The History of the Columbus Chapel and Boal Mansion Museum
This page will be expanded in time to cover many of the historical themes involved at the Museum.
For more information about the history, click here for school resources.
The Boal Estate has been the Boal family home for eight generations and over 200 years and tells the story of America as seen through one family. It has the original furnishings.
The fourth generation, Colonel Theodore Davis Boal, called Terry, went to Europe in the 1890's and married Mathilde, a descendant of Christopher Columbus, who inherited the Columbus Chapel and brought it to Boalsburg in 1909.
Theodore Davis Boal outfitted his own troop in 1916. For a very complete slide show of its history put together by Philip Sauerlender of State College, click here.
The tour consists of:
The fourth generation, Colonel Theodore Davis Boal, called Terry, went to Europe in the 1890's and married Mathilde, a descendant of Christopher Columbus, who inherited the Columbus Chapel and brought it to Boalsburg in 1909.
Theodore Davis Boal outfitted his own troop in 1916. For a very complete slide show of its history put together by Philip Sauerlender of State College, click here.
The tour consists of:
- the Boal Mansion, home of eight generations of the Boal family for over 200 years with the original furnishings
- the Columbus Chapel, a centuries-old chapel of the Columbus family imported from Spain in 1909 containing the Admiral's Desk of Christopher Columbus, fine European art and two pieces of the True Cross of Jesus.
- three exhibit rooms with tools, centuries-old weapons and an 1850 stage coach.
