College Township, so called because Pennsylvania State College is located within its bounds, was erected from Harris and Benner Townships August 1875. It is remarkable for the number of little villages and hamlets, among which are Lemont, Oak Hall, Houserville and College. Settlements were made within the township at a very early date. Jacob Houser was there as early as 1788 and Robert Moore was there before him. Christian Dale began a settlement near Oak Hall as early as 1790, and David Whitehill settled where the village of Lemont now stands in 1789. Col. John Patton, in connection with Col. Samuel Miles, erected Centre Furnace in the fall of 1791. Operation of Centre Furnace was continued until the year 1858. Pennsylvania State College is the distinguishing feature of the township now.
(SOURCE: Eleventh Census of the Population of the United States Published by Boroughs and Townships, in Connection with a Business Directory of the Same, Bellefonte, Pa., 1890.)
COLLEGE TOWNSHIP CENSUS FIGURES
1880--1,417 1890--1,666 1900--1,146 1910--1,135 1920--1,189 1930--1,610 1940--1,456 1950--2,275 1960--3,957 1970--4,889 1980--6,239 1990--6,709 2000--8,489
(SOURCE: U.S. Census of Population, Bureau of the Census, U.S. Department of Commerce.)
TOWNS & VILLAGES Villages or towns within College Township include Lemont, End of the Mountain, Edenville, Centreville, Dale's Summit, Houserville, Klinger Heights, Centre Furnace, Shiloh, Woodsdale, Oakmont Park, Spring View, College View Park, Hilltop Park, Panorama Village, Redwood Village, Puddintown, Bathgate Springs, Millbrook, Dale's Mills and Armau Village. For a further discussion of these, see Paul M. Dubbs, Where to Go and Place-Names of Centre County, 1961.
TAX ASSESSMENT RECORDS Tax assessment records for College Township from 1876 forward can be found in the basement of the Centre County Library and Historical Museum in Bellefonte. Persons wishing to use these records must first sign the Guest Researcher register in the Pennsylvania Room.