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B+History
History · Ferguson Township

Ferguson Township dates to 1791, and 1 of its places is on the National Register

More historic than 66% of U.S. towns · #536 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. What drives it

Most of Ferguson Township was built recently: 6% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1992. Its Register listing is the Bucher Ayres Farm. Below: 1 old photo or paper, maps from 1963 on, and the census since 1850.

1791founded
1on the National Register
6%homes built before 1940
1old photo or paper
Add an old photoShare a memory
Quick answers

How Ferguson Township began

When was Ferguson Township founded?

1791

Ferguson Township dates its founding to 1791 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1850.

First census: 1,601 in 18502020 census: 19,009235 years

How historic is Ferguson Township?

B+

More historic than 66% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1809.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Ferguson Township’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Ferguson Township is more historic than 66% of U.S. towns, #536 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. Its age holds the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.

B+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Ferguson Township’s overall grade.
Founding era1791, from Wikidata: founded 1776–1849, an older era than 75% of U.S. townsA−Homes built before 19405.9% of homes (±1.7) · typical PA town 17.7% · U.S. 8.4%CNational Register1 listing, 7 historic buildings, 3.7 per 10,000 residents · typical PA town 2.1 · U.S. 2.4B+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 66%
NewerOlder
Pennsylvania towns of 2,500+ (1,035)Ahead of 48%

Pennsylvania towns list about as much on the Register as the country (a typical Pennsylvania town has 2.1 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Ferguson Township’s 3.7 sits near the middle of its state (63% of Pennsylvania towns have fewer) while its 7 historic buildings outnumber those of 73% of U.S. towns.

NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1791.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from B− to A−. The pre-1940 share (±1.7 points) is firm at this size.

Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →

What stands out about Ferguson Township’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

Lost villages4 post offices opened and closed inside today’s Ferguson Township, and 15 old place names are still on the map.A history waiting to be writtenOnly 1 old photo is in the public archives. The rest are in attics and albums.Deep rootsEstablished in 1791: 235 years of Ferguson Township.
★ What stands out · Places that used to be

Lost post offices, old corners, places now gone and burying grounds

Four other post offices opened and closed inside today’s town.

Pine Grove Mills
1809–today
Baileyville
1832–1850
Rock Spring
1857–1901
Fairbrook
1887–1901
Gatesburg
1888–1915
18001910today
Hamlets and corners on the map
BaileyvilleBloomsdorfCircle VilleFairbrookGatesburgKrumrineMarengoMusserOverlook HeightsPark HillsPine Grove MillsPine HallRamblewoodRockspringStruble
Gone or out of use
State College Air Depotairport
5cemeteries and burying grounds inside Ferguson Township
Old Pine Grove MillsOld Pine HallPine Grove MillsPine HallRoss

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

Help out

Start Ferguson Township’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Ferguson Township’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
Timeline

Ferguson Township, 1791 to 1963

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 18th century
  2. 1791
    FoundingFerguson Township is established
  3. 19th century
  4. 1809Post officeThe Pine Grove Mills post office opens
  5. 1832Post officeThe Baileyville post office opens
  6. 1850Post officeThe Baileyville post office closes
  7. 1857Post officeThe Rock Spring post office opens
  8. 1874In the archiveAtlas of Centre County, Pennsylvania
  9. 20th century
  10. 1901Post officeThe Rock Spring post office closes
  11. 1963On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
The story

How Ferguson Township came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Ferguson Township.

Read it all →

In 1801, Ferguson Township formed around a mill at the base of Tussey Mountain. The area around the mill would be known as Pine Grove Mills. Other small villages that were first established in the early nineteenth century include Gatesburg, a mining town, Pattonville, which would later merge with Pine Grove Mills, Rock Springs, and Baileyville.

Ferguson was first connected to the Bellefonte Central Railroad in 1886 with a station in Struble. In 1896 the Pine Grove Mills Extension connected Struble to Bloomsdorf and Pine Grove Mills. The Fairbrook Branch was built in 1930 connecting Struble to Altoona via Fairbrook. The main line into Struble would eventually cease operations in 1976.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

By decade

Ferguson Township, decade by decade

One decade in the archive so far: the 1870s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1870s1 item
Atlas of Centre County, Pennsylvania1874Atlas of Centre County, PennsylvaniaMap
Today12 recent
State College Neighborhoods2025State College NeighborhoodsMarket in Struble2024Market in Struble2024-09-04 15 27 34 "Welcome to Ferguson Township" sign along northbound Pennsylvania State Route 26 as it crosses Tuss…20242024-09-04 15 27 34 "Welcome to Ferguson Township" si…2021-10-28 08 54 16 The headquarters of AccuWeather, Incorporated, along Science Park Road in Ferguson Township, Centre…20212021-10-28 08 54 16 The headquarters of AccuWeather, …Roll A D20 To Open Confection2015Roll A D20 To Open ConfectionHail on the driveway!2015Hail on the driveway!Pennsylvania State Route 262014Pennsylvania State Route 26Pennsylvania State Route 262014Pennsylvania State Route 26Pennsylvania State Route 262013Pennsylvania State Route 26Pennsylvania State Route 262013Pennsylvania State Route 26Storm heading our way2007Storm heading our wayMemories - panoramio (3)2007Memories - panoramio (3)
On the map

Ferguson Township on the map, 1963 to 1998

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Ferguson Township. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Ferguson Township on the 1963 USGS mapFerguson Township on the 1972 USGS mapFerguson Township on the 1998 USGS map1963Pine Grove Mills sheet · 1:24,000

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Ferguson Township.

On the National Register

1 historic place in Ferguson Township

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

place listed
1
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
7
each building in a district counts
first listed
1980
Bucher Ayres Farm
Bucher Ayres Farm
Buildings

Architectural styles listings

Georgian1
Greek Revival1
Bucher Ayres FarmGeorgian

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

People over time

Ferguson Township, census by census

05,00010,00015,00020,000185019001950200019,009

Grew from 1,601 people in 1850 to 19,009 in 2020, more than tenfold.

18 censuses, 1850–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Ferguson Township’s Wikipedia page.

Famous people

Famous people close to Ferguson Township

Nobody well known was born in Ferguson Township itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.

See all →
Jonathan FrakesAmerican actor and director · b. 1952
Jeff VanderMeerAmerican writer · b. 1968
Glenn ThompsonU.S. Representative from Pennsylvania · b. 1959
Andrew Gregg CurtinAmerican politician · b. 1815
C
Chris BahrAmerican football and soccer player · b. 1953
George Grey BarnardAmerican sculptor · b. 1863
Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

State College4 historic placesB+Barree Township2 historic placesnot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townFranklin Township4 historic placesnot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townCollege Township5 historic placesB+Patton Township1 historic placeCBaileyvilleIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townHalfmoon Township2 historic placesA−Jackson Township3 historic placesnot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townHarris Township4 historic placesA−

Questions about Ferguson Township’s history

What year was Ferguson Township founded?

In 1791, according to Wikidata. Ferguson Township’s post office opened in 1809, and the census of 1850 counted 1,601 people here.

How does Ferguson Township rank for history?

Ferguson Township is more historic than 66% of U.S. towns, #536 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.

What is on the National Register in Ferguson Township?

One place: the Bucher Ayres Farm (listed 1980).

How old are the homes in Ferguson Township?

6% of Ferguson Township’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±1.7 points), against a typical 18% for a Pennsylvania town; the median home was built in 1992.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

From Wikimedia Commons (13), the National Register of Historic Places (1), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.