Boalsburg – The Little Known Home of Columbus in America
The small hamlet of Boalsburg, just south of State College is a strange – yet fascinating place. Home to the largest collection of Columbus artifacts in the western hemisphere, its claim to fame, one wonders why it is not better known. Yet, this obscure town remains as it always has, a calm escape into the foothills of central Pennsylvania.
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A Brief History of Boalsburg
What is in a name… Boals-burg, Boal representing the Scottish-Irish immigrant Boal family. Settling here in 1898, David Boal established the town in 1808, after purchasing and subdividing the land. The city, being blessed with high quality spring water would soon take hold and a post office would even crop up by 1820.
Everything of value in the town is named after the semi-famous family , more of witch will be touch on when explaining the history of the Boal mansion.
What to do in Boalsburg?
For a small urban center, Boalsburg sure has a lot to do. Here is a quick rundown on how to spend your day here.
Walk Around Historic Boalsburg
Like many small town, your first stop in Boalsburg should be to visit the Heritage Museum Association. This will allow you to soak in the regional flavor of the area and to understand its importance in the context of the history of the county at wide.
From there you should walk down Main St, historic Pennsylvania route 45. The houses are mostly wood painted Victorians with stunning front porches along with a few stone structures.
Pay particular attention to the Springfield House and the cluster of homes where Main intersects church street. These include a pretty log cabin. If you are hungry for either lunch or supper I recommend the historic Boalsburg tavern, dating from 1819 it is the place to go for drinks and grub.
When you are done take a stroll to the historic cemetery. You find two pretty masonry churches Zion’s and St John’s at the entrance. This plot of land is home to the birthplace of Memorial Day, the tradition was established in 1864 when three local women Emma Hunter, Elizabeth Myers and Sophie Keller decorated buried soldiers graves. The Zion church, located in the graveyard is the oldest in town. It dates from 1927.
Visit the Boal Familly Mansion and Columbus Chapel
The main attraction of Boalsburg is a spooky home and chapel belonging to the Boal Familly. A short stone fence delimits the perimeter, with a long tree lined gravel roadway bringing you up and into the property. At the back is an old shed along with the chapel itself and midway through the spooky house itself, tucked way in the corner is an old wooden barn that now serves as a theater. Sometimes artists from nearby Penn State perform here.
***Warning if you wish to tour the Chapel and the Historic Mansion, you need to book a time slot through this link.***
When you arrive follow the gravel road to the to the back of the property, so that you may park your car.
You will find the parking near the retrofitted back shed, the old carriage house. The hip-roofed building now serves an an exhibition space, one of many on the property. Inside you will find a restored 1850’s stagecoach and many farm tools used by David Boal.
To understand how a famous collection of Columbus artifacts ended up in Boasburg, you will need to understand the history of the Boal familly. To do this you will tour the Boal Mansion, a Georgian styled building that still retains much of the original furnishings that came with the continuous occupation of Boal family members.
Inside you will find several exibits along with authentic furniture. Since the Boal family has a proud military tradition, you will also find an Armory containing a large collection of weapons from 8 generations of Boals, from the medieval ages to the First World War. This includes swords, rifles, and pistols and David Boal’s Pennsylvania long rifle and Captain John Boal’s officer’s saber from the Civil War.
Now about the Boal Family (and its links to Columbus). After the death of family patriarch David, the subsequent generations carried the torch. His son, George, a farmer founded, the Farmers High School in 1852, that school is now called Penn State University. This explains the towns ongoing connection to the famous university. The third generation of Boals would amass an industrial fortune. The fourth generation was heralded by Colonel Theodore Davis Boal, a man of means, he went to Europe in the 1890’s. There he met and married Mathilde de Lagarde, a descendant of Christopher Columbus. In 1909 she would inherit the Columbus chapel and the couple would bring the artifacts to Boalsburg in 1909 from their former home at Columbus Castle in Asturias, Spain.
Behind the building you will find an assortment of tombstones but its whats inside the stone structure that is truly special. Amongst the fine oil paintings, statues and other things, you will find a collection of odd and exotic artifacts. On display you will find Columbus’s Admiral desk, a lock of hair of Napoleon and two pieces of the True Cross of Jesus and at the very back of of the room his sea chest. It is the single largest Columbus collection North America. The pieces of the cross were given to him by the Bishop of Leon in 1817.
Get Your History Fix at the Pennsylvania Military Museum
On the north side of Boal Avenue, only a few minutes from the Boal Mansion, you will find a military museum unlike many others. You will be greeted on your way in by the barrels of BB-38 naval artillery from the USS Pennsylvania at the gate and in the parking lot a tank. In this area, you will gain access to the Pennsylvania military museum and memorial to its was dead.
The museum was built in the 1960’s at the height of the Vietnam war and looks like an imposing piece of concrete. From the outside once could almost say that it looks like a bunker, the original intent of the architect. Breaking the illusion is the military medal like siding added during a later renovation. The museum details the history of the Pennsylvania Army National and the Pennsylvania soldiers that have participated in America’s wars.
While walking to the memorial you will notice a large steel wind-chime adding the the atmosphere of the area. There are many markers that delineate or recall loses from several wars and accidents.
The main memorial is dedicated to the 28th division. The idea for this shrine came about from Theodore Boal who put up a part of his estate for its construction. The land that both the museum and shrine are part of once belonged to him and were part of his stables. During the First World War, Theodore established a privately funded machine gun company. The unit trained on the land and was enlisted with the Pennsylvania National Guard. After returning home in 1919, a reunion for the men was held and a memorial to the fallen established. The site grew to become the 28th Infantry Division National Shrine. It was also in this same year that Boal was reported to have shipped back from war-torn France a number of relics removed from the battlefield for eventual display in a museum to be located on his property. This shrine is made of grey stone and features a terraced entrance, cut off by a stream and crossed by a stone bridge. In the center is a large steel cross and a wall of inscriptions.
Boal was not done here. He also brought back a collection of items from Europe that would serve as the basis for the future museum. An Officers Club would be built and Boal would give the land to the state. It remained an cavalry post until 1936 and reunions at the site were frequent. After that the site was shut down but the frequent use as a gathering spot ensured that the site continued to be used to this day.
Conclusion
Boalsburg works best as a half-day/day trip from State College due to its proximity. Use State College as a night time destination and visit the lively college town bar scene and come to Boalsburg when the sun is out. Although it may not seem like much more than a small spec on a map Boalsburg punches much above its weight.
