At the corner of East College Avenue and Porter Road in State College, you will find a hidden gem of Centre County, the Centre Furnace Mansion.

It was home of Iron Master Moses Thompson. He helped bring the iron industry to Centre County in the 1840’s, and helped develop what is now State College. Now the mansion is the headquarters for the Centre County Historical Society.

The building was the site of many historical events including the foundation for what became Penn State University.

Katie O’Toole, the president of the Centre County Historical Society gave us some in sight into the history of the building.

She told us, “So Moses Thompson, the iron master, and his partner James Irvin donated some of the land that became the farmers high school and it was from that land that we got our land grant college placed here in State College”

At the mansion, you can see the furnishings from the mid 1800’s, that belonged to the Thompson family.

Now, with the 50th year of the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts, there’s a special exhibit. Banners from all 50 years of the festival hang overhead on the grounds. In an outbuilding, you can see photos and displays of  what helped develop the festival over the years. Visitors are asked to share memories.

“We hope someone walks away with appreciation for people who came before us and laid the roots for a diverse community that we have today,” says O’Toole. “For State College area, it started right here.”