The Centre County Library & Historical Museum invites Pennsylvania Room
visitors to enjoy a tour of the museum exhibition rooms as part of your
research trip.
The museum is open for tours during regular
building hours, Monday-Friday,
10-5, and Saturday, 10-4.
Two of the four display rooms, located on the second floor (stairway access
only) of the historic 1814 Miles-Humes House, have been recently renovated. One of the areas is now the Textile Room,
displaying woven and quilted and other fabric items from Centre County,
including an array of wool coverlets made by Emmanuel and William Ettinger
and Frederick Weaver of Aaronsburg in the early to mid-1800's.
The textile display includes two recent acquisitions: a gift of two
Ettinger coverlets in pristine condition from Ellen Burd of Kansas City. Ms.
Burd received the coverlets through her family, the Marshalls of Buffalo
Run, and wanted to return them to the county from which they came, for
safekeeping and the enjoyment of museum visitors.
The second renovated display room showcases an exhibit of Civil War
artifacts from the museum's permanent collections, including a variety of
items from soldier Simon Harper of Penn's Valley, Centre County. Harper was a musician in
the 148th Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteers, and his drum and various other items are displayed, including
two intricately fashioned wooden picture frames that Harper made while he
was in a soldiers' rest camp. The frames contain photographs of Harper and
his wife.
Tours of the Centre County Library & Historical Museum are free.
