Iron making has been fundamental to the prosperity of Bellefonte since the very founding of the town. In fact, Bellefonte was the perfect storm for iron production.

Located in a region laden with the natural resources needed to produce iron, huge deposits of high quality iron ore, with few impurities were conveniently located right below the surface. The regionas limestone foundation provided the flux to remove any impurities that did occur. Clear, swiftly flowing streams, delivered the needed water power. Vast forests surrounding the town provided the wood for charcoal to fuel the blast furnaces.

The first ironmasters in Bellefonte, whom Governor James Beaver defined as aa class of men exerting a large influence and controlling to a very great extent, the business of the community which they lived in,a began with Revolutionary War General Philip Benner, who came from Chester County, and John Dunlop, who hailed from Carlisle. They both brought their own trained iron workers with them, resettling them in the wilderness. The presence of these workmen, supervised by skilled ironmasters who could both build and operate furnaces and forges, enabled iron production to grow quickly. Many other families followed the early pioneers into the iron business, ultimately building nearly 20 furnaces and forges near Bellefonte at one point.

When successful, the ironmasters made a lot of money. Their wealth also attracted lawyers, bankers and other prominent individuals to the area to serve their needs. Merchants, builders and other tradesmen came as well.

Between 1800 and 1850, Bellefonte produced over half of the iron used in the entire United States. As growing American communities built railroads, roads and bridges, industrious entrepreneurs crafted wagon wheels, kitchen kettles and other useful items, and the whole country moved West, the demand for iron production grew.

As the vast empires of iron production waned, they left behind not only the massive structures in the region surrounding Bellefonte, but also multiple, opulent homes in town. Many of the Georgian structures built by the original ironmasters constructed from limestone quarried right at the furnace location, are still standing and many more still stand proudly in Bellefonteas historic district.

This Bellefonte Ironmasters Walking Tour takes you past the structures that are located right in Bellefonte. Then, the route connects you on a Bellefonte Ironmasters Driving Tour to explore the countryside around Bellefonte where iron furnace and forge locations host structures.

Tour Stops

Tour Stop 1 – The Richard Knupp Heritage Centre

Address and Location
Bellefonte Art Museum for Centre County
123 N Allegheny St
Bellefonte, PA
16823

Get directionsA HERE.

Begin your Ironmasters Walking Tour at the new Bellefonte Museum and Visitor Center which illustrates several themes of the Bellefonte story integral to local and regional history. Here you can learn more of the story of the ironmasters, how iron came to be produced in the area, the lives of the local families who managed the forges and furnaces and what these families did for the local community with their wealth.

Tour Stop 2A – Dunlop House/Diven House

Year Established
1795

Address and Location
Dunlop House / Diven House
140-143 W High Street
Bellefonte, PA
16823

Get directionsA HERE.

The eastern portion of the Dunlop House at 143 West High Street, was constructed by ironmaster Lt. Col. James Dunlop, who with his son-in-law James Harris, founded Bellefonte. Dunlop served in the Revolutionary War until 1777 and later as a Justice of Common Pleas in Cumberland County. He came to Bald Eagle township in 1794 and purchased a large tract of land to become the first resident of Bellefonte. Immediately to the right of Dunlop House, James Dunlop built Diven House in 1797 for Alexander Diven, who had come with Dunlop from Cumberland County.

Before the courthouse on The Diamond was constructed, the parlor of the structure at 143 served as the courthouse of Centre County during the years 1800 to 1806. The western portion of the same house was built by local ironmasters of the Valentine family in 1848. The architect for both of these homes and many others in the area was John Lowery, who also managed the Bell Font Forg for Dunlop, who was his cousin.

Tour Stop 3 – Curtin Residence

Curtin Residence

Year Established
1868

Address and Location
Curtin Residence
120 W Hight Street
Bellefonte, PA
16823

Get directionsA HERE.

The Curtin Residence, located at 120 West High Street, was the original home of Andrew Gregg Curtin who served as the Republican Governor of Pennsylvania from 1861-1867. Curtin may be better known for organizing the famed “Pennsylvania Reserves,” who saved Washington, DC from capture by Confederate forces following the first Battle of Bull Run.

Constructed in 1868 upon his return to Bellefonte, the native limestone home is a superb example of Tuscan revival architecture with handsome bracketing. The front porch was constructed from piers of a viaduct built over Spring Creek in 1895 and later demolished, that was added to the building by the Elks who purchased the property in 1909.

Tour Stop 4A – Linn House (now Bellefonte ART Museum of Centre)

The Linn House / Bellefonte Art Museum for Centre County

Year Established
1810

Address and Location
Linn House
133 N Allegheny St
Bellefonte, PA
16823

Get directionsA HERE.

The Linn House was originally built for Judge Jonathan Walker by pioneer Bellefonte ironmaster General Philip Benner, to convince him to stay in the area. Benneras early actions and innovations in iron making in the region are credited with the development of the vast mineral wealth in Centre County. After Benner struggled to find good markets for his iron on the East Coast, he looked westward, making good connections with consistent markets in Pittsburgh. This foresight enabled him to enjoy trade in aJuniata irona with no competition for a long period of time.

The Linn House was later occupied by Judge Charles Huston, Governor James A Beaver, as a child, and historian John Blair Linn, most famous for his Linnas History of Centre and Clinton Counties, when he married Benneras grand-daughter. The combination of Georgian archi-tecture and Trenton Limestone set the standard for building in Bellefonte in early 19th century.

Tour Stop 5A – Miles-Potter-Humes House

Miles-Potter-Humes House / Centre County Library and Historical Museum

Year Established
1814

Address and Location
Miles-Potter-Humes House
203 N Allegheny St
Bellefonte, PA
16823

Get directionsA HERE.

This home, which now serves as the headquarters of the Centre County Library and Historical Society was originally built for Captain Joseph Miles, the co-founder of Milesburg. He was also the founder of Centre Furnace Iron Works and founding stockholder of the Centre Bank of Pennsylvania. Captain Miles sold the house to William Wilson Potter and his wife, Lucy in 1803. After her husbandas sudden death in 1839, she invited her niece Lucy Alexander and her husband Edward Humes to make their home with her.

While there, Humes founded the private banking company aHumes, McAllister, Hale and Company in 1856 that was later merged into the First National Bank of Bellefonte. When the last Humes survivor, Anna Elmira Hume, took up residence in the house, she completed extensive renovations, including moving the entire house several feet from the street, enlarging it and adding Victorian detailing. Anna donated the house for use as a public library in her will in 1934.

Tour Stop 6 – First Presbyterian Church

Address and Location
First Presbyterian Church
203 N Spring Street
Bellefonte, PA
16823

Get directionsA HERE.

The first session of the First Presbyterian Church of Bellefonte, built on land given by Dunlop, included Col, James Dunlop, James Harris, Robert Boggs, and James Foster leading a congregation of 50 members. Andrew Gregg Curtin, later became a member of the church as well. Reverend James Linn served as pastor of the church for 58 years, from 1809 until his death in 1868.

Tour Stop 7 – Sarah E. Gephart Munson House

Sarah Gephart Munson House

Address and Location
Sarah e. Gephart Munson House
227 N Allegheny St
Bellefonte, PA
16823

Get directionsA HERE.

Bellefonte lawyer, John W. Gephart, owned this property when he reopened the Valentine Furnace in 1891, serving as President of the Valentine Iron Company and General Manager of the railroad that transported iron to the furnace. After successfully negotiating a plan to reopen the Valentine Furnace, Gephart spent nearly five years fighting the high costs of shipping on the railroad and resigned as President of Valentine Iron when he was unable to successfully settle the dispute. Not to be defeated, he formed the Bellefonte Furnace Company in 1899, which restarted the Valentine Furnace in 1900. Sarah Gephart was the daughter of J. P, Gephart and the wife of Lorenzo Munson who was Gephartas successor at Valentine Iron.

Tour Stop 8 – Rebecca Valentine Pugh House

Year Established
1871

Address and Location
Rebecca Valentine Pugh House
223 West Curtin
Bellefonte, PA
16823

Get directionsA HERE.

As some historians of Bellefonte related, this home was not the home of Evan Pugh, the first President of Penn State He passed away from complications from a fall in 1864 very shortly after his marriage to Rebecca Valentine Pugh. The property was built in 1871 by Robert McKnight for the widow Pugh, her brother Harry and her sister Clara. It stayed in the family for 80 years.

Tour Stop 9 – The Valentine Mansion

Year Established
1870

Address and Location
Valentine Ironmasters Mansion
420 North Allegheny Street
Bellefonte, PA
16823

Get directionsA HERE.

The Valentine familyas affiliation with Bellefonte began in 1815 when six Valentine brothers migrated from Chester County to lease John Dunlopas iron furnace. They want on to become the most successful iron producing family in Bellefonte, a huge player in agriculture in the region and responsible for constructing many community buildings in the area.

Following a devastating fire in 2008, the former Valentine family property was lovingly restored by two Penn State professors who essentially built a new house inside the old structure. They were awarded the 25th Anniversary Historic Preservation Award in Centre County for the effort.

Tour Stop 10 – Andrew G. Curtin Jr. House

Year Established
1880

Address and Location
Andrew G. Curtin Jr. House
127 E Curtin Street
Bellefonte, PA
16823

Get directionsA HERE.

The finely detailed Victorian home at 127 East Curtin was built by Andrew Gregg Curtin, Jr., son of ironmaster Roland Curtin who founded the Eagle Iron Works, now the Curtin Village Historic Site. Contrary to some biographies, Andrew Gregg Curtin, Jr. was not the son of the Civil War Governor as the name would suggest. Along with his father Roland, Curtin, Jr., he formed Loeb and Company in Bellefonte and was also involved with the operation of the Bellefonte Glass Works.

In 1874, when his father and uncle retired from R. C. and J. Curtin Iron Works, Andrew
Gregg Curtin, Jr. formed a new company known as Curtin and Company and served as its general superintendent until 1890 to keep the family business going. Upon his death, this home was sold to William S. Chambers.

Tour Stop 11A – 420 North Allegheny Street

Year Established
1879

Address and Location
420 North Allegheny St
Bellefonte, PA
16823

Get directionsA HERE.

The imposing structure that sits at the top of the hill on North Allegheny was one of the many mansions built for the Valentine and Thomas families, likely the two most successful ironmaster dynasties in the Bellefonte area. In fact, follow on companies to the very successful Valentine and Thomas organization are still extant today. Before the land was purchased by George Valentine, Charles McCafferty, a building contractor who built many of the structures in Bellefonte, constructed a home on the lot that he lost with a turn of his fortunes. Like many historic homes in Bellefonte, the property incorporates a variety of styles, featuring a Gothic Revival pitched roof, windows, and eave brackets, and a Second Empire square tower. The Queen Anne porch was likely added later.

Tour Stop 12 – Thomas Homestead

Year Established
1795

Address and Location
Thomas Homestead
266 N Thomas Street
Bellefonte, PA
16823

Get directionsA HERE.

The rear portion of the Thomas Homestead built in 1785 is the oldest house in present dayBellefonte. It was built by William Lamb, aprominent settler on the Pennsylvania frontier. He sold it to Thomas Gordon in 1788 who sold it to John Dunlop in 1795. The house was then purchased by William Thomas, another area ironmaster, who was a partner in the Valentine and Thomas Ironworks which took over the Dunlop estate after his untimely death in a mining accident. The Georgian front section was added and the property later renamed aThe Wrenas Nest.a Locals believed ait was the fitting home of a very important man, an oasis of refinement in a comparatively rough countryside, a place of meeting for men planning the economic growth of this part of the State.a After many successful years in the iron production business William Thomas died in 1866.

Tour Stop 13 – McAllister-Beaver House

Address and Location
McAllister-Beaver House
817 East Bishop Street
Bellefonte, PA
16823

Get directionsA HERE.

Built on property originally owned by General Philip Benner, the McAllister-Beaver House was home to both Hugh McAllister, one of the key founders of the Farmeras High School, now Penn State and James Beaver, who served as Governor of Pennsylvania and for whom the Stadium at Penn State is named after.

Tour Stop 14 – Willowbank

Address and Location
Willowbank
308 South Potter Street
Bellefonte, PA
16823

Get directionsA HERE.

One of the oldest homes in Bellefonte, Willowbank was built by William Lamb in 1785, in what was then called aLambas Settlement, later enlarged by James Harris and subsequently rented and later owned by William Thomas, when he brought his family to Bellefonte after joining the Valentine and Thomas iron operation. Then called Marlbrook, Thomas renamed the property Willowbank. In 1834, he gave up the house and returned to a simpler Quaker lifestyle and moved to the oldest portion of the Thomas Homestead. The property later became the Bellefonte home for the poor. It is now, once again, a private residence.

Tour Stop 15 – Quaker Meeting House 1831 (Knights of Columbus)

Year Established
1831

Address and Location
Quaker Meeting House 1831
(Knights of Columbus)
Bellefonte, PA
16823

Get directionsA HERE.

Prior to 1830, even though there a significant population of Quakers in Bellefonte, there was no Friend’s Meeting House. George Valentine and his brothers, with their partner, William A. Thomas, decided to build one on their own land for the accommodation of any member of the Society of Friends who might desire to attend or hold a meeting. The local community responded with appreciation: athe rise of the Friend’s meeting in Bellefonte seems worthy of some notice. It was established by four or five men, who, making no special profession of religion, yielded to a simple apprehension of duty, and built a house for the worship of God.