Aaronsburg Historic District

Aaronsburg is a rural village in Centre County, Pennsylvania, laid out in 1786 by Aaron Levy on a tract he bought from John Weitzel of Sunbury. The town contains about 322 buildings, of which 114 principal structures contribute to its historic character, with barns still standing alongside many houses. Its houses follow several recurring types, including the two-deep sidehall house, often built of log with a rear ell, and the English I house with a center hall plan. Many are white clapboard and built in the vernacular Georgian manner, with later Victorian porches and brackets added in the late 19th century. Levy was a land speculator who worked as an agent for Robert Morris and James Wilson, and the town reflects the westward land boom that followed the Revolution. After the mid-19th century the village shifted from a commercial post town to a residential settlement, which left its layout and buildings largely intact. Newer mobile home development on open ground at the edges is seen as a threat to that integrity.