Centre Furnace Mansion House
historic place
The Centre Furnace Mansion House is a historic place in State College, Centre County, Pennsylvania. The mansion was built in the 1820s, with some basement portions dating to 1791. It served as the residence for the ironmaster of the Centre Furnace. The Centre Furnace began operations in 1792, established by Revolutionary War veterans Colonel John Patton and General Samuel Miles. This was the first charcoal ironmaking facility in what became Centre County, which was named after the furnace in 1800. The mansion played a direct role in the founding of Pennsylvania State University. In 1855, ironmasters James Irvin and Moses Thompson donated 200 acres of land for the Farmers' High School of Pennsylvania. The charter for this school was signed on February 22, 1855. On June 26, 1855, the Board of Trustees Site Select Committee visited the mansion to inspect the offered land and had dinner hosted by Moses and Mary Thompson. On September 12, 1855, the trustees approved locating the school on this land. The mansion has been restored and furnished to reflect the period of residency of ironmaster Moses Thompson and his family, from 1842 to 1891. Today, the Centre Furnace Mansion House operates as a historic house museum and is the headquarters of the Centre County Historical Society. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. This site connects the region's early iron industry with the origins of a major university.