| Bellefonte, Pennsylvania | |
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| — Borough — | |
| Downtown Bellefonte | |
| Motto: Central Pennsylvania's Victorian Secret | |
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Bellefonte, Pennsylvania
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| Coordinates: | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Pennsylvania |
| County | Centre |
| Settled | 1795 |
| Incorporated (borough) | 1806 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Stanley Goldman |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.8 sq mi (4.7 km2) |
| Elevation | 919 ft (280 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 6,187 |
| • Density | 3,510.1/sq mi (1,356.7/km2) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC) |
| Zip | 16823 |
| Area code(s) | 814 |
| Local phone exchanges | 353, 355, 357, 548, and 933 |
| Website | http://bellefonte.net |
Bellefonte is a borough in Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States. It lies about twelve miles northeast of State College and is part of the State College, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 6,187 at the 2010 Census. It is the county seat of Centre County[1] with the courthouse located downtown on the square. Bellefonte has also been home to five of Pennsylvania's governors as well as two other governors.[2] All seven are commemorated in a monument overlooking Talleyrand Park.
The town features many examples of Victorian architecture as well as a natural spring, from which the town gets its name ("la belle fonte") bestowed by Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord during a land-speculation visit to central Pennsylvania in the 1790s. However the spring, which serves as the town's water supply, has been covered to comply with DEP water purity laws (not, as is commonly believed, for fear of its being poisoned). The early development of Bellefonte had been as a "natural town." It started with one house and a crossroad, then iron was found and the town grew.[3]
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Bellefonte is located in the Nittany Valley of the Ridge and Valley Appalachians at (40.914684, -77.774756).[4]
It lies 12 miles northeast of State College, Pennsylvania.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 1.8 square miles (4.7 km2), all of it land.
Bellefonte is in the northwestern corner of and is surrounded by Spring Township.
| Historical populations | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 2000 | 6,395 |
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| 2010 | 6,187 | −3.3% | |
As of the 2010 census, the borough had 6,187 people, 2,837 households, and 1,496 families. The borough was 96.3% White, 1.5% Black or African American, 0.1% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.3% other, and 1.3% were two or more races. 1.4% of the population was of Hispanic or Latino ancestry. The population density was 3,510.1 people per square mile (1,356.7/km²). There were 3,038 housing units at an average density of 1,669.2 per square mile (644.5/km²).[1]
Of the 2,837 households, 23.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.2% were married couples living together, 3.5% had a male householder with no wife present, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 47.2% were non-families. 38.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.10 and the average family size was 2.81.
In the borough the population was spread out with 18.4% under the age of 18, 9.3% from 18 to 24, 29.5% from 25 to 44, 25.7% from 45 to 64, and 17.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 89.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.9 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $48,211, and the median income for a family was $62,292. The per capita income for the borough was $26,938. About 4.4% of families and 10.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.8% of those under age 18 and 11.0% of those age 65 or over.
William Lamb sold his mill to John Dunlop and the next year James Dunlop, John's father, and his son-in-law James Harris laid out block by block and the town became known as Bellefonte. As the years went by, Bellefonte boomed and soon became the most influential town between Pittsburgh and Harrisburg.[5] Bellefonte was a frequent stop in the transcontinental airmail route. The route ran from New York to San Francisco and opened August 20, 1920.
Currently Bellefonte is home to the Red Raiders, the Bellefonte School District's mascot. The school colors are red and white.
The Bellefonte Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977. Other buildings on the National Register of Historic Places are: Bellefonte Armory, Brockerhoff Hotel, Centre County Courthouse, Gamble Mill, McAllister-Beaver House, Miles-Humes House, Pennsylvania Match Company, South Ward School, and the William Thomas House. The Bellefonte Academy was listed until 2008, after having been destroyed by fire in 2004.[6]
The Bush House Hotel was financed by Daniel G. Bush and built in 1868. It was one of the first hotels in the country to have electric lights. A man would stand at the train station and call out to the passengers, "Walk ya' to the Bush House." The Bush House, the Brockerhoff House, the Haag House, and some other hotels were competitors. Thomas Edison stayed at the Bush House.[7]
In the recent years, the Bush House had several businesses in it including Schnitzels Restaurant and it held receptions of various kinds. The Bush House burned down on February 8, 2006.[8]
Another fire heavily damaged one of the borough's other landmark buildings less than four years later. The Cadillac Building, so named because it was originally built as a Cadillac dealership in 1916, was a mix use commercial and residential property hit by a devastating fire on December 22, 2009. Christmas tree lights in one of the apartment units were determined to be the cause.
The first-time visitors who walk along the Victorian streets of Bellefonte see primarily Victorian houses. One of many examples is the Hastings Mansion, which was owned by Mrs. John Lane and was bought and remodeled by Governor Daniel H. Hastings.
In the 1800s the first jail was built. It had an 8-foot underground dungeon, which was located on the rear of the lot of the present YMCA. A second jail was on East High Street.
One of the town's historic sections experienced a renaissance in 2004. The Match Factory (officially the Pennsylvania Match Company), after standing vacant since 1947, was being renovated by the American Philatelic Society as their new home, one building at a time. The site was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2001 and the town was anxious to find an appropriate owner for the historic property.[9]
The Bellefonte area, as part of Centre County, typically enjoys one of the lowest unemployment rates in the state. The primary industries are education, health care, construction, retail, and government.
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Bellefonte forms part of Pennsylvania's 5th congressional district. The current representative is Glenn "G.T." Thompson.
Bellefonte is the county seat of Centre County and home to the Centre County Courthouse.
The Borough of Bellefonte government is currently run by the following elected officials:
The law enforcement arm of the Borough of Bellefonte is the Bellefonte Police Department, served by Chief Shawn P. Weaver.
State Correctional Institution – Rockview, a Pennsylvania Department of Corrections prison located in Benner Township, Pennsylvania, 5 miles (8.0 km) away from Bellefonte.[12][13] The prison houses Pennsylvania's execution chamber.[13]
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