Colerain Forges Mansion was built in the 1780s, with additions by the Ironmaster, David Stewart and his family in the 1830s through the 1860s. The estate includes the mansion and the stone house, built sometime in the 1760s, as well as 10 acres of historic formal gardens, including a boxwood maze, as well as woods and a significant stretch of beautiful Warriors Mark Run.
Colerain Forges Mansion has hosted musicians, actors and writers, providing a peaceful space that inspires creativity. The mansion has also served as a location for five films and a play. The Colerain Center sponsors an artist-in-residence program where writers, musicians, visual artists, and performers can come and stay in the mansion while working on specific projects.
Warriors Mark Run is a tributary of Spruce Creek, one of central Pennsylvania's premier trout fishing creeks. Our stretch of Warriors Mark Run has been virtually untouched for more than 30 years, preserving a healthy and diverse riparian community.
Volunteer opportunities include building trails, removing invasive plants and restoring gardens. We are also working on the new meditation garden as well identifying archaeological sites for future research. Volunteers are welcome.
The Colerain Center for Education, Preservation and the Arts is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, started in 2019 with the mission of sharing this federally recognized National Register of Historic Places site with the greater community.
For the two years of the pandemic, work has been ongoing to complete the transition of the mansion from a private residence to a museum focusing on the history of the Spruce Creek Valley, the early iron industry here, and its importance to the history of Pennsylvania and the United States from the American Revolution through the Civil War and into the early 20th Century. This work is now 90% complete.
In phase two, our goals include partnering with organizations such as Clearwater Conservancy, The Huntingdon Historical Society, The Master Naturalists of Centre and Huntingdon Counties, and various educational, historic, environmental and arts organizations. We are expanding and formalizing our artist-in-residence program as well. Additionally, we are developing educational programming to share with local school districts and exploring what infrastructure improvements are needed to accommodate field trips, tours and research projects. Phase two is now about 30% completed.
In phase three, we will begin the process of grant applications and fundraising for capitol improvements with a goal of being fully open to the public by 2027.
Whether you help through giving a donation, volunteering your time, or spreading our mission through word-of-mouth, thank you. We couldn't accomplish our goals without the help of supporters like you.
The Colerain Center at Colerain Forges Mansion
4072 Spruce Creek Road, Spruce Creek, PA 16683
Copyright © 2020 Colerain Center for Education, Preservation and the Arts - All Rights Reserved.
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