Memorial Day Activities at the Boal Mansion Museum feature full day of music, awards ceremony at Noon and family picnic.

Right: Sherry Dershimer and Gretl Yeager Collins lay out some picnic goodies for friends and family on the front circle of the Boal Mansion on Memorial Day.

Click here for schedule of music

THE BOAL MANSION (open 9:00a.m. -5:00p.m., Monday, May 31, 2004) will feature a family picnic and music party under the ancient oak and maple trees on the lawn of the 1789 home of David Boal and eight generations for his descendants. David Boal II built his 1804 tavern, still standing across from the Township building, 200 years ago this year. The village of Boalsburg grew up around the tavern in 1808.

There will be food, music, crafts and Revolutionary War and Civil War artillery encampments and demonstrations plus the Dragon’s Breath Forge with 19th century blacksmith Tim Bradford. A new regional group, Our Local Renaissance, will be providing free tea from its new “mobile tea house” designed to promote community interaction and value sharing.

At noon on the porch of the Mansion, three service awards will be given to community members deserving of recognition.

1)      The Ambassador Pierre de Lagarde Boal Historic Preservation Award will be given to Susan Spalvins for preserving the 1804 David Boal Tavern. 

2)      The Judge George Boal Education Award will be given to Boalsburg Elementary School teacher Karen Rossman-Styers and Penn State Intern Eva Tarbuk for designing a new “station/action learning” tour of the Museum for fifth grade students.

3)      The Colonel Theodore Davis Boal Community Award will be given to the many student volunteers who helped last year during the rewiring of the Boal mansion.

Knowledgeable docents will guide tours from 9:00a.m. – 5:00 p.m. of the 215-year-old Boal Mansion with the original furnishings of nine generations of Boals and the Columbus Chapel inherited and imported from Spain in 1909 with Christopher Columbus’ Admiral’s Desk and two pieces of the True Cross of Jesus.

The Community is invited to come picnic all day and listen to old/new/original music by young and old musicians from the ongoing Family Music Party. 

Call for Volunteers. Volunteer museum guides ages 14 – 84 are sought to bring history to life for children and visitors to the Boal Mansion. For information call the museum @ 466-6210 or email us at office@boalmuseum.com or visit our web page at www.boalmuseum.com.

Activities all day:9:00 - 5:00

Historical re-enactments: Civil War cannonade; 18th century surgeon, doctor and apothecary, Dan Lucas; 19th century blacksmith. Tim Bradford. Guided tours of the internationally-recognized Columbus Chapel and Boal Mansion Museum. Our Local Renaissance’s “mobile tea horse” providing free tea and promoting community interaction. Hand-made craft demonstrations and sales. Full service food, drink and dessert booths Guided tours of the Mansion & Columbus Chapel       

Music all day:

Andy Tolins (center), Bruce Young (left) and Bill Stetz (right) play folk and bluegrass on the porch of the Boal Mansion. Tolins and Stetz will perform jazz and blues at 11:15 a.m. with John Thompson and Alan Bowers as the "Denicats."

Music Schedule on Monday, May 31, 2004 at the Boal Mansion:

10:00             Mo Stroemel, folk/rock

10:45 a.m.        The Connolly Brothers, Acoustic rock

11:15 a.m.        The Denicats, blues/jazz, featuring Andy Tolins, John Thompson, Bill Stetz and Alan Bowers

12:00p.m.         Boal Service Awards Ceremony: Awarded to:

1) Ambassador Pierre de Lagarde Boal Historic Preservation Award to Susan Spalvins for preserving David Boal’s 1804 tavern in Boalsburg

2) Judge George Boal Education Award to Karen Rossman-Styers, teacher, and Eva Tarbuk, Penn State intern, for designing a new “stations/action learning” tour of the Museum for fifth grade students.

3) Colonel Theodore Davis Boal Community Service Award to all volunteers for their major assistance in the rewiring of the Boal Mansion, including:

1)    The AT&T Center for Service Leadership, Beth Bradley and Susan James

2)    Tau Beta Pi National Engineering Honor Society, Matt Terruso, President

3)    Theta Delta Chi Fraternity, Nathan Peifer, Al Gary, contact persons

4)    Knights of Columbus Boys Scout Troop 83, Tom Hilands, Scoutmaster

12:15 p.m.        Chris Lee and Synchronicity, rock, with Chris Lee, John Thompson, Tom Mallouk, Rick Plut and Landon Evak, and sitting in: Wendy Hanson, Sherry Dershimer, Jon Bojan and more

1:45 p.m.         Craik, Irish music (Dan Collins, James and Gretl Collins, Mark Guiltinan, Ray Najjar)

3:00 p.m.         The Nightcrawlers, rock, (Steve Arnold, Noah Figlin, Mike Leitzel, Adrienne Byrne)

4:00 p.m.         Old Boots, bluegrass, Tyler Wagner and Jamie Davis

4:30 p.m.         North, rock, (Ed Barton, Sam Shortle, Ryan Griffin, Vince Fiore, of State College Area High School)

5:00              Final Cannonade by Hampton’s Legion Artillery

Click here for information on area-wide Memorial Day activities.

For more information, contact the Boal Mansion Museum at 814/466-6210, write PO Box 116, Boalsburg PA 16827 or email office@boalmuseum.com. The museum's web site address is http://boalmuseum.com.