Bellefonte Historical and Cultural
Association
Bellefonte, Pennsylvania
Fred D. Smith Collection of Photos and
Postcards of the Diamond and the Centre County Courthouse
BHCA
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Fred D Smith Collection
The Diamond lies at the center of Bellefonte,
surrounded, in clockwise order, by The Courthouse, the Reynolds Bank, the
Brockerhoff Hotel, the IOOF Lodge, and the First National Bank Building.
The Diamond is representative of the Pennsylvania Diamond, characteristic of
towns in Pennsylvania and nearby areas that were settled by Pennsylvanians.
A courthouse was first constructed in 1805 and 1806.
A Grecian column porch was built in 1835. With the exception of the porch,
the entire building was replaced in 1854 and 1855; a new eastwing was added in
1963-1964. The Soldiers and Sailors War Memorial and statue of Andrew
Gregg Curtin were dedicated in 1906; the designer Joseph M. Huston also designed
the State Capitol Building in Harrisburg.
The Reynolds Bank was originally built in 1859 but
burned down in 1888. It was rebuilt by Jackson-Hastings and Co. It
became the Bellefonte Trust Co. around 1900 and in 2005 was remodeled as
additional courtroom space. Immediately east of the Reynolds Bank is the
Garman House, which was remodeled in 1888 and was a gathering place for
politicians and attorneys. To its east is the Garman Opera House,
constructed in 1890; the song "After the Ball is Over" was first sung in public
here. It later was the State Theatre and is presently a movie theatre.
The Brockerhoff Hotel is located at the site of a log
cabin owned by James Benner. Henry Brockerhoff built the hotel in
1864-1865, but it was redesigned by Robert Cole in the 1890s by adding a fourth
floor and mansard roof. It is still a perfect example of 1860-1870 Gothic revival
architecture, with a multi-tiered slate mansard roof and Romanesque windows on
the front.
The First National Bank Building was constructed in
1872, but following a fire in 1888 the present structure was rebuilt in 1889,
along with the Crider Exchange Building immediately to its north. The two
buildings are examples of picturesque eclectic Victorian style. [text on the
Diamond adapted from
The Historical Walking Tour of Bellefonte,
now available as a
Virtual Walking Tour.]
Thumbnails proceed clockwise from the Courthouse around
the Diamond.
Click on the thumbnails to enlarge the images: