National Register of Historic Places

Tuscarora Academy

Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pennsylvania
Listed
June 29, 1972
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
72001125

About this property

The Tuscarora Academy in Academia, Pennsylvania is a building from 1816. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. The building was constructed in 1816 as a Presbyterian Church. When the Tuscarora Academy was established in 1836, some of the classes were held in the church. Other campus buildings were adjacent to the property. In 1850 the academy trustees purchased the building and added the second floor for extra dormitory rooms. From 1851 until 1875, four fires on campus destroyed the other campus buildings. Academy classes continued in this stone building until 1912, then until 1916 the building was used for Beale Township High School. Alumni and community members lobbied hard for the building's restoration and preservation, which finally happened starting in the 1960s. In August 1970, the Tuscarora Academy Museum opened to the public and is still operational today. In 2016, ownership was transferred to the Juniata County Historical Society. The Museum is open June through August on Sundays from 1:30pm until 4:00pm. In addition to the notable alumni listed below, a book published in 2021 (Tuscarora Academy: Providence is Here) contains short biographies of about a third of the known alumni, faculty, and trustees. This once prestigious school educated young men (and women beginning in 1873) from at least 30 other states and 6 other countries. Alumni went on to settle in every state in the contiguous United States, with many reaching the pinnacle of their chosen professions. The academy is located about a mile west of the Academia Pomeroy Covered Bridge which is also listed on the National Register.

Location

Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pennsylvania
40.49748, -77.48792

Categories

EDUCATIONARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Academia Pomeroy Covered Bridge
Industrial
0.9 mi
Lehman's, Port Royal Covered Bridge
Industrial
5.3 mi
Saville Covered Bridge
Industrial
6.3 mi
Old Stone Arch Bridge
Industrial
7 mi
Pennsylvania Main Line Canal, Juniata Division, Canal Section
Industrial
7.2 mi

Questions about this property

When was Tuscarora Academy listed on the National Register?

Tuscarora Academy was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 29, 1972.

What type of historic resource is Tuscarora Academy?

Tuscarora Academy is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Tuscarora Academy?

The period of significance for Tuscarora Academy is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Tuscarora Academy?

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