Boal Mansion is a historic home located at

Boalsburg Boalsburg is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Harris Township, Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is part of the State College, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 3,722 at the ...

, Harris Township,

Centre County, Pennsylvania Centre County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 158,172. Its county seat is Bellefonte. Centre County comprises the State College, PA Metropolitan Statistical Area. History The lands ...

. The original pioneer cabin was built in 1809 and was a simple -story stone house. It was incorporated as the kitchen and kitchen hall when the house was expanded. The expansion is a two-story stone house in the

Georgian Georgian may refer to: Common meanings * Anything related to, or originating from Georgia (country) ** Georgians, an indigenous Caucasian ethnic group ** Georgian language, a Kartvelian language spoken by Georgians **Georgian scripts, three scrip ...

style which measures and has a side hall plan. The house was expanded again between 1898 and 1905 by

Theodore Davis Boal Theodore Davis Boal, also known as Terry Boal (June 14, 1867 – August 22, 1938), was an American army officer and architect. He entered into several partnerships over his career, the Boal and Harnois architectural firm in Denver, Colorado and a ...

and introduced some Beaux-Arts style design. The main façade was expanded from three to five bays. The collection on display includes the admiral's desk of Christopher Columbus, a lock of hair of Napoleon, two pieces of the true cross of Jesus and the carriages, tools and weapons of eight generations of Boals. Also on the property is the 16th century Columbus Chapel, which was imported from Spain in 1909; an 1898 hipped-roof

carriage house A carriage house, also called a remise or coach house, is an outbuilding which was originally built to house horse-drawn carriages and the related tack. In Great Britain the farm building was called a cart shed. These typically were open f ...

; a

silo A silo (from the Greek σιρός – ''siros'', "pit for holding grain") is a structure for storing bulk materials. Silos are used in agriculture to store fermented feed known as silage, not to be confused with a grain bin, which is used t ...

and Boal Barn, previously a summer theater; a stone

smoke house A smokehouse (North American) or smokery (British) is a building where meat or fish is cured with smoke. The finished product might be stored in the building, sometimes for a year or more.

; and two

outdoor fireplace Outdoor(s) may refer to: * Wilderness *Natural environment * Outdoor cooking * Outdoor education *Outdoor equipment *Outdoor fitness *Outdoor literature *Outdoor recreation *Outdoor Channel, an American pay television channel focused on the outdoo ...

s. ''Note:'' This includes The house, open as a historic house museum, was added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 1978.

Nittany Theatre at the Barn

The Barn housed a theatre on the Boal Mansion property which was used as a playhouse during the summer months by the Nittany Theatre. There were usually around six plays or musicals each summer with professional and local actors and actresses, as well as smaller theater projects.

Penn State #Redirect Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with campu ...

playwrights have also had premieres, read-throughs and dress rehearsals at the Barn.

Gallery

Boal Mansion 3.JPG , The 1898 carriage house Boal Mansion 4.JPG , The 1909 Christopher Columbus chapel Boal Mansion 7.JPG , The barn

References

External links

* *Lu Donnelly et al., "Boal House",

Boalsburg, Pennsylvania Boalsburg is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Harris Township, Centre County, Pennsylvania, Harris Township, Centre County, Pennsylvania, Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is part of the State College, P ...

, SAH Archipedia, eds. Gabrielle Esperdy and Karen Kingsley, Charlottesville: UVaP, 2012—, http://sah-archipedia.org/buildings/PA-01-CE14. * {{National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania Houses completed in 1789 Historic house museums in Pennsylvania Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania Historic American Buildings Survey in Pennsylvania Georgian architecture in Pennsylvania Beaux-Arts architecture in Pennsylvania Houses in Centre County, Pennsylvania Museums in Centre County, Pennsylvania 1789 establishments in Pennsylvania National Register of Historic Places in Centre County, Pennsylvania