POTTER TOWNSHIP — To celebrate Potter Township turning a quarter of a millennium, the township will hold a community celebration on Saturday, June 8. A range of events, including historical bus tours; campfire ghost tales by Jeffrey Frazier, a Centre Hall native esteemed for his books which archive the folktales of Pennsylvania; a game show; festival activities; and more, will be held throughout the day to “celebrate the rich heritage and bright future” of Potter Township, shared committee planning member Amber Hubert.
The Potter Township 250 Heritage Day will take place on the south side of the Grange Fairgrounds. Parking for the event is free.
Four bus tours that cover the historical landmarks in the region will be given throughout the day. The tours will be led by Jeffrey Wert, a retired Penns Valley teacher, and Martin Tobias, a Penns Valley history teacher.
“We have two fantastic native historians here, that we really wanted to take advantage of,” Hubert shared, while explaining the planning process for the event. “Jeffrey Wert is a retired Penns Valley history teacher, and every time his name came up while planning, people kept sharing about how he was their history teacher and how he was so good at captivating his audience. Martin Tobias is a current history teacher, and every year he takes his students on a bus tour all around Penns Valley, so he has a lot of insight.”
Hubert said that many of the notable historic sites in the area are on private property, which can make it a challenge for residents to visit them. The bus tour aims to make these sites accessible for the day so the community can enjoy and learn about the rich history of Potter Township. Stops along the tour include the Andrew Gregg Homestead, the Standford House, Eutaw House, Sinking Creek Cemetery, Shadeacre Monument and more.
“After living here for two years, I realized that there’s so, so much that’s undiscovered,” Hubert shared. “If you’ve lived here your whole life, if you’re native, then maybe you know. But people that are new to the community might not realize that this is the oldest township in Centre County. They don’t know that Potter Township originally incorporated all of Penns Valley. It’s huge and it’s really, really cool how far back the history goes. A lot of the landmarks have been standing since the 17 and 18 hundreds.”
Bus tours are $5 and can be purchased at the Potter Township office. The tours will occur during the following times:
• Tour A — 10 a.m. to noon
• Tour B — 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
• Tour C — 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
• Tour D — 1 to 3 p.m.
“There’s so much history in Pennsylvania and so many well-known places,” Hubert said. “I feel like Bellefonte has done a really great job of highlighting their history. State College has done a good job. But I feel like Penns Valley is just this little hidden gem and I just want to showcase it. We’ve got really cool histories up here too.”
In addition to the bus tours, a festival will be held at the fairgrounds from 3 to 8 p.m. Food vendors will be available during the festival, and the Centre Hall Fire Company will cook and serve free food from 5 to 6:30 p.m. A cake by Delectable Delights will be served for free as well. Throughout the festival, games, crafts, face painting, an appearance by Tilly the Clown and more for children will occur. At 4 p.m. three contestants will demonstrate their knowledge of Penns Valley at the “Uncovering Potter Township: Game Show.”
Those interested in competing in the game show must submit an entry form to the Potter Township office by Saturday, June 1. The game show will be hosted by Frazier, who will share selected tales from his book “Pennsylvania Fireside Ghost Tales” later in the evening. Campfire Ghost Tales is free for all ages and will begin at dusk at Penns Prairie Park.
“My goal and the other community members’ goal is to bring the community together,” Hubert said. “We’re so wrapped up in technology and its advancement, the internet, social media and AI. I want to make the history of how we got here a bit more accessible to everyone. To all ages, but especially to the youth.”
For more information, visit the Heritage Day: Potter Township’s 250th Anniversary page on Facebook or pottertownship.org.
