ABCs of Centre County

Oak Hall (College) – One of the county's oldest communities, Oak Hall is also on the road that led from Bellefonte along the base of Mt. Nittany into Penns Valley. Fertile limestone soil and milling operations along Cedar Run served the agricultural needs of the area. The 1825 Georgian stone house and barn built for General James Irvin, the county's most active ironmaster, is at the western edge of the village. Next to it, the remains of an early gristmill serve as a modern residence. A large portion of the village was razed in 1971 to make way for the Mt. Nittany Expressway.

Old Fort/Potter's Fort (Potter) – Old Fort became the anchor in the chain of three forts at the foot of Nittany Mountain for defense against Indians. Captain James Potter, who discovered Penns Valley, returned to the site of his explorations in the early 1770s and built a home near here. In 1777, when Indian raids in the area became more frequent, he erected a stockade around his home and the nearby spring. In later years, Potter's fort was used as a tavern, and in 1825 a new tavern was built. It still stands at the intersections of routes 45 and 144.

Orviston (Curtin) – This community was established in 1905 to manufacture bricks from nearby clay deposits. Orviston is named for its founder, Judge Ellis L. Orvis. Soon after founding Orviston, Orvis sold his interest to General Factories Co. of Philadelphia. As clay became more difficult to mine locally, it was shipped in from the company's Clearfield mine. Over the next four decades, brickmaking continued as improvements were made at the plant. Improvements included the construction of a brickshed and hammer mill, as well as the conversion of the original steam engines to electric motors. In 1962 the operation shifted to Ohio and the Orviston plant was closed.