STATE COLLEGE — Former Pennsylvania first lady Katharine Wilson Curtin’s 1880s dress is on display as a temporary exhibit at the Centre Furnace Mansion thanks to a loan from the National Civil War Museum in Harrisburg for conservation by the Katharine Wilson Curtin Tent 62, Daughters of Union Veterans of the Civil War.
Guests are invited to view Curtin’s French-made purple velvet and satin dress and learn about both its history and the preservation efforts to restore the dress. The dress came to the Centre Furnace Mansion on Tuesday, Dec. 17, and can be viewed from 1 to 4 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 19, Friday, Dec. 20 and Sunday, Dec. 21.
According to the Centre County Historical Society, the former Pennsylvania first lady was born Katharine Irvine Wilson and married Andrew Gregg Curtin on May 29, 1844. Her husband, who hailed from Bellefonte, successfully ran for Pennsylvania governor in 1860 and served as the 15th governor in the state until 1867. He was also a United States representative from 1881 until 1887 and the United States ambassador to Russia from 1869 to 1872.
Curtin was the daughter of Mary Potter Wilson and Dr. William Irvine Wilson, a country doctor. Curtin’s maternal grandfather was General Judge James Potter and her great-grandfather was Revolutionary War Colonel (then brigadier general) James Potter.
The dress on display was also brought to the Centre Furnace Mansion under the mentorship of Shippensburg University’s Fashion Archives and Museum. There will also be a docent available for interpretation during the viewing. Additional sponsors include the Central Pennsylvania Civil War Roundtable and Happy Valley Adventure Bureau as the video sponsor.
The exhibit is free and open to the public, on display for a limited time at the Centre Furnace Mansion. More information can be found online at CentreHistory.org.
