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The Boalsburg Village Conservancy
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The Boalsburg Bicentenary http://boalmuseum.com/200th.htm Boalsburg's 200th is right around the corner and it's time for all of us to pull together as a community and make this a fine celebration of our community -- past, present and future. For a schedule
of events, click here. The schedule
will be updated periodically as planning continues.
Any person or organization who wants to help plan or participate in the Boalsburg 200th anniversary activities can contact BVC President Chris Lee at 814-466-9266 or chris@boalmuseum.com, or attend the next planning meeting to be held in July or August 2008 at 7:30 pm at the Harris Township meeting room on East Main Street in Boalsburg. The first event is an afternoon street party and an evening kick-off Boalsburg Bicentenary Ball on Saturday, October 11, 2008. The first plan of Boalsburg (first called Springfield) was drawn up in October 1808. To help with the event or to reserve tickets, contact Chris Lee at chris@boalmuseum.com or 814-466-9266. Children will enjoy a Boalsburg 200th model boat regatta at the Pennsylvania Military Museum on April 18, 2009. To get involved, contact "Admiral of the Ocean Seas" Gert Aron gertaron@aol.com. A tour of historic homes in Boalsburg is planned for Sunday, May 24, 2009. To get involved, contact Katie Ellis at katie@uoc.com or 466-1110. Historical publications based on primary sources will be published in time for Memorial Day, May 25, 2009. The first lots were sold in Boalsburg (first called Springfield) in May 1809. Details are below. To help with publications contact: House studies: Bob Cameron rdc170@psu.edu; Old Boalsburg Photos: Greg Fredericks glf1@psu.edu or Bill Wallace wrw5@psu.edu.. There are many other projects in various states of development. For the results of the previous meetings already held, a chart of ideas for the 200th and who will move them forward, click here. Let us know (at the contact info above) of your ideas for the 200th or if you'd like to help with one of the ideas already listed in the chart.
For a schedule
of events, click here. The schedule
will be updated periodically as planning continues. There is a lot of folklore about early Boalsburg. In early 2007, Penn State intern Chris Black researched the origins Boalsburg using primary sources. The first thing you notice is the name changes. If you stood at the same spot both today and (in 1808-1810) you’d be on the square (diamond) in historic Boalsburg Village (Springfield Town) at the intersection of Church (Miller) and Main (Pitt) Streets in Harris (Ferguson) Township in Nittany (west Penns) Valley. Centre County Deed Book D, page 6 shows “The plan of Springfield Town situate in the west end of Pennsvalley on the waters of Spring Creek in Ferguson Township Centre County and State of Pennsylvania and on part of the Blue Spring tract of land (as laid out by Andrew Stroup (illegible) of the same – October 9, 1808.)” Lots were sold from the plan on May 30, 1809. The village name changed to Boalsburg in honor of the settler David Boal with the establishment of the Post Office in the 1820s. Chris Black has researched the earliest deed transfers back to a warrant issued for a tract of land to Richard Skidmore in 1766. This research is designed to lay the foundation for the Boalsburg Bicentenary celebration in 2008 and 2009. A community meeting and program at the Boalsburg Fire Hall took place on April 15 at which ideas were generated for the 200th. Check this web site for updated details. Plans for the Boalsburg Bicentenary are being modeled on the successful American Bicentennial celebration in Boalsburg and Harris Township in 1976, including: • Heritage activities, such as a new walking tour book of Boalsburg including information from reports on historic houses by students of Penn State history professor Sally McMurry • Festive activities, such as an autumn village street party and historic house tour, music, a picnic, worship services, and Boalsburg High School class reunions • Horizon activities, such as “Vision 2020,” a Township meeting to share visions of the future of our community • “Lasting Reminders,” a preservation project that could encompass buildings, monuments, and restorations
A new brochure detailing Boalsburg’s history and historical attractions now is available at tourist information stations along highways in Pennsylvania. It is also available locally—at museums, shops, and other businesses—and on the Internet, and has been made available to local schools.
—Chris Lee, chris@boalmuseum.com
The Boalsburg Village Conservancy
PO Box 451
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