Author: Webmaster

Fountain Park

Millheim was once a thriving community with many business enterprises offering job opportunities for local residents. In an ongoing attempt to improve and beautify our town, the Millheim Borough Council is actively seeking sources that may be available to help fund several projects. One such project is the restoration of our downtown area into a place that encourages a feeling of ownership and pride in the local community. To this end, a Downtown Beautification Committee has been created and through a Historic Preservation Grant and donations of time, talent and monetary contributions from our area residents, a local craftsman restored a historic fountain and Fountain Park was created. To date, the fountain has been installed, a gazebo erected, park benches purchased, brick walks laid, flowers/grass planted, and some street lights have been installed in the Park area and more lights were purchased in May 2001 for installation in the Parking Lot. This park is situated directly on Route 45, which is a main thoroughfare between Lewisburg and State College and creates a picturesque area for Penn State football fans and all other tourists that may be traveling in or through Centre County.

The area has been appropriately named Fountain Park because the focal point of the area is a fountain that has been a prominent part of the history of Millheim since 1909. There is an article and some pictures about this fountain featured in the Millheim Bicentennial Book published in 1988.

Many generations of children from Millheim, Rebersburg, Aaronsburg, Coburn and Woodward have memories of being lifted up by parents, siblings or just friendly citizens to get a drink from this fountain on a hot day. Today mothers can be seen with young children having a picnic lunch in the gazebo or lifting a young child to get a drink at the fountain and we are all reminded of our childhood years growing up in Millheim. People returning to visit after living out of the area for many years relate stories of their youth and remark on how happy they are to see the Fountain restored. It seems to be the one constant in an ever-changing society that helps people continue to feel at home and rooted to their hometown.

Thanks to generous grant contributions from the Dept. of Community and Economic Development and the Centre County Foundation, donations from local citizens, Omega Bank, the Mifflinburg Bank and the support of Senator Jake Corman and Representative Kerry Benninghoff many more generations of children will continue to have the same pleasant memories and will allow visitors an opportunity to embrace a small hometown atmosphere that has spanned the generations.

Historic Signs

On August 18, 2001 the Millheim Borough received a $1,000.00 Grant from the Centre County Community Foundation, Inc. in State College. This grant allowed the Borough to replace sixteen plaques that had been placed on historical buildings in the Borough during our Bicentennial celebration in 1988. As you walk along Main Street many of these signs are prominently displayed on these downtown businesses and homes. The largest sign is located on Mill Street, near St. John’s Lutheran Church, at the site of the old Gunkle’s Grist and Sawmill, which operated under various names until 1927.

We were also able to purchase and place two “Welcome to Millheim” signs. These were placed at our eastern and western boundaries on Route 45. As you travel to Penn State for football games or happen to be in Centre County for any reason, stop and browse through our quaint shops, rest at our gazebo in Fountain Park, and read the signs to learn a little of the history of Millheim.