About twelve miles east of State College lies that of Bellefonte, a Pennsylvania town known for its wide variety of Victorian architecture.
Some of these buildings hold historical value and have become landmarks as a result.
This prestigious group includes the Valentine House, a stone mansion built in 1870 and was once owned by the town’s forger.
There is also The Queen, a bed and breakfast built in 1885 that offers an authentic Victorian Era experience.
As a way to celebrate the rich history and draw attention to these historic homes, Bellefonte created The Old House Fair.
Sponsored by the Philatelic Society, the Old House Fair serves as a way to bring people together who are interested in old house restoration.
Most notable of the bunch is the Bellefonte Match Factory, home of the Philatelic Society and the location of this year’s Old House Fair.
“The Old House Fair is a two day event for home owners, business owners, owners of old buildings, to provide ideas for how they can be fixed up, can become economically beneficial, and improve the appearance and make Bellefonte and other areas even better.”
The Valentine House and The Queen are prime examples of houses that have since been restored.
Ken also explained the reason for the Philatelic Society’s involvement in the fair.
“The American Philatelic Society is a national organization for postage stamp collectors. We are sponsoring the fair in part number one our members have an interest in historic type things, number two we are in a facility that has been fixed up. this is on the historic registry of buildings built beginning in the 1890’s so it’s a perfect example of an old house or old buildings that have been renovated and are now being successfully used.”
Due to success with restoration efforts, The Match Factory is now home to multiple businesses, making it economically beneficial.
If you wish to be apart of this celebration of preserving history, the Old House Fair will be expecting bigger crowds than ever this year on April 29th and 30th.