In 1764, James Potter was the first to record his exploration of Centre County. Having reached the top of Nittany Mountain, and "....seeing the prairies and noble forest beneath him, cried out to his attendant, 'By heavens, Thompson, I have discovered an empire!'” Centre County celebrated its bicentennial in 2000. In honor of that milestone, the Centre County Historical Society, which has been preserving and disseminating information about the county's rich history since 1904, created this fund. This fund helps the Centre County Historical Society support projects that promote and preserve Centre County's heritage.  The Centre County Historical Society is headquartered at the Centre Furnace Mansion, a restored and furnished ironmaster's home listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This historic mansion and nearby iron furnace stack represent the 18th century beginnings of the charcoal iron industry in this area, and the 19th century birthplace of the Pennsylvania State University. In addition to the Mansion and Furnace Stack, CCHS also cares for the historic Boogersburg School, a one-room school house.