covered to comply with DEP
water purity laws (not, as is commonly believed, for fear of its being poisoned).
One of the town's historic sections experienced a renaissance in 2004. The Match Factory (officially the Pennsylvania Match Company
), after standing vacant since 1947, was being renovated by the American Philatelic Society
as their new home, one building at a time. The site was placed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 2001 and the town was anxious to find an appropriate owner for the historic property. The town is also home to five of Pennsylvania's governors as well as two other governors. There is a monument in Talleyrand Park showing them.
of the Ridge and Valley Appalachians at 40°54′53"N 77°46′29"W (40.914684, -77.774756).
It lies 10 miles northeast of State College, Pennsylvania
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the borough has a total area of 1.8 square miles (4.7 km²), all of it land.
Bellefonte is in the northwestern corner of and is surrounded by Spring Township
.
As of the 2000 census, there were 6,395 people, 2,796 households, and 1,602 families residing in the borough. The population density
was 3,510.1 people per square mile (1,356.7/km²). There were 2,953 housing units at an average density of 1,620.8 per square mile (626.5/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 97.25% White, 0.91% African American, 0.11% Native American, 0.47% Asian, 0.11% Pacific Islander, 0.34% from other races
, and 0.81% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.59% of the population.
There were 2,796 households out of which 25.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.9% were married couples
living together, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.7% were non-families. 35.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.17 and the average family size was 2.84.
In the borough the population was spread out with 21.1% under the age of 18, 9.5% from 18 to 24, 30.9% from 25 to 44, 20.4% from 45 to 64, and 18.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 85.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.9 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $33,216, and the median income for a family was $42,378. Males had a median income of $31,221 versus $23,442 for females. The per capita income
for the borough was $18,659. About 8.6% of families and 13.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.5% of those under age 18 and 6.8% of those age 65 or over.
was financed by Daniel G. Bush and built in 1868. It was one of the first hotels in the country to have electric lights. A man would stand at the train station and call out to the passengers, "Walk ya' to the Bush House." The Bush House, the Brockerhoff House, the Haag House, and some other hotels were competitors. Thomas Edison stayed at the Bush House.
In the recent years, the Bush House had several businesses in it including Schnitzels Restaurant and it held receptions of various kinds. The Bush House burned down on February 8, 2006.
Bellefonte became a frequent stop in the transcontinental airmail route. The route ran from New York to San Francisco and opened August 20, 1920.
Currently Bellefonte is home to the Red Raiders, the Bellefonte School Districts mascot. The school colors are red and white.
The Bellefonte Historic District
was added to the National Register of Historic Places
in 1977. Other buildings on the National Register of Historic Places are: Bellefonte Armory
, Brockerhoff Hotel
, Centre County Courthouse
, Gamble Mill
, McAllister-Beaver House
, Miles-Humes House
, Pennsylvania Match Company
, South Ward School, and the William Thomas House
. The Bellefonte Academy
was listed until 2008, after having been destroyed by fire in 2004.
In the 1800s the first jail was built. It had an 8-foot underground dungeon, which was located on the rear of the lot of the present YMCA. A second jail was on East High Street.
Another example is the Hastings Mansion, which was owned by Mrs. John Lane and was bought and remodeled by Governor Daniel H. Hastings.
The development of Bellefonte has been a "natural town." It started with one house and a crossroad, then iron was found and the town grew.
prison located in Benner Township
, Pennsylvania
, 5 miles (8 km) away from Bellefonte. The prison houses Pennsylvania's execution chamber.
Borough (Pennsylvania)
In the U.S. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, a borough is a self-governing municipal entity that is usually smaller than a city. There are 958 boroughs in Pennsylvania. All municipalities in Pennsylvania are classified as either cities, boroughs, or townships...
in Centre County
Centre County, Pennsylvania
Centre County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It is part of the State College, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010, the population was 153,990....
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It lies about twelve miles northeast of State College
State College, Pennsylvania
State College is the largest borough in Centre County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It is the principal city of the State College, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Centre County. As of the 2010 census, the borough population was 42,034, and roughly double...
and is part of the State College, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Centre County
Centre County, Pennsylvania
Centre County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It is part of the State College, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010, the population was 153,990....
with the courthouse
Courthouse
A courthouse is a building that is home to a local court of law and often the regional county government as well, although this is not the case in some larger cities. The term is common in North America. In most other English speaking countries, buildings which house courts of law are simply...
located downtown on the square.
The town features many examples of Victorian architecture
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
, as well as a natural spring, from which the town gets its name (bestowed by Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord during a land-speculation visit to central Pennsylvania in the 1790s). However the spring, which serves as the town's water supply, has been covered to comply with DEP
Department of Environmental Protection
Department of Environmental Protection is a name used by several states in the United States of America for the agency charged with proposing and enforcing environmental law...
water purity laws (not, as is commonly believed, for fear of its being poisoned).
One of the town's historic sections experienced a renaissance in 2004. The Match Factory (officially the Pennsylvania Match Company
Pennsylvania Match Company
The Pennsylvania Match Company, known locally as the Match Factory, was founded in 1899 by Col. W. Fred Reynolds, Joseph T. Montgomery and S. A. Donachy with $200,000 of their own money.Mr...
), after standing vacant since 1947, was being renovated by the American Philatelic Society
American Philatelic Society
The American Philatelic Society is the largest nonprofit stamp collecting and organization of philately in the world, with almost 44,000 members from 110 countries...
as their new home, one building at a time. The site was placed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 2001 and the town was anxious to find an appropriate owner for the historic property. The town is also home to five of Pennsylvania's governors as well as two other governors. There is a monument in Talleyrand Park showing them.
Geography
Bellefonte is located in the Nittany ValleyNittany Valley
The Nittany Valley is an eroded anticlinal valley in the central portion of Centre County, Pennsylvania in the United States. It is separated from the Bald Eagle Valley by Bald Eagle Mountain and from Penns Valley by Mount Nittany. The valley is closed to the north by a high plateau that joins...
of the Ridge and Valley Appalachians at 40°54′53"N 77°46′29"W (40.914684, -77.774756).
It lies 10 miles northeast of State College, Pennsylvania
State College, Pennsylvania
State College is the largest borough in Centre County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It is the principal city of the State College, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Centre County. As of the 2010 census, the borough population was 42,034, and roughly double...
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the borough has a total area of 1.8 square miles (4.7 km²), all of it land.
Bellefonte is in the northwestern corner of and is surrounded by Spring Township
Spring Township, Centre County, Pennsylvania
Spring Township is a township in Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is part of the State College, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area...
.
Demographics
As of the 2010 census, the borough had 6,187 people. The borough was 96.3% White, 1.5% Black or African American, 0.1% Native American, 0.5% Asian, and 1.3% were two or more races. 1.4% of the population was of Hispanic or Latino ancestry.http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/census/profile/PAAs of the 2000 census, there were 6,395 people, 2,796 households, and 1,602 families residing in the borough. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 3,510.1 people per square mile (1,356.7/km²). There were 2,953 housing units at an average density of 1,620.8 per square mile (626.5/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 97.25% White, 0.91% African American, 0.11% Native American, 0.47% Asian, 0.11% Pacific Islander, 0.34% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.81% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.59% of the population.
There were 2,796 households out of which 25.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.9% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.7% were non-families. 35.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.17 and the average family size was 2.84.
In the borough the population was spread out with 21.1% under the age of 18, 9.5% from 18 to 24, 30.9% from 25 to 44, 20.4% from 45 to 64, and 18.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 85.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.9 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $33,216, and the median income for a family was $42,378. Males had a median income of $31,221 versus $23,442 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the borough was $18,659. About 8.6% of families and 13.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.5% of those under age 18 and 6.8% of those age 65 or over.
The Bush House
The Bush House HotelBush House Hotel
The Bush House Hotel was located in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania. It was built in 1868-69 and burned down on February 8, 2006.Thomas Edison stayed there while bringing electrification to the town...
was financed by Daniel G. Bush and built in 1868. It was one of the first hotels in the country to have electric lights. A man would stand at the train station and call out to the passengers, "Walk ya' to the Bush House." The Bush House, the Brockerhoff House, the Haag House, and some other hotels were competitors. Thomas Edison stayed at the Bush House.
In the recent years, the Bush House had several businesses in it including Schnitzels Restaurant and it held receptions of various kinds. The Bush House burned down on February 8, 2006.
History
William Lamb sold his mill to John Dunlop. And the next year James Dunlop, John's father, and his son-in-law James Harris laid out block by block and the town became known as Bellefonte. As the years went by, Bellefonte boomed. Soon it was the most influential town between Pittsburgh and Harrisburg.Bellefonte became a frequent stop in the transcontinental airmail route. The route ran from New York to San Francisco and opened August 20, 1920.
Currently Bellefonte is home to the Red Raiders, the Bellefonte School Districts mascot. The school colors are red and white.
The Bellefonte Historic District
Bellefonte Historic District
Bellefonte Historic District is a national historic district located at Bellefonte, Centre County, Pennsylvania. The district includes 296 contributing buildings in the central business district and surrounding residential area of Bellefonte. The oldest building in the district is the Col. James...
was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1977. Other buildings on the National Register of Historic Places are: Bellefonte Armory
Bellefonte Armory
Bellefonte Armory is a historic National Guard armory located at Bellefonte, Centre County, Pennsylvania. It was built in 1930, and consists of an administration building and stable building executed in the Colonial Revival style. Both buildings are constructed of brick and have slate hipped...
, Brockerhoff Hotel
Brockerhoff Hotel
Brockerhoff Hotel is a historic hotel located at Bellefonte, Centre County, Pennsylvania. It was built in 1866, and is a large brick building on a stone foundation, measuring 170 feet by 60 feet. The original building was executed in the Italianate style. It was renovated in the 1880s to have a...
, Centre County Courthouse
Centre County Courthouse
Centre County Courthouse is a historic courthouse located at Bellefonte, Centre County, Pennsylvania. The original section was built in 1805, with additions and / or remodeling in 1835, 1854-55, 1909, and 1963-64. It is a rectangular brick building on a stone foundation, measuring 135 feet long...
, Gamble Mill
Gamble Mill
Gamble Mill, also known as Lamb Mill, Thomas Mill, Wagner Mill, and Bellefonte Flouring Mill, is a historic grist mill located at Bellefonte, Centre County, Pennsylvania. It was built in 1894, and is a 3 1/2-story brick building on a limestone foundation. There are two, one-story brick additions....
, McAllister-Beaver House
McAllister-Beaver House
McAllister-Beaver House is a historic home located at Bellefonte, Centre County, Pennsylvania. It was built about 1850, and is a massive two-story, five bay rectangular limestone building. It measures 42 feet, 4 inches, across and 34 feet, 2 inches, deep in the Georgian style architecture. It...
, Miles-Humes House
Miles-Humes House
Miles-Humes House, also known as the Potter Home, is a historic home located at Bellefonte, Centre County, Pennsylvania.- History :The Miles-Humes house was originally built circa 1814-1816 for Captain Joseph Miles, the co-founder of both Milesburg, Pennsylvania and the Centre Furnace Iron Works...
, Pennsylvania Match Company
Pennsylvania Match Company
The Pennsylvania Match Company, known locally as the Match Factory, was founded in 1899 by Col. W. Fred Reynolds, Joseph T. Montgomery and S. A. Donachy with $200,000 of their own money.Mr...
, South Ward School, and the William Thomas House
William Thomas House
William Thomas House, also known as Wren's Nest and the Thomas Homestead, is a historic home located at Bellefonte, Centre County, Pennsylvania. It consists of two sections: an "L"-shaped stone house built about 1785, and a two-story, five bay rectangular limestone house in the Georgian style...
. The Bellefonte Academy
Bellefonte Academy
Bellefonte Academy was a historic school building located at Bellefonte, Centre County, Pennsylvania. The original building was built in 1805, as a two-story, rectangular limestone building. It was enlarged between 1839 and 1845, with the addition of two bays and wings to the north and south...
was listed until 2008, after having been destroyed by fire in 2004.
Victorian era
The first-time visitors who walk along the Victorian streets of Bellefonte see primarily Victorian houses.In the 1800s the first jail was built. It had an 8-foot underground dungeon, which was located on the rear of the lot of the present YMCA. A second jail was on East High Street.
Another example is the Hastings Mansion, which was owned by Mrs. John Lane and was bought and remodeled by Governor Daniel H. Hastings.
The development of Bellefonte has been a "natural town." It started with one house and a crossroad, then iron was found and the town grew.
Notable people
- Jeffrey P. von Arx, S.J.Jeffrey P. von ArxJeffrey Paul von Arx is the 8th President of Fairfield University. Previously, von Arx served as Chair of the History Department at Georgetown University and Dean of Fordham College at Rose Hill.-Biography:He graduated from the Locust Valley Schools in 1965 and Princeton University in 1969 and...
, President of Fairfield UniversityFairfield UniversityFairfield University is a private, co-educational undergraduate and master's level teaching-oriented university located in Fairfield, Connecticut, in the New England region of the United States. It was founded by the Society of Jesus in 1942, and today is one of 28 member institutions of the... - George Grey BarnardGeorge Grey Barnard'George Grey Barnard was an American sculptor, "an excellent American sculptor", the French art dealer René Gimpel reported in his diary , "very much engrossed in carving himself a fortune out of the trade in works of art." His lasting monument, rather than any sculpture of his own, is the...
, famous sculptor - Clifford CarlsonClifford CarlsonHenry Clifford "Doc" Carlson is a Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame inductee as the men's college basketball coach of his alma mater, the University of Pittsburgh, from 1922 to 1953...
former University of Pittsburgh men's college basketballBasketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
coach - Andrew Gregg CurtinAndrew Gregg CurtinAndrew Gregg Curtin was a U.S. lawyer and politician. He served as the Governor of Pennsylvania during the Civil War.-Biography:...
, Governor of Pennsylvania (1861–1867) - Nathan Alan Cutietta, documentary filmmaker.
- Robert Alan Cutietta, author, researcher, composer, and arts leader.
- Jonathan FrakesJonathan FrakesJonathan Scott Frakes is an American actor, author and director best known for his role as Commander William T. Riker in the Star Trek franchise, as well as for his tenure as host of Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction ....
, actor - Chris Garner, tennis player (R16 in Australian Open 1993)
- John Irvin GreggJohn Irvin GreggJohn Irvin Gregg was a career U.S. Army officer. He fought in the Mexican-American War and during the American Civil War as a general officer in the Union army.-Early life and career:...
, Union armyUnion ArmyThe Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
general - Daniel H. HastingsDaniel H. HastingsDaniel Hartman Hastings was the 21st Governor of Pennsylvania from 1895 to 1899. Although he was only 12 years old at the outbreak of the American Civil War, the young Hastings made three successive attempts to run away from home and enlist in the Union army, each time stopped by his father...
, Governor of Pennsylvania (1895–1899) - Anna KeichlineAnna KeichlineAnna Keichline was an American architect and inventor from Pennsylvania. She was the first registered woman architect in Pennsylvania. She became noted for working on design of kitchens and interiors. She had several inventions concerning home use, but her most noted invention was the "K Brick" in...
First female architect to be certified in Pennsylvania - Eric MiltonEric MiltonEric Robert Milton is a former American left-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball...
, Major League Baseball player - Jacob Hiram Myers (1841–1920), inventor of the first voting machine used in an election
- Thomas M. ReynoldsThomas M. ReynoldsThomas M. Reynolds , commonly known as Tom Reynolds, is a politician from the U.S. state of New York, formerly representing the state's 26th Congressional district in the United States House of Representatives...
, U.S. Congressman - Jeremy RoseJeremy RoseJeremy Rose is an American Thoroughbred racehorse jockey. He began his career as a professional rider at Delaware Park in Wilmington, Delaware and in 2001 was his breakout year and he was voted the United States' Eclipse Award for Outstanding Apprentice Jockey.In 2005, Rose guided Afleet Alex, to...
, horse jockey - Matt SuheyMatt SuheyMatthew Jerome Suhey is a former professional American football player, playing fullback/running back for ten seasons in the National Football League for the Chicago Bears...
, professional football player for the Chicago BearsChicago BearsThe Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. - David VoganDavid VoganDavid Alexander Vogan is a mathematician at M.I.T. who works on unitary representations of simple Lie groups. He is one of the participants in the Atlas of Lie Groups and Representations.-Publications:*Some online by Vogan...
, mathematician. - John Montgomery WardJohn Montgomery WardJohn Montgomery Ward , known as Monte Ward, was an American Major League Baseball pitcher, shortstop and manager. Ward was born in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, and grew up in Renovo, Pennsylvania...
, Hall of Fame baseball player - Stewart Sampsel, football quarterback, Buffalo BullsBuffalo BullsThe Buffalo Bulls are the athletic teams representing the University at Buffalo in intercollegiate athletics. The Bulls currently play in Division I , and are a member of the Mid-American Conference for all sports except women's rowing who is in the Cononial Athletic Assocition . They have been a...
Government and infrastructure
State Correctional Institution – Rockview, a Pennsylvania Department of CorrectionsPennsylvania Department of Corrections
The Pennsylvania Department of Corrections is the Pennsylvania state agency that is responsible for the confinement, care and rehabilitation of approximately 51,000 inmates at state correctional facilities funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania...
prison located in Benner Township
Benner Township, Pennsylvania
Benner Township is a township in Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is part of the State College, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, 5 miles (8 km) away from Bellefonte. The prison houses Pennsylvania's execution chamber.
See also
- Bellefonte and Snow Shoe Railroad
- Bellefonte Central RailroadBellefonte Central RailroadThe Bellefonte Central Railroad was a shortline connecting Bellefonte and State College, Pennsylvania. Constructed in the late 19th century to haul local iron ore to furnaces in the Bellefonte region, it later hauled freight traffic to Penn State and lime for steelmaking from local quarries...
- Bellefonte Forge HouseBellefonte Forge HouseThe Bellefonte Forge House, also known as the John Dunlop House, is located just south of Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, in Spring Township, Centre County...
- Bush House HotelBush House HotelThe Bush House Hotel was located in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania. It was built in 1868-69 and burned down on February 8, 2006.Thomas Edison stayed there while bringing electrification to the town...
, built 1868-69 and burned down on February 8, 2006