PHILIPSBURG – In a development of great importance to the revitalization of downtown Philipsburg, it was announced Tuesday that legal steps have been completed for the transfer of the Moshannon Building, at the corner of Front and Pine streets in Philipsburg, from the estate of the late Walter M. Swoope Jr. to the Philipsburg Historical Foundation in accordance with the terms of Swoope’s will.
“Walter Swoope’s vision for a newly resurgent downtown Philipsburg will be greatly enhanced by his generous and thoughtful gift to the Historical Foundation, and we are very grateful for it,” says Susan Allport Schneider, president of PHF.
“By giving us the building in which our museum of Philipsburg area history is located, Walter has assured that museum activities can go on uninterrupted.
“Walter, who owned the Moshannon Building for over 20 years, oversaw a complete restoration of the façade, and has left us a very solid and beautiful structure that is in excellent condition, with new roof, new thermal windows throughout and a completely revamped heating and cooling system.”
“It was Walter’s hope that the Philipsburg Historical Foundation could generate a good income from the Moshannon Building,” adds PHF Curator Luther Gette.
“And we will be bending every effort to make this come true.  We have been talking with several potential tenants, and hope to be able to announce within a short time that additional space in the building has been leased.
“With a little extra income from the building, plus generous donations from Philipsburg Borough, Centre County Commissioners and private citizens, we will be able us to maintain our museum and help with upkeep at Philipsburg’s historic sites, notably the Simler House and the Mud Church.”
According to Allport Schneider, with income from the building, plus a sizeable cash donation from Walter Swoope’s estate, the PHF can also embark on numerous other historic and preservation projects that need to be done.
For example, she said they would like to digitize the Philipsburg Journal from its inception in 1868 down to the present, so that it can be searched by keyword and date, online and for free, by anyone who has a question of historic or genealogical interest.
In a related development, it was announced that Lisa Bock of Reiter Realty in Philipsburg has been hired to manage the Moshannon Building.
“Lisa has much experience in building management,” says Allport Schneider.  “We’re confident that she will be able to manage the building in the best interests of both the tenants and the PHF, and thus of Philipsburg as a whole.
“Many thanks to Walter Swoope for his incredibly generous donation, and to all our donors over the years.  We pledge that we will be doing more and more for the town as time goes by.”
