Author Archives: Joel Weidner

Source: Doctor Grover’s Hospitals, by Jo Chesworth,  Town & Gown, September 1971 Two hospitals existed in the early days of State College. One, the Glenn Hospital, opened in the Highlands in 1926 at 249 S. Pugh Street (photo). Dr. Grover … Continued

by Polly Dunn, Doug Miller, Selden Smith The State College Friends Meeting could actually claim to have been born in the Highlands, at 423 South Pugh Street, where, from 1913 to 1920, Hanna Maule invited Quaker students into her home for … Continued

by Eric White For the second anniversary of Hearts in the Highlands, the Editorial Board (Anne Cornell, Peg Hambrick, Gary Miller, and Eric White) chose to share with our readers eight vintage photographs of the Highlands.  We hope you enjoyed … Continued

by Laird and Svitlana Budzhak-Jones We began our State College house search late in the spring of 2001. Our realtor had planned a day of viewing six houses, to gauge our flexibility on style, neighborhood and price. We were just supposed to … Continued

by Jacqueline Melander All faculty members hope to leave an impression on their students.  A. Lawrence Kocher left an architectural impression that is still visible in the Highlands.  Kocher came to Penn State in 1912 as a graduate student in Architectural … Continued

By Emily Briselli One look at the unique and diverse homes situated through the Highlands District immediately immerses anyone and everyone in a world where people live, grow, and love in homes that have and will foster this community for years.  … Continued

by Mary Conner-Righter How does the seeming randomness of life’s choices bring us to places where our heart longs to live? The story I am sharing unfolds through family lore passed on from now-deceased loved ones, a bit of historical … Continued

by Justin Wheeler Thanksgiving and fall leaves – other than their Autumnal association, they seemingly have little in common. Yet, as a gardener and lover of the natural world, fall leaves are one of the things I am most thankful … Continued

By Lee Stout State College, both the institution and the town, was a growing community in the period between 1920 to the late 1940s.  Penn State saw the passing of the much beloved President Edwin Erle Sparks in 1924.  His … Continued

by Diana Griffith “The best couples all have a story to tell about how they met,” says Margaret Sebastianelli. She and husband Ted met while walking their dogs at Toftrees, where they each lived in a condo. Their dogs eyed each … Continued