This page courtesy of the Columbus Chapel and Boal Mansion Museum
Press release:
For Immediate Release Contact:
Christopher Lee
(814) 466-9266
chris@boalmuseum.com
Boalsburg Plans Annual Memorial Day Celebration
(Boalsburg, PA) - The Village of Boalsburg will celebrate Memorial Day for the 144th time with a day of activities and a ceremony of remembrance on May 26, 2008.
Boalsburg is widely known as the birthplace of Memorial Day. The first celebration was held in 1864, when three townswomen gathered in the cemetery to decorate the graves of fallen soldiers. The tradition is now carried on by local Girl Scout Troop 1184.
Throughout the day, nearly 20,000 visitors will have a chance to spend a day in town, tempting their taste buds with local foods and shopping for wares from artisans from across the Northeast. Three museums – the Boalsburg Heritage Museum, the Boal Mansion and the Pennsylvania Military Museum – will have family oriented activities throughout the day, including encampments and a battle by Civil War re-enactors.
The day kicks off with a Fun Run at Blue Spring Park at 8:30 AM. The festival runs from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM and features local musicians, a traditional Maypole dance and local artisans. The 6:00 PM service caps the day with a community address by Bruce Gamble, a World War II historian and author and former resident of Boalsburg.
For a complete list of events, please visit, www.boalmuseum.com/memorialday.village.htm, or phone (814) 466-9266.
Photo caption: Union and Confederate soldiers will square off for two battles at the Boal Estate as part of Boalsburg Memorial Day festivities on May 26th.
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Memorial Day festivities take place Monday, May 26, 2008.
Quick click directory:
For full schedule of events for Boalsburg on Monday, May 26, 2008, click here
For information on Boalsburg Village Conservancy, sponsor of Memorial Day events, click here
For Boal Mansion Museum web site, click here
Boalsburg, Pennsylvania: Birthplace of Memorial Day
2008 Boalsburg Memorial Day Activities
Directory of this page (click on item for details):
It was an early fall day in 1864 when Emma Hunter and her friend, Sophie Keller, picked flowers and went to the old cemetery to lay them on the grave of Emma’s father, Reuben Hunter. Dr. Hunter was a young Boalsburg doctor at the time of the Civil War. When he volunteered to serve with the Army of the North, he was assigned to the hospital in Baltimore. In addition to attending the wounded soldiers, he also cared for the men who had contracted yellow fever while fighting in the southern swamplands. Dr. Hunter became ill and died of yellow fever and his body was buried in the Boalsburg cemetery.
On their way the two young girls met Mrs. Elizabeth Myers whose young son, Amos, had been killed the last day of the Battle of Gettysburg and was buried in the old cemetery.
Photo right: Civil War re-enactors fire a salute at the Boalsburg Memorial Day Service as Boy Scouts watch.
Learning where the girls were going, Mrs. Myers asked to join them. They shared the flowers and placed them on both graves. It was decided then that they would meet the following year with flowers for all who had died in the Civil War. The three young women told their friends of the plans and when the day came ‘round, most of the villagers joined them.
From that simple beginning came the observance of Memorial Day in Boalsburg. Every year since then, the people have met on the Diamond in Boalsburg Square for the walk to the old cemetery to lay flowers on the graves of all the soldier dead. They are led by a home town band and all ages join in the walk and participate in the simple service of remembering.
Overview of Memorial Day, Monday, May 26, 2008:
Since 1974, the Boalsburg Village Conservancy has organized the Boalsburg Memorial Day festival, “A Day in Towne,” to remember those who gave of themselves and to celebrate our community today. In 1978 the Conservancy organized the community committee which today still organizes the daytime festival which draws up to 25,000 people to Boalsburg in a single day.
This year, Boalsburg will continue the tradition when it celebrates A Day in Towne on Monday, May 26, 2008. This year's celebration will include music, food, crafts, and exhibits in Boalsburg Village and at the Boal Mansion Museum and will celebrate the community's history with tours of the Boal Mansion Museum and the Boalsburg Heritage Museum.
The Maypole Dance led by the Central Pennsylvania Day Workshop will take place at 12:30 pm on the Diamond. There will also be a North-South Civil War skirmish twice during the day at the Boal Mansion, at 10 am and 1:30 pm.
The highlight of A Day in Towne will be the traditional 6:00 pm service. This service is a concrete expression of the community's gratitude to all those who have contributed to the defense of our country and to those who have served the community of Boalsburg and Harris Township. The service gets underway at 5:45 pm with the traditional walk from Boalsburg's Diamond to the cemetery. The service itself starts at 6:00 pm. Christopher Lee, Boalsburg Village Conservancy President, will be this year's Master of Ceremonies. Rev. Brent Book of Boalsburg's Zion Lutheran Church will give the Invocation. The Heritage Singers will sing several patriotic songs while the Boy Scout Troop 380 will present the national colors. The service will also feature the Boalsburg Firemen's Memorial and two Civil War re-enactment groups: Battery B, 3rd Pennsylvania Light Artillery and Company C, 148th Pennsylvania Infantry.
This year's speaker will be Bruce Gamble. A former resident of Boalsburg and son of the late Dr. Hays Gamble who was a Harris Township supervisor, Bruce served as a Naval Flight Officer in the 1980's until a spinal cord tumor left him a wheel chair user. Since then, he has written three books on World War II and has spoken on numerous nationwide television programs. His topic will be “No Finer Folk: A Tribute to the People of Boalsburg." Following Mr. Gamble's address, the soldier's graves will be decorated. The Heritage Singers performance and Rev. Book's closing prayer will conclude the service.
Memorial Day activities
that are planned for Monday, May 26th in Boalsburg will provide just about
anything event-goers can imagine. From 9:00 am to 5:00 pm there will be craft
sales and demonstrations along Church and Main Streets, with 80 dealers on Main
and 25 more on Church Street participating. Demonstrations include chair caning,
whittling, wood-working, and jewelry making. A special annual feature is the
Maypole Dance (photo, left), which will again be performed by the Central PA Dance Workshop in
the morning on the Diamond. Village shops and restaurants in the Diamond area
will be open during their normal hours, as will the restaurants on nearby Boal
Avenue, with the Pump Station Café open early for coffee and breakfast, and Kelly’s for lunch and dinner.
Harris Township service organizations will hold food sales, featuring special offerings, including drinks and baked goods. The schedule of music on the diamond is:
On the stage on the diamond in Boalsburg village, 2008 schedule:
9:00 – 9:45a.m. The Collins Family Band
10:15 – 11:15 a.m. State College High School Jazz Band
11:45 – 12:45 p.m. The Little German Band (Maypole dance at 12:30)
1:15 – 2:15 p.m. The Deacons of Dixieland
2:30 – 3:30 p.m. Al and Chrissy Miller Duo
4:00 – 5:00 p.m. Second Winds Jazz Band
The Boalsburg Heritage Museum will be open and once again offering soup and bread as part of its Annual Soup Sale on Memorial Day. Ham and bean and vegetable soup will be on sale. All of the food is donated and prepared by community members. The proceeds benefit the Boalsburg Heritage Museum. Soup should be ready for sale by 10:30 am and will be available through 3:30 pm, or until gone. Heritage Museum members: expect a call asking for a donation of either a vegetable soup or loaf of bread. Drop off soup and bread behind the township building after 6:30 am. Be sure to put your name on any container you would like to have returned. We also need people to prepare and serve the soup. Do consider donating an hour of your time to help.
On the porch at the Heritage Museum, Monday, May 26, 2008:
2:00 – 4:00 p.m. Dan and Galla
In addition to the Soup Sale the Boalsburg Heritage Museum Gallery will be open from 10:00 am - 4:00 pm with an exhibit featuring Mary Lou Kiel and her unique collection of tea cups and tea pots. In addition to the exhibit, be sure to stop by and view the many other features of the Museum. The 4H-Petting Zoo will be on the lawn across the road from the Museum from 10 am - 5 pm, with a Clothesline Art Exhibit along Loop Road from 10am -4pm: All children are welcome! The Blacksmith Shop will be open from 10am -4pm, with a blacksmith in residence all day. The Essay Contest will be 12:30 – 1:00 pm on the front porch of the Museum (See article below). Information about Museum membership is available at the Boalsburg Heritage Museum, or call Bill and Leslie Syrett (466-7145) or Earl and Wilna kesler (466-6978).
The 8th Annual Essay Contest. The Boalsburg Conservancy and Boalsburg Heritage Museum are co-sponsoring the 8th Annual Writing Contest for Harris Township school children. The topic is "Why is Memorial Day a National Holiday?" Essays will be read at the Boalsburg Heritage Museum on East Main Street at 12:30 pm, with the “Best of the Best” recognized during the 6:00 pm Cemetery Service. Contest winners will be awarded U.S. Savings Bonds. Call Barbara Grignano at 466-6903 for more information.
The Boalsburg Village Conservancy:
The Boalsburg Village Conservancy, the host for Memorial Day activities in Boalsburg, will have a booth on the Diamond on Monday, May 26th where literature and memorabilia about Boalsburg will be available to those interested in the rich heritage of Boalsburg and Harris Township as well as sign up sheets for membership in the Conservancy. There will also be Greg Fredericks and Bill Wallace, representatives from the Boalsburg 200th birthday (2008-2009), to inform people of a project to collect old photos of Boalsburg and the neighboring areas as part of publications being assembled to commemorate Boalsburg's founding in 1808-1809..
The Boalsburg Village Conservancy was established in 1973 as a volunteer, non-profit organization dedicated to preserving the historic nature and ambiance of Boalsburg Village and Harris Township. In 1982, the Conservancy was instrumental in establishing the Boalsburg Heritage Museum. The Conservancy engages in a wide range of community activities, including publishing histories of Boalsburg, installing period street lights and maintaining an ice rink.
On-going special events organized or co-sponsored by the Conservancy include this Memorial Day festival and 6:00 pm service and the essay contest and fruit pie contest; the Discovery Days Multicultural Columbus Festival on October 11 and the Hometown Christmas in early December.
In addition, the Conservancy is now actively organizing Boalsburg’s 200th birthday celebration scheduled for 2008, including:
For information about participating in these activities and about joining the Conservancy, contact Conservancy President Christopher Lee at (814) 466-9266 or chris@boalmuseum.com or see the Conservancy’s web site at http://boalmuseum.com/bvc.htm. Contributions to the Boalsburg Village Conservancy are tax-deductible.
THE BOAL MANSION will be open 9:00 am to 5:00 pm on Memorial Day and will feature a family picnic and music party all day under the ancient oak and maple trees on the lawn of the 1789 home of the pioneer David Boal and eight generations of his descendants.
A wide variety of music from bluegrass to blues and from rock to jazz will play throughout the day and visitors are invited to bring a picnic and blanket and relax on the spacious lawn of the Boal Mansion.
Scattered throughout the site from 9 am to 5 pm will be food, music, crafts, a Revolutionary War surgeon and two Civil War encampments – Confederate artillery and Union infantry -- complete with the Tussey folk musicians playing traditional American songs in the camps starting at 1 pm.
A special event in 2008 at the Boal Mansion Museum is an actual Civil War battle! A Confederate artillery troop will square off against a Union infantry company on the pond field of the Boal Mansion Museum, as Hampton’s Legion Artillery (photo, right) takes on Company C of the 148th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry at 10 am and 1:30 pm. The battles will be presided over by eighth generation Boal family member Christopher Lee. He is a direct descendant of Union Admiral Samuel Phillips Lee whose cousin was the famous Confederate General Robert E. Lee.
At 1:15 p.m. on the porch of the Boal Mansion, there will be special music selections, and then three service awards will be given to community members deserving of recognition:
The Ambassador Pierre Boal Award for Historic Preservation.
The Colonel Theodore Davis Boal Award for Community Service.
The Judge George Boal Award for Education.
Knowledgeable guides will
take visitors through the 218-year-old Boal Mansion with the original
furnishings and weapons (photo, left) of nine generations of Boals and through the Columbus Chapel
inherited and imported from Spain in 1909 containing Christopher Columbus’
Admiral’s Desk, fine European oil paintings and two pieces of the True Cross of
Jesus.
The community is invited to come picnic all day, listen to the old/new/original music by young and old musicians from the ongoing Family Music Party, and to share in honoring the community volunteers at the awards ceremony at 1:15 pm.
Call for volunteers: Volunteer museum guides ages 14 to 84 are sought to bring history to life for children and other visitors to the Boal Mansion. Guide orientation and free tour are offered. For information contact Chris Lee at 466-6210 or office@boalmuseum.com or see http://www.boalmuseum.com/docent.htm
Boal Mansion Museum Schedule of Events-Monday, May 26, 2008
9:00 – 5:00
Special event! Civil War battle between Hampton’s Legion (South) and 148th PA Volunteers (North). 10 AM and 1:30 PM on the pond field.
Music from 10 AM to 5 PM on the porch of the Boal Mansion,
9:00: Cannonade by Hampton’s Legion Artillery
10:00: Civil War battle between Hampton’s Legion Artillery (Confederate) and Company C of the 148th PA Volunteer Infantry (Union). On the pond field
10:30: Christopher Kent, singer/songwriter/tall teller of tales. http://christopherkent.com
11:15: Gene "Swampman" Gipson, blues, gene@mysongstore.com
12 Noon: Juniata, bluegrass and traditional, Ken Hartzler, 717-935-9956, hartzlerk@chilitech.com
1:15 PM: Boal Awards Ceremony, on the porch of the Boal Mansion:
1) Ambassador Pierre Boal Award for Historic Preservation:
2) Colonel Theodore Davis Boal Award for Community Service:
3) Judge George Boal Award for Education:
1:30: Civil War battle between Hampton’s Legion Artillery (Confederate) and Company C of the 148th PA Volunteer Infantry (Union). On the pond field
2:00: Punk Jazz with Greg Johnson, fatnysax@hotmail.com
3:00 Unusual Suspects, bluegrass, RB Powell: rbpowell@lcworkshop.com
4:00: Holy Smoke, blues and rock, Anthony Stauffer, 814-235-5372, info@holysmokeblues.com, www.holysmokeblues.com
5:00 PM: Final Cannonade by Hampton’s Legion Artillery
Also, from 1 PM, at the Civil War encampments, traditional acoustic American music by the Tussey Folk Jam, Catherine Grigor, cqg3@psu.edu 814-880-6251, sponsored by Tussey Mountain Lodge
Further details at http://boalmuseum.com
There will be pre-war and classic antique cars on the parade grounds of the Shrine as the Allegheny Region Antique Automobile Club of America starts the endless summer fun. There is a fee for on-site parking on Memorial Day and admission to the PMM. Info: 466-6263. For activities at the PMM on Saturday and Sunday, click here.
Boalsburg Cemetery (behind Zion Lutheran Church) will be the site of a Civil War reenactment encampment of Battery B, 3rd Pennsylvania Artillery and the Battery B Ladies Encampment, from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm on Memorial Day. At 6:00 pm the Cemetery will be the site of the annual Memorial Day Services.
The 28th Annual Memorial Day Run will begin at 8:30 am at Blue Spring Park on West Pine Street. Check-in time is between 7:30 am and 8:00 am at the park. Advance registration will be held Sunday, May 25th from noon until 2:00 at the park. Advance registration cost is $15.00, and $20.00 on the day of the race. Avoid the hassle and register early! T-shirts are guaranteed to all who register by May 27th. Registration forms may be dropped off at Rapid Transit Sportswear, 115 S. Allen St. in State College. Make checks payable to "MEMORIAL DAY RUN". Be dressed to run; no changing facilities are available. There is ample parking space available at the Military Museum and Shrine for a fee. The race will start at 8:30 am with the firing of the Battery B cannon. Registration forms are online at www.nvrun.com/app-boalsburg-08.pdf. Questions, contact: Dan Bright, debright@mqblaw.com.
On Memorial Day, Monday, May 26, the Boalsburg Garden Club will be holding its annual plant sale on the vacant lot across from the Lutheran Church. The sale will start at 9 AM and continue until 5 PM. Please come to look over our selection of plants. Members can also answer your plant-related questions. Also, visit the “Rainbow Garden” on Memorial Day. Questions - Kathy Adams 237-0275.
Vital Information on Street Closings, Parking, Conveniences
STREET CLOSINGS
Closed Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Monday (May 22-24, May 26, 2008): East Pine Street, from Church Street to Academy Street, is closed for the Boalsburg Fire Company Carnival, starting at 5:30 pm each day of the Carnival and opening when it closes. Parking is PROHIBITED on both sides of Old Boalsburg Rd. during the Boalsburg Fire Co. Carnival.
Monday, Memorial Day-May 26, 2008: The following streets are closed from 6:30 am. – 5:00 pm. Rockey Alley. Loop Road, from Chambers Alley to East Main Street. Main Street, beginning east from Bus. Rt. 322 to Tennis Alley. Academy Street, from Chambers Alley across E. Main to Pine Street. Church Street, from Chambers Alley to Bus. Rt.322. Pine Street, from Bus. Rt.322 to Tennis Alley. Old Boalsburg Road., between N. Church St. to the Boal Mansion. From 5:30 pm until the end of service, Church St. between Old Boalsburg Rd. and Rt. 322 also will be closed.
PARKING and SHUTTLE BUS INFORMATION:
Free Parking is available at a number of locations served by the Shuttle Bus, including the Medical Center, Heritage Run Office Building, and across from the Car Wash on Business Rt. 322 East. There is a charge for parking on the Military Museum grounds and on the Boal Estate Grounds.
The Shuttle Bus will run at approximately 20-minute intervals, stopping near each parking lot to pick up passengers. Shuttles will make three stops on Bus. Rt.322 to discharge passengers: Boal Mansion, North Church Street at the traffic light, and East Main St. There is no charge to ride the Shuttle Bus.
Please Remember: No vehicles will be allowed in most of the Village.
A "Handicap Parking Only" site is available in the rear of the Tennis Lamp Shop across from Kwik Fill gas station. Please make sure your placard is displayed.
THE INFORMATION BOOTH is located on the Diamond. Maps and lists of activities are available at the Information Booth, as well as at locations throughout the Village area.
RESTROOM and HANDICAP RESTROOM FACILITIES are available at various locations in town, including Zion Lutheran Church.
Other Boalsburg Activities (Not on Monday):
Boalsburg Fire Company Parade, 5 pm Saturday, May 26
Boalsburg Fire Company Carnival, Thurs-Monday (but not Sunday), 5/24-5/28, E. Pine Street
Living History Weekend At The Pennsylvania Military Museum:
The past will come alive again as the Military Museum hosts its annual Living History program, “World War II Revisited,” Saturday and Sunday of Memorial Day Weekend. The grounds will be transformed into a living history scene from the post D-Day invasion of France, 1944 with the return of 109th Regiment, 28th Infantry Division re-enactors and the public is invited! The bivouac opens at 10:00 am with a tactical combat demonstration against German opposition scheduled for 1:00 pm each day. Two special events are planned for the afternoon of each day. Dan and Galla will entertain the troops and guests with a patriotic salute to service on Saturday at 3:00 pm. On Sunday at 2:30 pm, retired Naval Flight Officer and author of three books on the war in the Pacific, Bruce Gamble, will present a talk on the number of Pennsylvanians who served with USMC Major Gregory "Pappy" Boyington, commander of the Black Sheep Squadron VMF-214 in World War II. All events at the bivouac are free to the public. Info: 466-6263
Community Church Service, Sunday 7 PM, Zion Lutheran Church:
Zion Lutheran Church will hold a special Memorial Day Community Service on Sunday, May 27 at 7:00 pm. In this service of prayer for our nation, the church will use a colonial liturgy from the 1700’s and sing favorite patriotic hymns. Many of those who camp in and around the church with the re-enactment troops come to this service in full traditional garb. Bring a friend and take a step back into the past while remembering those who have sacrificed so much for us as a country at this special night of worship.
Please note that on Memorial Day Zion Lutheran Church will offer use of its restrooms during the Memorial Day activities.
Harris Township Alumni Association:
The Boalsburg and Harris Township Alumni Association invite you to attend a school reunion banquet for all persons who attended or graduated from high school in Boalsburg. A dinner will be help at the American Legion at 6:00 pm on Sunday, May 25, 2008. A social hour will precede the dinner from 4:30 to 6:00 pm. This will be a time for renewing friendships and sharing memories. Please contact Robert Burrell, 466-6177, for additional information.
This page courtesy of the Columbus Chapel and Boal Mansion Museum