{{Short description|Historic house in Pennsylvania, United States}} {{Use American English|date=July 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}} {{Infobox NRHP | name = Boal Mansion | nrhp_type = nrhp | nrhp_type2 = | designated_other1 = | designated_other1_name = | designated_other1_abbr = | designated_other1_color = | designated_other1_link = | image = Boal Mansion 1.JPG | image_size = 240 | caption = The mansion in 2013 | locmapin = Pennsylvania#USA | mapframe = yes | mapframe-marker = building | mapframe-zoom = 12 |mapframe-caption = Interactive map showing the location of Boal Mansion | coordinates = {{coord|40|46|44|N|77|48|1|W|display=inline,title}} | location = U.S. Route 322 and Pennsylvania Route 45 in Boalsburg, Harris Township, Pennsylvania | area = {{convert|38|acre}} | built = 1809-1820 | builder = David Boal; Theodore Davis Boal | demolished = | restored = 1952 | restored_by = | architecture = Beaux Arts, Georgian | mpsub = | sigdate1_label = Expanded | sigdate1 = 1898-1905 | delisted = | designated_nrhp_type = {{start date|1978|12|4}} | designated_other1_date = | delisted_nrhp_type = | delisted_other1_date = | refnum = 78002361<ref name="nris">{{NRISref |refnum=78002361|version=2010a}}</ref> | website = <!-- {{URL|www.example.com}} --> | designated_other1_number = | designated_other1_num_position = both | nocat = }}
'''Boal Mansion''' is a historic home located at Boalsburg, Harris Township, Centre County, Pennsylvania. The original pioneer cabin was built in 1809 and was a simple {{frac|1|1|2}}-story stone house. It was incorporated as the kitchen and kitchen hall when the house was expanded. The expansion is a two-story stone house in the Georgian style which measures {{convert|30 by 50|feet}} and has a side hall plan. The house was expanded again between 1898 and 1905 by Theodore Davis Boal and introduced some Beaux-Arts style design. The main façade was expanded from three to five bays.
The collection on display includes the admiral's desk of Christopher Columbus, a lock of hair of Napoleon, two pieces of the true cross of Jesus and the carriages, tools and weapons of eight generations of Boals. Also on the property is the 16th century Columbus Chapel, which was imported from Spain in 1909; an 1898 hipped-roof carriage house; a silo and Boal Barn, previously a summer theater; a stone smoke house; and two outdoor fireplaces.<ref name=nrhpdoc>{{cite report|type=none|url=https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71994716 |title=National Register of Historic Places Registration: Pennsylvania SP Boal Mansion|publisher=National Archives and Records Administration |author= Greg Ramsey and Bill McLaughlin|date= n.d.| access-date=December 13, 2025 }} ({{NationalArchivesNote}})</ref> The house, open as a historic house museum, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.<ref name="nris"/><ref>https://www.boalmuseum.com/</ref>
==Nittany Theatre at the Barn== '''The Barn''' housed a theatre on the Boal Mansion property which was used as a playhouse during the summer months by the Nittany Theatre.<ref>{{cite web |title=Home |url=https://nittany-theatre.weebly.com/ |website=NITTANY THEATRE |access-date=28 March 2022 |language=en}}</ref> There were usually around six plays or musicals each summer with professional and local actors and actresses, as well as smaller theater projects. Penn State playwrights have also had premieres, read-throughs and dress rehearsals at the Barn.
==Gallery== <gallery mode=packed heights=150px> Boal Mansion 3.JPG | The 1898 carriage house Boal Mansion 4.JPG | The 1909 Christopher Columbus chapel Boal Mansion 7.JPG | The barn </gallery>
==References== {{Commons category|Boal Mansion}} {{reflist}}
==External links== *{{Official|boalmuseum.com}} *{{Cite web |last1=Donnelly |first1=Lu |display-authors=etal |title=Boal House, Boalsburg, Pennsylvania |website=SAH Archipedia |editor1-last=Esperdy |editor1-first=Gabrielle |editor2-last=Kingsley |editor2-first=Karen Kingsley |location=Charlottesville |publisher=University of Virginia Press |date=2012 |url=http://sah-archipedia.org/buildings/PA-01-CE14}} *Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) documentation, filed under 163 Boal Estate Road, Boalsburg, Centre County, PA: **{{HABS |survey=PA-6735 |id=pa4050 |title=Boal Mansion |photos=4 |cap=1 |link=no}} **{{HABS |survey=PA-6735-A |id=pa4051 |title=Boal Mansion, Barn |photos=3 |cap=1 |link=no}}
{{National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania}}
Category:Houses completed in 1789 Category:Historic house museums in Pennsylvania Category:Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania Category:Historic American Buildings Survey in Pennsylvania Category:Georgian architecture in Pennsylvania Category:Beaux-Arts architecture in Pennsylvania Category:Houses in Centre County, Pennsylvania Category:Museums in Centre County, Pennsylvania Category:1789 establishments in Pennsylvania Category:National Register of Historic Places in Centre County, Pennsylvania