This Centre County borough celebrates its heritage year-round while looking toward the future

PHILIPSBURG AT A GLANCE

Population: 2,789 (according to the 2020 U.S. Census Bureau)

Landmarks: Simler House, Moshannon Building, Union Church

Where to eat and drink: The Dead Canary, We Are Inn, Brown Dog Catering, Brother’s Pizza

What else to do there: Black Moshannon State Park, Cold Stream Dam, Rowland Theatre

More info: philipsburgborough.com

Despite Philipsburg borough only covering 0.8 square miles, there’s history around every corner. Located on the western edge of Centre County, Philipsburg has a number of historical sites, with efforts to revitalize the town gaining steam in recent years.

And this week, residents are celebrating at Philipsburg Heritage Days, a five-day festival in honor of the borough. Syed Karimushan, one of the co-chairs for the festival, said the borough may have a long history but has come a long way in recent years.

“Philipsburg has a rich history,” Karimushan said. “So coming into town, you can see that it’s a very old town, but it has revitalized itself over the last few years.”

Historic sites

Originally called Mushannon, Philipsburg was founded in 1797 by Henry Philips, who lured settlers into the area with exaggerated promises of cheap resources and provisions, according to a post on the Happy Valley Adventure Bureau’s blog. Eventually, the region grew around the coal and lumber industries, leading to the Philipsburg Borough as we know it today and its storied history.

Here’s a look at several historic sites:

Union Church and Burial Ground: What started as the town’s first cemetery later became the site for the community’s first meeting space, serving as a dual-purpose schoolhouse and non-denominational church in 1820. In 1841, the church was renovated and covered with old plaster, leading to its more popular name “Old Mud Church.” In 1978, the church and burial grounds were placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Rowland Theatre: Built by and named after Congressman Charles H. Rowland in 1917, the 1000-seat theater has been an icon in Philipsburg ever since. In 1978, it was put up for sale by the Rowland family but was bought by the Philipsburg Borough, with volunteers managing its operations. The single-screen theater shows both movies and live shows, remaining a staple in the community.

Simler House: Right at the corner of Second and Laurel Street sits Philipsburg’s oldest surviving building. Built around 1810, the log cabin built by Revolutionary War veteran John Simler served as a shoe repair shop, boarding house, bakery and tavern. In the 2000s, the house was set to be torn down but instead was purchased and restored by Simler’s descendant, Barabara Bezilla. In 2022, the Philipsburg Historical Foundation turned the home into a living museum, complete with period furniture and items to show what life would be like in Philipsburg in the 1810s.

Cold Stream Dam: Along U.S. Route 322 just outside downtown Philipsburg, the Cold Stream Dam is a popular location for fishing, hiking and picnics. In the winter, the nearby park hosts an iconic Christmas display with a 37-foot wooden Santa Claus, set up by the Philipsburg American Legion.

Restoring downtown

In recent years, the Philipsburg Revitalization Corporation has focused on transforming vacant lots and buildings in downtown Philipsburg. The PRC has turned once-empty lots into green spaces for community gatherings and renovated storefronts into spaces for artists. In May, the PRC was awarded a $147,000 federal community project funding grant to build a new community park along the 100 block of East Pine Street.

“We want this town to look great, and I think that so far we’ve been doing a great job with that,” PRC President Eric Rusnak told the Centre Daily Times in May. “Whenever people ask me how we do it, I always as them the question, ‘How do you rebuild a town?’ back. That’s what we’re doing here — rebuilding Philipsburg, and I’d say things have been coming together quite nicely.”

New businesses and restaurants have also moved into the area in recent years, like The Dead Canary, The Sweet Suite and Sowers Market.

Heritage Days

Philipsburg Heritage Days will be celebrating its 26th anniversary this year, held on the same weekend as State College’s Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts.

“Philipsburg Heritage Days started as a continuation of Bicentennial, which was in 1997 at the 200 anniversary of the founding of Philipsburg,” Karimushan said. “And from that point forward, the celebration continued every year, where we basically put together a festival that attracts a lot of people from in and outside of Philipsburg to come in and see the town.”

The street festival consists of live music events, a parade, firework shows, a watermelon eating contest and more. This year, for Kids Day on Thursday, the town will host a replica of the Optimus Prime truck from the movie “Transformers.”

Events run through July 13. For For a full schedule, visit the Philipsburg Heritage Days website.