Boal Mansion

Boal Mansion is a historic home located at Boalsburg, Harris Township, Centre County, Pennsylvania. The original pioneer cabin was built in 1809 and was a simple 1 1/2 story stone house. It was incorporated as the kitchen and kitchen hall, when the house was expanded shortly after that. This expansion is a two-story, stone house in the Georgian style. It measures 30 feet by 50 feet and has a side hall plan. The house was expanded again between 1898 and 1905, and introduced some Beaux-Arts style design. The main facade was expanded from three to five bays.

There is a collection on display that includes the Admiral's desk of Columbus, a lock of hair of Napoleon and two pieces of the True Cross of Jesus, as well as carriages, tools and weapons of eight generations of Boals. Also on the property is the Columbus Chapel (sixteenth century, imported from Spain in 1909), a hipped roof carriage house (1898), Boal Barn (now a summer theater) and silo, a stone smoke house, and two outdoor fireplaces. The house is open as a historic house museum. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978

The Boal Barn is used as a playhouse during the summer months by the Nittany Players at the Boal Barn Playhouse. There are usually around 6 plays/musicals a summer with local actors and actresses as well as smaller theater projects. Playwrights at local Penn State have also been known to have premieres, read throughs and dress rehearsals at Boal Barn.