James Potter led the first recorded expedition Spring Creek in 1764. Upon reaching an overlook on Mount Nittany, he exclaimed "By heavens, Thompson, I have discovered an empire!"[8] The first White settlers in present day Lemont arrived in 1789, setting up farms, a grits mill, and a saw mill.[9]
The land that would make up the village, historically known as “The End of the Mountain,” was bought by Centre Furnace ironmaster Moses Thompson in 1870. As the iron industry flourished in Centre County, so to did the Bellefonte Central Railroad. Lemont was given its French name as a stop between Bellefonte and Lewisburg in 1885. Although a plan to extend a line from Lemont to Scotia via State College never came to fruition, students, faculty, and visitors would use Lemont's train station, and catch a buggy to connect to State College or University Park. Lemont would grow as a prominent railway town and crossroads between the Penns and Nittany Valleys with banks, blacksmiths, a general stores, jewelry stores, clinics, schools, hotels, and churches opening up along the main streets.[9]
In Spring of 1885 the Lemont Hotel, owned by Thompson's son, burned down. The insurance money he acquired was used to build the Thompson Grain Elevator and coal sheds. As trucking was replacing freight hauling the granary shut down in the 1950s. In the 1970s a Penn State Student doing a study of Lemont wrote "The once very important buildings have been neglected and deteriorating." In 1994 the Lemont Village Association purchased the lot for preservation.[10]
The Lemont Historic District is home to many historic homes and businesses. The John Thompson Coal Sheds and Granary is the last remaining wooden grain elevator in Pennsylvania and is being restored by the Lemont Village Association. Lemont Elementary School, built from 1938 to 1939 as College Township School, is a limestone building that overlooks the village. The State College Area School District is considering closing the school; however, many district residents are opposed.[11][12] The Friends of Lemont School was organized to spearhead an effort to combat the closure and sponsored an on-line petition to keep the neighborhood school. According to the State College school board meeting minutes of June 16, 2017 there will be a hearing to close Lemont Elementary school on July 24, 2017, prior to the board meeting.[13]
Culture
The Art Alliance of Central Pennsylvania was formed in 1968, and has been housed in the former home of the Lemont Band ever since.[9]
The Lemont Village Green hosts many community events, including small concerts and the Strawberry Festival a tradition dating back to 1982. The festival attracted 1,000 vistors in 2024 and featured railroad speeder rides on the historic tracks.[14]
Geography
Lemont is bordered by Houserville to the north of, Shiloh to the northeast, Squirrel Hill to the west, and Dalevue to the south. The southwestern end of Mount Nittany rises above the eastern edge of the village.[3]
As of the census[16] of 2020, there were 2,276 people, 996 housing units, and 951 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 1,837.3 people per square mile (709.4 people/km2). The racial makeup of the CDP was 84.7% White, 2.4% Black or African American, 0.4% Native American, 3.5% Asian, 0.2% from other races, and 4.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.1% of the population.
There were 951 households, out of which 18.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.8% were married couples living together, 3.5% had a male householder with no wife present, 7.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.7% were non-families. 25.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 3.00.
In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 22.1% under the age of 18, 8.4% from 18 to 24, 27.4% from 25 to 44, 31.0% from 45 to 64, and 11.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.9 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $63,945, and the median income for a family was $94,383. The per capita income for the CDP was $44,550. About 3.6% of families and 8.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.4% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.
Transportation
Lemont is served by the College Avenue Connector CATA which runs from Cato to Shiloh via Lemont and Downtown.[17]
The Mount Nittany Expressway makes up Lemont's southern and western boundaries. Pennsylvania Route 26 locally known as College Avenue marks the border between Houserville and Lemont.
^Stevenson, Christopher M., and Conran Hay. National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Houserville Site (36CE65). National Park Service, 1980-10-15.
