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Bellefonte’s Brockerhoff House to receive historic ‘tablet’

TIM WEIGHT/FOR THE EXPRESS The Brockerhoff House in Bellefonte will receive a historic “tablet.” The building has been a part of Bellefonte since the 1800s. Once a hotel, it is a residential facility today.

TIM WEIGHT/FOR THE EXPRESS
The Brockerhoff House in Bellefonte plays host to many residents. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977.

BELLEFONTE — Bellefonte is host to a variety of historic sites. On Tuesday, the Centre County commissioners announced that one site will be getting a special designation.

The Brockerhoff House, located at 105 S. Allegheny St. in Bellefonte, will receive a historic “tablet” commemorating the location. The cost of the tablet will be a mere $280, which will be funded by the county.

“These are easy to read, long-lasting, anti-graffiti, anti-vandalism set ups,” commissioner Mark Higgins said of the tablet.

The Brockerhoff House has a long and storied history. It sits at the southwest corner of The Diamond in downtown Bellefonte. It was once the site of a log cabin tavern owned by James Benner. A hotel was built on the site in 1864 and 1865 by Henry Brockerhoff, following the relocation of the log cabin. It was re-designed by Robert Cole in the 1890s by adding a fourth floor and change in roof design. According to Historic Bellefonte, Inc., the building is a perfect example of Gothic Revival architecture, with multi-tiered slate mansard roof and Romanesque windows on the front.

Today, the Brockerhoff House serves a vital role in Bellefonte as a residential facility.

Commissioner Steve Dershem said that he was fully behind the idea of giving the Brockerhoff House the historic tablet.

“It sounds like a great idea,” Dershem said. “We’ve had a long relationship with the Brockerhoff House and it currently provides homes for many residents of Bellefonte. I would support the tablet.”

Chair Michael Pipe agreed.

“I think it would be a nice addition to downtown Bellefonte. In addition, it would literally be within eyesight of the courthouse. It’s something that has a close connection with Centre County Government. Absolutely, I think it would be a nice addition,” Pipe said.

In addition to being a residential facility, the Brockerhoff House serves as the main stop for carriage rides during Bellefonte Victorian Christmas, which is typically held every December.

“This is wonderful … I will let Historic Bellefonte know that we will be working with them soon on the project,” Higgins said.

The Brockerhoff House was added to the National Register of Historic Places on April 11, 1977.

In other business Tuesday, the commissioners:

— Adopted Proclamation No. 6 of 2021, which proclaims the month of April 2021 as Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

— Approved a contract renewal with Pitney Bowes for the SendPro P3000 postage machine in the Willowbank Office Building. The contract total is $38,160.60 for the estimated period of May 1, 2021 through April 30, 2026. That item was added to next week’s consent agenda.

— Approved a contract addendum with the Brockerhoff House Corporation to allow for State allocations for the remainder of Fiscal Year 2020-2021 to provide mental health payee services in the amount of $7,000. This increases the contract total from $5,000 to $12,000, which is funded as follows: State $11,447 and County $553 for the period of July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021.

— Approved a contract addendum with CARES of Central PA, Inc., to allow for state allocations for the remainder of Fiscal Year 2020-2021 to provide intellectual disability services including community-based services in the amount of $417. This increases the contract total from $16,458 to $16,875, which is funded as follows: State $16,097 and County $778 for the period of July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021.

— Approved a contract addendum with St. Francis University to allow for state allocations for the remainder of Fiscal Year 2020-2021 to provide intellectual disability services to include administration of National Core Indicator Surveys, PFDS and IM surveys in the amount of $19,979. This increases the contract total from $14,096 to $34,075, which is State funded for the period of July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021.

— Approved a letter of agreement with the Behavioral Health Alliance of Rural Pennsylvania (BHARP) and Community Care Behavioral Health Organization. BHARP contracts with the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services to manage the Behavioral Health, HealthChoices Program for Medicaid recipients. There is no cost for this agreement.

— Approved a submission of the revised Early Intervention Services Report for Fiscal Year 2019-2020 to the Department of Human Services-Bureau of Financial Operations.

The commissioners will meet again at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, April 13. The meeting will be held via Zoom and televised live on C-NET.

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