Editing Lemont, Pennsylvania (section)

==History==
[[Paleo-Indians|The first inhabitants]] of the area came towards the end of the [[last glacial period]]. They lived a [[Nomad|nomadic]] [[hunter-gatherer]] lifestyle for thousands of years.<ref name="nofr">{{Cite web |url= https://centrehistory.org/twcb/|title= Those Who Came Before: The Archaeology of Centre County’s Native Americans|last= |first= |date= March 23, 2022|website= |publisher= Centre County Historical Society|access-date= |quote=}}</ref> Nearby [[archaeological sites]] suggest campsites and [[jasper]] mines have been in the area since approximately 8000 to 3500 BC.<ref>Stevenson, Christopher M., and Conran Hay. National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Houserville Site (36CE65). [[National Park Service]], 1980-10-15.</ref> The [[Lenape|Delaware]], [[Iroquois]], [[Mingo]], and [[Shawnee]] were among the native inhabitants who began establishing settlements, farms, and trails throughout the surrounding valleys.<ref name="peep">{{Cite web |url= https://www.penndot.pa.gov/RegionalOffices/district-2/ConstructionsProjectsAndRoadwork/Documents/Potters/STORYBOARD/storymap.aspx|title= A Journey to Potter Mills|last= |first= |date= August 9, 2021|website= |publisher= The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation|access-date= |quote=}}</ref>

[[James Potter (Pennsylvania politician)|James Potter]] led the first recorded expedition of [[Spring Creek (Bald Eagle Creek tributary)|Spring Creek]] in 1764. Upon reaching an overlook on Mount Nittany, he exclaimed "By heavens, Thompson, I have discovered an empire!"<ref>{{cite web | url=https://centrehistory.org/article/james-potter/ | title= James Potter| access-date= November 2, 2024|first= Thomazine|first2= Lee|last2= Stout|last1= Shanahan|publisher= Centre County Historical Society}}</ref> The first European settlers in present day Lemont arrived in 1789, setting up farms, a grits mill, and a saw mill.<ref name="lemon">{{cite web | url=https://centrehistory.org/article/lemont/ | title= Lemont| access-date= July 3, 2024|first= Jonathan|last1= McVerry|publisher= Centre County Historical Society}}</ref>
{{CSS image crop
|Image = Atlas of Centre County, Pennsylvania LOC 93232571-16.jpg
|bSize = 800
|cWidth = 250
|cHeight = 160
|oTop = 40
|oLeft = 523
|Location = left
|Description = Atlas of Lemont, 1874
}}
The land that would make up the village, historically known as “The End of the Mountain,” was bought by [[Centre Furnace]] ironmaster Moses Thompson in 1870. As the iron industry flourished in Centre County, so to did the [[Bellefonte Central Railroad]]. Lemont was given its [[French language|French]] name as a stop between [[Bellefonte, Pennsylvania|Bellefonte]] and [[Lewisburg, Pennsylvania|Lewisburg]] in 1885. Although a plan to extend a line from Lemont to [[Scotia, Pennsylvania|Scotia]] via [[State College, Pennsylvania|State College]] never came to fruition, students, faculty, and visitors would use Lemont's train station, and catch a buggy to connect to State College or [[University Park, Pennsylvania|University Park]]. Lemont would grow as a prominent [[railway town]] and crossroads between the [[Penns Valley|Penns]] and Nittany Valleys with banks, blacksmiths, a general store, jewelry stores, clinics, schools, hotels, and churches opening up along the main streets.<ref name="lemon"></ref>

In Spring of 1885 the Lemont Hotel, owned by Thompson's son, burned down. The insurance money he acquired was used to build the [[John I. Thompson Grain Elevator and Coal Sheds]]. As trucking was replacing freight hauling the granary shut down in the 1950s. In the 1970s a [[Penn State]] student doing a study of Lemont wrote "The once very important buildings have been neglected and deteriorating." In 1994 the Lemont Village Association purchased the lot for preservation.<ref name"yemon">{{cite web | url=https://www.lemontvillage.org/home| title= Lemont Bulletin|date= 2024|publisher= Lemont Village Association}}</ref>

===Historic district===
{{Main|Lemont Historic District}}
[[File:Lemont Pennsylvania.jpg|thumb|Lemont Historic District]]
The [[Lemont Historic District]] is home to many historic homes and businesses. The John Thompson Coal Sheds and Granary is the last remaining wooden grain elevator in Pennsylvania and is being restored by the Lemont Village Association. Lemont Elementary School, built from 1938 to 1939 as College Township School, is a limestone building that overlooks the village. The State College Area School District is considering closing the school; however, many district residents are opposed.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/Friends-of-Lemont-School-91093889512/|title=Friends of Lemont School|website=www.facebook.com|language=en|access-date=2017-07-01}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.centredaily.com/news/local/community/state-college/article139438103.html|title=Plans made to construct new K-5 Houserville Elementary School|work=centredaily|access-date=2017-07-01|language=en}}</ref> The Friends of Lemont School was organized to spearhead an effort to combat the closure and sponsored an on-line petition to keep the neighborhood school. According to the State College school board meeting minutes of June 16, 2017 there will be a hearing to close Lemont Elementary school on July 24, 2017, prior to the board meeting.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.scasd.org/site/default.aspx?PageType=3&ModuleInstanceID=31761&ViewID=7b97f7ed-8e5e-4120-848f-a8b4987d588f&RenderLoc=0&FlexDataID=73965&PageID=26127|title=State College Board Meeting Minutes June 16, 2017}}</ref>