Transitions Periods of change in Mont Alto's History

In May 2025, the Penn State Board of Trustees voted to close seven of the University's Commonwealth Campuses in 2027, including Mont Alto.

Since the early 1800s, the land on which campus sits has been an active source of activity, whether as an iron furnace or an educational institution. Inherent in those periods of activity are transitions. The transition from working furnace to a forest school. From a state forest school to a Penn State Commonwealth Campus. With the exception of several years during World War II, the Mont Alto campus has been an active institution for more than 120 years.

This, the final display from the Penn State Mont Alto library, highlights some of those periods from the past -- and those happening now.

You can view the display in person on the second floor of the library during our normal hours of operation.

Dr. Joseph Trimble Rothrock

Pennsylvania’s “Father of Forestry” and Founder of the Pennsylvania State Forest Academy

Joseph Trimble Rothrock was born in McVeytown, Pennsylvania, in 1839. By the time he was 40, Dr. Rothrock had attended Harvard, served in the Civil War, participated in multiple scientific research expeditions, obtained his medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania, worked as a practicing physician, and become a university professor.

While studying botany in Europe in 1880, he began to develop a keen interest in forest management and began advocating for restoring and preserving Pennsylvania’s own forests. By 1886, he had helped to organize and become president of the Pennsylvania Forestry Association and by 1895 he was appointed as Commissioner of the newly-established Department of Forestry.

In this role, Rothrock had the ability (and support) to effectively lobby for the creation of a school that would support Pennsylvania’s forests by educating and training students in Forestry. It took almost a decade of work, but in 1903 the Pennsylvania State Forest Academy finally welcomed its first class of students. Rothrock was an influential figure on campus and was known to - and respected by - all of the students.

Joseph Trimble Rothrock passed away in 1922, at 83 years old. During their respective periods of construction, Conklin Hall and General Studies both nearly bore his name, but no official memorial of his legacy appeared on campus until 1928 when alumni placed a plaque in the Alumni Gate that used to grace the entrance to campus.

c. 1950 photo of the Alumni Gate at the entrance to campus. The plaque honoring Dr. Rothrock is on the center-left column and reads: "Dr. Joseph T. Rothrock, Founder of the Pennsylvania State Forest Academy 1903. Erected by the Alumni 1928"

Mont Alto Iron Furnace

Long before Joseph Rothrock spearheaded the effort to establish a forestry school in Mont Alto, a very different industry existed.

According to “The Mont Alto Furnace (1806-1893),” by Wyndham Miles, iron ore deposits were discovered in the Cumberland Valley region of southern Pennsylvania sometime in the 18th century. Sometime between 1806-1808, the Hughes brothers, Samuel and Daniel, had moved to the region from Maryland and established the Mont Alto Iron Works. The 1887 “History of Franklin County, Pennsylvania,” published by Warner, Beers, & Co. states: “Messrs. Daniel and Samuel Hughes, of Hagerstown, Md., owned a large tract of land on South Mountain which was rich in iron ore. Upon this land they determined to erect a furnace, and chose Mr. [Samuel] Lane as their agent to carry their design into execution. Under his superintendence the Mont Alto Iron Works and the Mansion House adjoining were built, in the year 1808.” (p. 658)

The original Furnace used brown hematite iron ore and charcoal from the surrounding woods to produce around 2-3 tons of pig iron every day. A large (30 feet) water wheel was also used as part of operations. In 1864, Holker Hughes, Samuel’s son, sold the Mont Alto Furnace to the Mont Alto Iron Company, a group headed by Colonel George Wiestling who served as the iron master and superintendent until his death in 1891.

Over time, the Iron Company increased the size and output of the Furnace, replacing the water wheel with a steam engine and producing upwards of 35 tons of pig iron each day by the 1880s. In 1889, a gas explosion resulted in a fire that destroyed many of the Furnace’s buildings, but upon rebuilding, the Furnace’s output increased again – this time to 51 tons per day.

The Mont Alto Furnace permanently closed in 1893, less than two years after George Wiestling’s death, partially due to increasing competition from coke furnaces and steel companies.

Though the Furnace buildings have long since been demolished, evidence of its existence remains – both in the coal tipple that marks the edge of today’s soccer field and in the copious amounts of slag that is easily found on campus and state park grounds.

Examples of slag found on campus

1903-1929: Pennsylvania State Forest Academy/School

Thanks to the hardwork, advocacy, and determination of Dr. Rothrock and others, the Pennsylvania State Forest Academy opened its doors to its first class of students in 1903, under the direction of George H. Wirt.

The items on this shelf highlight the beginning of the Forest Academy through the 1929 announcement of the merger with Penn State. The students did not handle the announcement of the merger well, and it came as a shock to all involved.

In Elizabeth Thomas' book, "A History of the Pennsylvania State Forest School, 1903-1929," she writes,

"The reason that it came about in the way it did is less understandable. It is sufficient to say that the merger agreement was entered into without adequate preparation. This was a major cause of the misunderstandings that followed and of the repercussions that they produced.

"The abruptness of the consolidation announcement left the students with a host of unanswered questions: What was going to happen to student scholarships? Could any help be expected to bridge the difference between the cost of attending Mont Alto and that of going to Penn State? Would Penn State accept credits for courses already taken? Would students be required to make up courses listed in the Penn State catalog but not Mont Alto's? Would the juniors, the class of 1930, be allowed to finish their education at the Mont Alto site? The questions went on and on. Unhappily, no answers were immediately forthcoming. The students became puzzled and apprehensive about their future education. They resented the fact that Ziegler had no prior knowledge of the merger. They were desolated by the thought that the school would no longer exist in its familiar form."

News articles (courtesy of Waynesboro's Alexander Hamilton Memorial Free Library)

Photographs

  • Ralph Brock, captioned: 1st Forester's Assistant, 1902
  • Student on horse, c. 1906
  • Graduation, undated (pre-1929 due to presence of Edwin Ziegler, director from 1910-1929)
  • Students driving horses & carts, captioned: Emerick driving and Rupp back, Harry J. Muller (notice the condition of the road) this was later remade by the Forestry Commission
  • Group of students in vehicle, 1926, captioned: The second division leaves for Fargo, Ga. In front of Mont Alto post office. L-R Riebold, Dunlap (driver), standing - Fatzinger, Jones; seated - Lenhart, Watson, Nichols, Wible, Brown, Kaylor. Name of truck is "Eggs"
Students did not respond well to the unexpected news of the School's merger with Penn State. This is a May 4, 1929 article from The Record Herald, "State Forest School Students Hold Indignation Meet"
The "indignation meet" was not looked upon favorably by state officials and students were required to submit a letter of apology.

1929-1963: Mont Alto Branch of the Pennsylvania State Forest School

After the merger with Penn State (the Pennsylvania State College at the time), Mont Alto served as the destination for all first-year forestry students, summer camps, and the two-year Ranger program.

The items on this shelf highlight the period of history when Mont Alto was considered a separate branch of Penn State, from 1929 until 1963.

News articles (courtesy of Waynesboro's Alexander Hamilton Memorial Free Library)

Photographs

  • Forest School students, undated
  • Students and faculty member having fun, Nov. 1949, captioned, "Penn State Forestry School. Wyndham Miles [Chemistry faculty] and students"
  • Soccer team, 1937
  • ROTC, undated (notice temporary dorm in background, where Science & Technology building was constructed)
  • ROTC, captioned, "12 Jan 1937, 3rd platoon"
  • Baseball team, undated
1948-1949, Field Day (?)

1963-2027: Penn State Mont Alto

In 1963, the Mont Alto campus became an official Penn State Commonwealth. This transition brought about a bevy of changes, including admitting female students, expanding course options, and providing opportunities for students to begin their education at a local campus before transitioning to University Park.

The items on this shelf represent a very small slice of life at Mont Alto since its transition to an official Commonwealth Campus - 62 years ago.

News articles (courtesy of Waynesboro's Alexander Hamilton Memorial Free Library)

“Mont Alto has always been and will continue to be an option for students who wish to be a part of the strong Penn State tradition in Pennsylvania” - State Representative Patrick Fleagle (2003)

Photographs

  • Group photo of first female students at Penn State Mont Alto, 1963
  • Nursing Pinning Ceremony, 2023
  • 1975 photo of Nursing students - before Mont Alto even had a Nursing major (Captioned in Record Herald (10/16/75): "Mrs. Jane Criste, director of nursing at Waynesboro Hospital, explains how to take a blood pressure reading. Observing are six of the nursing students from Mont Alto Campus who will spend Tuesday mornings at the hospital for the next 15 weeks. The students are, left to right, Cathy McNew, Teresa Twigg, Chris Trimmer, Darlene Reaka, Rondi Korkuch, and Lisanne Parsons.")
  • Photograph from 2023 Forestry Reunion, Woodsmen Team
  • New students, 2019
Timeline of Mont Alto, from Iron Furnace to Commonwealth Campus

Having progressed through the transitions in Mont Alto's history, we now turn to its present and the future of the campus

2025 Closure Announcement

Timeline & Reactions

February 25th: Neeli Bendapudi, Penn State President, releases a statement informing the media, general public, and Penn State community of the University’s plan to evaluate 12 campuses for potential closure; campus constituents begin submitting letters and statements on behalf of keeping their campuses open

May 12th: The Philadelphia Inquirer releases an article reporting the University’s plan to close 7 of the 12 campuses, including Mont Alto; University follows up with its own statement

May 13th: The University releases the recommendation report; campus communities begin releasing statements & petitions encouraging Board of Trustees to keep Mont Alto open

May 22nd: Penn State Board of Trustees votes 25-8 to close 7 of the University’s Commonwealth Campuses; reactions to closures published shortly after

Remembering Mont Alto

Since its beginning days as the Forest School, individuals have held their experiences at Mont Alto in the highest regard. Here are just some of those reflections --

“I have always considered my two years at PSFS as near to Heaven as a young man get on this earth.” (James B. Cartwright, 1978)

“[A] source of school spirit lay in the students’ appreciation of the beauty of the school’s surroundings. Set on open rising ground at the foot of a mountain, crossed by streams, and shielded on three sides by forests and orchards, the campus, too, has a unity. And it is small enough to make that unity apparent.” (Marlin Bruner, 1978)

"When I tried to think of my favorite memory of Mont Alto, I soon realized that each of my memories had one thing in common: people. The people are the best thing about my Mont Alto Experience. From the instructors to my classmates, the people are the best. And one thing is for sure--once a 'Mont Altonian' always a 'Mont Altonian.' People have walked up to me out of the blue after hearing that I had gone to Mont Alto and given me a huge hug. People make Mont Alto a great place." (Amy A. Rosenberry, “Centennial Voices,” 2003)

“There is always something that eludes capture, something that defies cataloging, and so we feel that we are always inadequate when we try to tell anyone why the things concerning the school should be true.” (James N. Morton)

Saying Goodbye

These final years at Mont Alto will be for remembering and reflecting on all that has happened in its long history - and all the people that lived near and loved campus. Dr. Joan Hocking (Associate Professor Emerita), editor of 2003's "Centennial Voices," included a final thought [p. 149] that has proved prescient and deeply touching --

When we celebrate the end of something, we instinctively know that there are no real endings, only beginnings. In the case of an institution like Penn State Mont Alto, we are grateful for the memories and for our connections with all who have gone before us. Centennial Voices is our history, our lives from the perspective of 100 years.

We appreciate the gifts Mont Alto has given us, yet we feel the weight of tradition and our role in perpetuating the future. Did we live up to the memories of the past? Were we responsible in preserving what those before us created? Did we advance the quality of excellence established by our predecessors? And, most important, did we add substantially to the worth of the institution? By all standards, we believe that we have met the expectations of the founders of Penn State Mont Alto.

We hope that our lives, experiences, accomplishments, ideals, values, and characters will be the physical, emotional, and spiritual legacies upon which our successors will create an even greater institution than we have known.

If you have any questions about what you have seen here or further information about photographs or items, please contact Kristi Addleman Ritter at kra132@psu.edu.