Harbison Walker Refractories site, c. 1988.

Mount Union has an interesting and complex history that saw the town pass through several periods of development prompted by different events. The earliest period began in 1831 when the Pennsylvania Canal was completed through what is now Mount Union Borough. The Mount Union Area Historical Society’s Sharrar House was built during this period as a commercial building that faced the canal. The small stone structure, erected in 1840, is the oldest building in town.

A second period of growth was spurred by construction of the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1850, parallel to the canal. By 1867, the town was incorporated as a separate political entity and developed into a typical Central Pennsylvania small town.

           
                                The Sharrar House

The picture changed rather rapidly during the first two decades of the 20th century when exploitation of the large deposit of ganister rock on the nearby mountain slopes made Mount Union into the “silica brick capital of the world.” The population doubled and then tripled, as three refractory brick manufacturers attracted many hundreds of workers, who came from a wide variety of ethnic and cultural backgrounds.

The Mount Union Area Historical Society was formed to collect a record of this interesting development and to preserve it through historical photographs, documents, and artifacts. In addition to the canal-era Sharrar House, the Society also owns an adjacent house that contains its office, display areas, and storage. Recently, a former brick company office building has been acquired for the development of an industrial museum.

To view pictures from the society click here Galleries