At festivities at the Boal Mansion Museum for the 150th Boalsburg Memorial Day in May, an afternoon ceremony recognized museum volunteers and a local teacher for their contributions to the community.

The Colonel Theodore Davis Boal Community Service Award in honor of Colonel Theodore Davis Boal (1867-1938) who founded the Boal Troop and the 28th Division Shrine as well as the Boalsburg Fire, Electric, Water, Telephone and Bus Companies was awarded to super-volunteers Bob and Deb Griffin for their support of many diverse programs at the Boal Mansion Museum, including managing the reception for “Music at the Boal Mansion” and supervising on numerous volunteer days and for providing a pickup truck, a wide range of tools, and their hard-working grandson, Joel.

The Ambassador Pierre Boal Award for Historic Preservation, named after the fifth generation Boal who began the museum operation at the Boal Estate in 1952, was presented to painting contractor Terry Shively who has both painted at the Boal Mansion and graded the museum driveway with his own tractor.

The Judge George Boal Award for Education in honor of George Boal, one of the founders of public education in Pennsylvania and of Penn State University, was awarded to Bellefonte High School teacher Michael Maney for his initiative in connecting the content of the historic site with his high school students.

Preservation of the unique collection in the Columbus Chapel took a big step forward last winter when the security system was replaced with a more efficient one with support from the  Knights of Columbus.

The Pennsylvania Knights previously supported a number of projects at the Columbus, including installation of two lamp posts, one in memory of the late State Deputy Joseph Yourish who was instrumental in bringing together the State Knights with the Columbus Chapel.

Col. Lionel Bassett of Our Lady of Victory parish in State College now serves as the Pennsylvania Knights representative on the Centre County Columbus Celebration board aiding and advising the Museum.

"Music at the Boal Mansion,” (May 3, 2014, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.) is an intimate evening of musical performances paired with delicious food and champagne at the Boal Mansion.  

This year's concert will feature members of the Penn's Woods Festival Orchestra and the Penn State School of Music faculty, including the leader of the May 3 musical program, Naomi Seidman (flute), who will perform Trois Chants de Noël by Frank Martin (1890-1974) with Jennifer Trost (soprano) and Sue Haug (piano); the Duo for Flute and Oboe (1945) by Alberto Ginastera (1916-1983) with Timothy Hurtz (oboe); and as the Flute Trio with Cathy Herrera, Laura Clapper.

The Boal Mansion is a nationally registered and internationally renowned historic site in Boalsburg near State College open to the public May through October. The site includes the centuries-old Columbus Chapel from Spain imported to Boalsburg 100 years ago by Colonel Theodore Davis Boal whose wife was a descendant of Christopher Columbus.

In addition, Max Zorin (violin) will perform the acclaimed work Meditation by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky with internationally renowned pianist and winner of the 10th Concours International de Piano d’Orléans Christopher Guzman. Also performing will be David Stambler (saxophone) and Kristin Stephenson will perform a solo work for piano.

“Music at the Boal Mansion” takes place at 7 pm on Saturday, May 3, 2014, at 163 Boal Estate Drive in Boalsburg. Tax-deductible tickets are $75 per person and benefit both historic preservation and Penn State University’s “Music at Penn’s Woods” which takes place in June. For reservations, contact the Boal Mansion Museum at 814-466-6210 or [email protected]. For details, access http://boalmuseum.com.

          When the Boal Barn Playhouse shut its doors in 2013, many feared the demise of another local theater, much like the Garman Theater in Bellefonte which was recently demolished.

            The outgoing theater company, the State College Community Theater (SCCT), left in 2013 to find a year-round venue, taking with them their lights and sound system and leaving behind a request to the Centre Regions Code Agency to inspect the 100-year-old barn for compliance with regional codes, something never before done in the Barn’s 54-year history as a playhouse.

            Now a new theater company dedicated to the site -- in fact named the “Boal Barn Players” -- has arisen with plans to install new sound and lighting systems and return the Boal Barn Playhouse to its former glory as the model of summer theater in the region.

            Meanwhile, the Boal Museum has engaged a contractor to accomplish compliance with the requirements of the Code Agency inspection in order to have a Certificate of Occupancy as a Venue of Public Assembly – a first for the site.

            While saving the Garman Theater was said to require five million dollars, saving the Boal Barn Playhouse appears to require only $125,000 and plans are underway to solicit support from the community to see the project through and re-open the Boal Barn as a summer theater.

            A hopeful first step has been taken by the Boalsburg Village Conservancy, which has offered to match up to $5,000 in individual donations to the cause. Tax-deductible contributions may be made to “Boal Barn Playhouse” care of the Boalsburg Village Conservancy, PO Box 451, Boalsburg PA 16827.

                             -- by Marta Millar, age 17

    “The story of the Boal Mansion is the story of America” -- an America that some worry is being slowly buried beneath fast food restaurants, plastered over with an obsession with pop culture so focused on the here and now that it more often than not excludes the how and why we arrived here. 

   The story of the Boal Mansion tour guides is the story of a few Americans who, like the multitude of explorers and innovators they recall, act in accordance with a vision of bringing the glories of the past to the present. Each day we embark on a mission to enlighten and excite the hundreds of visitors we are blessed with each year about our own collective past. 

     For almost three years I have shared in the privilege of belonging to the community of volunteers here at the Boal Mansion. As an enthusiastic student of history who had read every book in the local library on the American Revolution by age seven, and who today overloads her high school schedule with social studies credits, and watches both documentaries and Downton Abbey with a devotion one might call religious, by the conclusion of my first introductory tour at mansion, I was thoroughly sold on volunteering here. 

 No matter how polite or intriguing a guest is, though, unfortunately (for them) the fleeting time in their company never equates to the pleasure of that spent with the French students who visit each season. Befriending and passing time with our guests is always one of the highlights of my summer.        

   Between matches of ultimate Frisbee under the blistering sun and delightfully frightening rounds of Ghost in the Graveyard at night, one finds the beginnings of friendship. Despite differences in who we are and where we come from, we share the same joys and laughs. 

Of course, differences in culture don’t entirely vanish. There are grins as we order grossly “American” burgers on grilled donuts at Baby’s or tease each other over accents while trash-talking during Frisbee. But at the end of the day, the only tears shed are those of farewell as our new friends head home… with the promise to write soon.
 
  The Boal Mansion has been far more than a job on the side for me. It’s a place for reflection on the desires, struggles, and determination of humans throughout the ages. It’s a chance to step outside of the box -- or blanket chest -- while taking a chance, acting boldly, and putting on a show while weaving the tale of the tour or dancing the Virginia Reel at the Columbus Ball. 

   Indeed, it truly is the story of America, because here, just like in this great nation, we form a community, unhindered by the barriers of distance, be they between countries, or the past, present, and future; here all can exist together. 
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Editor's Note: Throughout July 2014 Marta will live at the 1000-year-old Menthon Castle with the Count and Countess of Menthon and guide castle tours for them. 

   The Menthon Castle was the childhood home of Jeanne de Menthon Boal (1989-1984) wife of Boal Museum founder Pierre Boal.

   Interested? Prospective docents, adult or student, can contact the Boal Mansion Museum at 814-466-9266 or [email protected]. There will be an orientation for new docents on April 18, 2014, at 10 am to Noon with refreshments and a free tour.

Many small improvements: Thanks to the generous support of many small -- and a few large -- donors, the Boal Mansion Museum has been able to accomplish many improvements to the Boal Mansion Museum site which is listed on the National Register of Historic Sites by the US Department of the Interior. 

Included in repairs recently completed by AR Building & Materials of Howard, Pennsylvania, are:

1)    Replacement of the exterior wall stucco of the front porch, where the old horse-hair plaster was pock-marked and falling off. 
2)    Reroofing of the exhibit building housing the weapons and the country life exhibit, where roof leaks were threatening the collection.
3)    Reconstruction and patching of the stucco of exterior walls between the pioneer stone cabin door and the east window of the ballroom
4)    Replacement of the second-story exterior wall of the administrative office above the cloak room and reflashing nearby to end a persistent leak in the kitchen hallway
5)    Repair and replacement of rotted and deteriorated woodwork and pillar footings on the east side of the servants quarters (now called the middle house)
6)    Reconstruction of two stone bridge piers damaged by machinery when it was removing the immense trunk of a 100-year-old oak tree and replacement of seven bridge planks that had deteriorated.

And in the spring, Johnny Pons and friends from Calvary Baptist Church repainted the exterior stucco and trim of the ballroom alcove. All these projects have much improved the appearance of the site.

What’s waiting? The big stuff. Waiting for a concerted effort and major donors are: (click here to see full story and more photos).

Photo on right: Learning local history from primary sources: Millheim homeschoolers Gus and Huck Trisch with their friend Nettie and their mother Shana, play Sherlock Holmes combing for clues in the front hall of the Boal Mansion as part of an interactive learning tour.
Photos below: More photos of summer at the Boal Mansion. Click on photos to enlarge them.