OUR MISSION
The Advent Historical Society was established in 1985 to save the historic Advent Church building from demolition. Thanks to the preservation efforts and support of local families, the old Advent Church survives as an important document of the religious history of Centre County and as a symbol of the community of farmers and iron workers who settled the area in the 19th century.
The Society continues to maintain the historic building and works to preserve the social and economic history of the Marsh Creek area of Boggs Township, Centre County, Pennsylvania.
An active Board of Directors raises funds for renovations and repairs, sponsors programs at the historic church, and supports historical and genealogical investigation and information sharing regarding the families whose stories are a part of Centre County's history.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Sat, Oct 07The Advent ChurchOct 07, 11:00 AM – 3:00 PMThe Advent Church, 1303 Moose Run Rd, Bellefonte, PA 16823, USAOct 07, 11:00 AM – 3:00 PMThe Advent Church, 1303 Moose Run Rd, Bellefonte, PA 16823, USAPlease join us for our third and final event for the 2023 season, a fall festival with concerts featuring the Bellefonte Community Band and Richard Sleigh, master harmonica player. Help celebrate the autumn harvest season with children’s activities, craft items, homemade preserves, and baked goods.
NEWS
"Doings" of the Advent Historical Society
VOLUME 4, ISSUE 1
April 2023
Download Volume 4, Issue 1 of the "Doings" of the Advent Historical Society Newsletter
VOLUME 3, ISSUE 2
September 2022
Download Volume 3, Issue 2 of the "Doings" of the Advent Historical Society Newsletter.
VOLUME 3, ISSUE 1
May 2022
Download Volume 3, Issue 1 of the "Doings" of the Advent Historical Society Newsletter.
VOLUME 2, ISSUE 2
October 2021
Download Volume 2, Issue 2 of the "Doings" of the Advent Historical Society Newsletter.
THE CONFER FAMILIES ARTICLE
by Justin K. Houser
Download the complete article referenced in Volume 2, Issue 1 of the newsletter.
VOLUME 2, ISSUE 1
May 2021
Download the May 2021 issue of the "Doings" of the Advent Historical Society Newsletter
THE RESIDES FAMILY ARTICLE
by Justin K. Houser
Download the complete article referenced in Volume 1, Issue 2 of the Newsletter.
VOLUME 1, ISSUE 2
September 2020
Download Volume 1, Issue 2 of the "Doings" of the Advent Historical Society Newsletter.
VOLUME 1, ISSUE 1
May 2020
Download Volume 1, Issue 1 of the "Doings" of the Advent Historical Society Newsletter.
SUPPORT THE ADVENT HISTORICAL SOCIETY
The Advent Historical Society is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation [EIN 84-2266811] qualified to receive tax-deductible gifts to support the work of the Society. To contribute bequests, transfers of stock, or gifts, please contact us at
AdventHistoricalSociety@gmail.com for more information.
Donations in the form of checks should be made payable to The Advent Historical Society and mailed to:
Advent Historical Society
P.O. Box 983
Milesburg, PA 16853
Credit card and PayPal donations can now also be accepted online via our website by clicking on the following Donate button:
HISTORY OF THE ADVENT CHURCH
The historic Advent Church was built in 1849 by followers of William Miller, a Vermont farmer who predicted the end of the world and second coming of Christ in the 1840s. The church was built on land donated by General Irvin and Colonel Gregg, owners of the Milesburg Iron Furnace. It continued under the auspices of the Evangelical Adventists until they disbanded in the early 1900s. The congregation later affiliated with God’s Missionary Church in the 1940s.
In 1985, The Advent Historical Society began a 4-year restoration of the church building, which was originally constructed with hand-hewn chestnut logs and sheathed with clapboards in the unadorned vernacular Greek revival style that was popular at the time. Original paneled doors were rescued from the crawl space below the church. Students from the local technical school used these doors as patterns for the shutters for the windows. The interior wainscoting, windows and plank floor survived and were restored.
More than 2,000 volunteer hours of scraping, sanding, and painting contributed to the repair and reconstruction of the original structure. Support from the local business community provided donations of materials, and financial support from the many families affiliated with the Advent Church raised more than $40,000 to restore the historic building.
THE ADVENT CEMETERY
The cemetery was established in 1848 by the Marsh Creek Advent Church. It is now maintained by the Advent Cemetery Association and is an active and operating cemetery. Many of the burial records are available on line at Find A Grave and through the Centre County PAGenWeb Project.
Send written inquiries to the Advent Cemetery Association, PO Box 130, Milesburg, PA 16853, Attn: Paul Deering.
MEET THE BOARD
Board of Directors, 2022
Front, L to R:
Judy Hefty
Charlotte Watson
Carolyn Hedges, Treasurer
Dorothy Ogden, Vice President
Back, L to R:
Don Wesley, Chair of Building and Grounds Committee
Sarah Hedges, Secretary
Karen Reese
Barbara Franco, President
Not pictured: Terren Smith, Jeffery Watson (Chair of Music Committee)
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Founding Members of the Advent Historical Society
S. Merril Watson, President
John C. Fyfe, Vice President
Mary K. Howell, Secretary
Sarah (Jane) Johnson Franco, Treasurer
Past Board Members
Cathy Kalmbach
Ray E. Burd
Shirley A. Confer
Carol Fyfe
James A. Fyfe
Lee Johnson, Jr.
Bonnie Watson
Randall Stauffer
GET INVOLVED
The Advent Historical Society’s Board invites members of the community to join our History or Genealogy committees, which sponsor research into local history and genealogical research of the Advent Church families and those buried in the Advent Cemetery. Copies of individual family histories, objects, photos and local history are welcomed to be archived and displayed in the Advent Church Museum building, adjacent to the historic church.
Volunteers assist with programs such as the Memorial Day service at the Advent Church, providing music, costumed reenactors and hosting tours of the church and museum. Our Building and Grounds Committee welcomes volunteers to help with repair and landscaping projects. Youth groups seeking community service projects are especially welcome to contact us to schedule a work day either at the church or in the cemetery.
For more information about how you can get involved with future projects, or to participate in a committee, please contact us at AdventHistoricalSociety@gmail.com.
