John I. Thompson Grain Elevator and Coal Sheds
College Township, Centre County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
Erected in 1885 for his son John by Lemont founder Moses Thompson, this complex was a hub of trade for Centre County. Grain was exported and coal imported on the Bellefonte, Nittany, & Lemont Railroad, later part of the Pennsylvania Railroad, contributing to the regional economy. These buildings are rare surviving examples of wooden structures of their kind. Moses Thompson was also a founder of Farmer's High School, now Penn State University.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
Built in 1885 by Lemont founder Moses Thompson for his son John, this grain elevator and coal shed complex became a bustling center of trade for Centre County. Grain moved out and coal came in over the Bellefonte, Nittany & Lemont Railroad, later folded into the mighty Pennsylvania Railroad, tying this rural community into the wider industrial economy. The wooden buildings are now rare survivors of a once-common rural commercial form, and Moses Thompson also helped found the school that became Penn State University.
Why it matters
It shows how the railroad and country grain trade knit nineteenth-century farm communities into national markets, a transformation that reshaped rural American life.
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Related people
- · Moses Thompson
- · John I. Thompson
Themes & tags
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