Bellefonte, Pennsylvania facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bellefonte
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Borough
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Downtown Bellefonte
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Location of Bellefonte in Centre County, Pennsylvania
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Location of Centre County in Pennsylvania
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 Bellefonte, Pennsylvania
Location in Pennsylvania
Bellefonte, Pennsylvania
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Pennsylvania |
| County | Centre |
| Settled | 1795 |
| Incorporated (borough) | 1806 |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.84 sq mi (4.78 km2) |
| • Land | 1.84 sq mi (4.78 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 919 ft (280 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 6,105 |
| • Density | 3,310.74/sq mi (1,278.08/km2) |
| Demonym(s) |
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| Time zone | Eastern (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT |
| ZIP Code |
16823
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| Area code(s) | 814 |
| FIPS code | 42-05256 |
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Pennsylvania Historical Marker
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| Designated: | May 08, 1947 |
Bellefonte is a small town, called a borough, in Centre County, Pennsylvania. It is the main town, or county seat, of Centre County. Bellefonte is about 12 miles (19 km) northeast of State College. It is part of the larger State College area.
In 2020, about 6,105 people lived here. The town is home to the Centre County Courthouse, which is downtown. Bellefonte is special because five of Pennsylvania's governors once lived here. Two other governors also called Bellefonte home. A monument in Talleyrand Park honors all seven of them.
The town is famous for its many beautiful Victorian-style buildings. It also has a natural spring called "la belle fonte," which means "the beautiful fountain" in French. This name was given by Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord in the 1790s. The town gets its name from this spring, which still provides water for the town today.
Bellefonte started as a small settlement with one house and a crossroad. It grew quickly after iron was discovered nearby.
Contents
History
In 1794, a man named William Lamb sold his mill. The next year, John Dunlop and James Harris planned out the town we now know as Bellefonte.
Over time, Bellefonte grew very fast. It became a very important town. It was the most influential place between Pittsburgh and Harrisburg.
Bellefonte Historic District
The Bellefonte Historic District is a special area in town. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977. This means its buildings are important to history. Many other buildings in Bellefonte are also on this list. These include the Bellefonte Armory and the Centre County Courthouse.
Bush House Hotel
The Bush House Hotel was built a long time ago, between 1868 and 1869. It was one of the first hotels in the country to have electric lights! Many famous people stayed there, including Thomas Edison. Sadly, the Bush House burned down on February 8, 2006.
The Cadillac Building
This building was designed by Anna Wagner Keichline. She was a pioneering female architect from Bellefonte. It opened in 1916 as a car dealership. It had a showroom, a repair shop, and even living space. The building was badly damaged by a fire in 2009.
The Cadillac Building was rebuilt in 2016. It now has 11 apartments. It is still an important part of the Bellefonte Historic District.
Garman Opera House
The Garman Opera House was built in 1890. Many famous performers came here. These included George Burns and Gracie Allen, Tom Mix, and Harry Houdini. Some say the song "After the Ball" was first sung here.
Later, it became a movie theater, showing both silent films and "talkies." In the 1990s, it was restored for live shows and movies again. A fire in 2012 severely damaged the opera house. It was later taken down in 2014. The Garman House was rebuilt in 2016 and now has apartments.
Victorian Era
When you walk through Bellefonte, you will see many Victorian-style houses. These homes show what the town looked like a long time ago. For example, the Hastings Mansion is a beautiful Victorian house.
In the 1800s, the town built its first jail. It even had a dungeon! A second jail was later built on East High Street.
Renaissance
One historic part of town got a fresh start in 2004. The Match Factory, which was empty since 1947, was fixed up. The American Philatelic Society made it their new home. This site was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2001.
Geography
Bellefonte is located in the Nittany Valley. This area is part of the Ridge and Valley Appalachians mountain range. The town is about 12 miles (19 km) northeast of State College.
The town covers about 1.8 square miles (4.7 km²), and it's all land. Spring Creek flows through Bellefonte. This creek is crossed by the Bellefonte Veterans Bridge.
Population Information
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1810 | 303 | — | |
| 1820 | 433 | 42.9% | |
| 1830 | 698 | 61.2% | |
| 1840 | 1,032 | 47.9% | |
| 1850 | 1,179 | 14.2% | |
| 1860 | 1,477 | 25.3% | |
| 1870 | 2,655 | 79.8% | |
| 1880 | 3,026 | 14.0% | |
| 1890 | 3,946 | 30.4% | |
| 1900 | 4,216 | 6.8% | |
| 1910 | 4,145 | −1.7% | |
| 1920 | 3,996 | −3.6% | |
| 1930 | 4,804 | 20.2% | |
| 1940 | 5,304 | 10.4% | |
| 1950 | 5,651 | 6.5% | |
| 1960 | 6,088 | 7.7% | |
| 1970 | 6,828 | 12.2% | |
| 1980 | 6,300 | −7.7% | |
| 1990 | 6,358 | 0.9% | |
| 2000 | 6,395 | 0.6% | |
| 2010 | 6,187 | −3.3% | |
| 2020 | 6,105 | −1.3% | |
In 2010, Bellefonte had 6,187 people. Most people in Bellefonte are White. About 1.4% of the people were of Hispanic or Latino background.
The average age of people in Bellefonte was 39 years old. About 18.4% of the population was under 18. About 17.1% of the population was 65 or older.
Economy
The Bellefonte area has one of the lowest unemployment rates in Pennsylvania. This means many people have jobs here. The main jobs are in education, health care, building, retail, and government.
Major Employers
- Bellefonte Area School District (schools)
- Centre County Government (local government)
- Geisinger Health System (healthcare)
- Graymont (materials)
- Hilex Poly (manufacturing)
- Restek (science equipment)
- State Government (state jobs)
- Supelco (science equipment)
- U.S. Federal Government (federal jobs)
- Weis Markets (grocery stores)
- YMCA of Centre County (community services)
Prisons
There are a few correctional facilities near Bellefonte. The Centre County Correctional Facility is run by the county. The State Correctional Institution – Rockview and State Correctional Institution – Benner are state-run facilities. These places hold people who have been found guilty of crimes.
Education
The Bellefonte Area School District runs the public schools in Bellefonte. There are also private schools like Centre County Christian Academy. Saint John the Evangelist Roman Catholic School has classes for young children up to fifth grade.
Bellefonte is also close to Pennsylvania State University, which is about 10 miles away. Many people in Bellefonte have connections to Penn State.
Infrastructure
Transportation
Bellefonte has local bus service provided by the Centre Area Transportation Authority. These buses connect Bellefonte to places in State College. You can also fly from the University Park Airport for commercial flights.
Bellefonte does not have passenger train service. The closest train stations are in Lewistown and Tyrone. These stations serve Amtrak's Pennsylvanian train.
In the past, Bellefonte had more train services. The Bellefonte Central Railroad served the town until 1946. The Pennsylvania Railroad also ran passenger trains through Bellefonte until the 1950s.
Roads
A turnpike was built in 1822. This road connected Bellefonte to Clearfield in the west and Sunbury in the east. Today, Pennsylvania Route 550 goes through the town. Major highways like Interstate 99 and US Route 220 pass by the eastern edge of Bellefonte.
Notable people
- Dereck Lively II – Professional Basketball Player
- Jonathan Frakes – director, Star Trek actor
- George Grey Barnard – sculptor
- Alison Bechdel – cartoonist and graphic novelist
- Clifford Carlson – former University of Pittsburgh men's college basketball coach
- Todd Christensen – former NFL tight end
- Doyle Corman – former member of the Pennsylvania State Senate
- Jake Corman – member of the Pennsylvania State Senate
- Andrew Gregg Curtin – Governor of Pennsylvania (1861–1867)
- Nathan Alan Cutietta – documentary filmmaker
- Robert Alan Cutietta – author, composer, arts leader
- Inka Essenhigh – artist
- Scott Fry – former Director of the Joint Staff for the United States Department of Defense
- Chris Garner – tennis player (R16 in Australian Open 1993)
- John Irvin Gregg – Union army general
- Daniel H. Hastings – Governor of Pennsylvania (1895–1899)
- John W. Heston – former president of three universities
- William Harrison Holly – former United States federal judge
- Belle Howard – dramatic reader and music teacher
- Merle G. Kearns – former member of the Ohio House of Representatives
- Anna Keichline – first female architect to be certified in Pennsylvania
- James Knepper – former member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
- Eric Milton – Major League Baseball player
- David Petrikin – former member of the U.S. House of Representatives
- Thomas M. Reynolds – U.S. Congressman
- Jeremy Rose – horse jockey
- Joseph A. Smith – artist and professor at the Pratt Institute
- Matt Suhey – Chicago Bears fullback
- Glenn Thompson – member of the U.S. House of Representatives
- Gregg Troy – college and Olympic swimming coach
- Jeff VanderMeer – author, editor, literary critic
- David Vogan – mathematician
- Jeffrey P. von Arx, S.J. – President of Fairfield University
- Richard L. Walker – author and former ambassador to South Korea
- John Montgomery Ward – Hall of Fame baseball player
See also
In Spanish: Bellefonte (Pensilvania) para niños
