Small Centre County borough has rich history, including a Mister Rogers connection

Port Matilda Borough at a glance

Population: 578 (as of the 2020 United States Census)

Landmarks: Port Matilda Community Park, Port Matilda Hotel & Tavern, Port Matilda Sportmen’s Association

Where to eat: Port Matilda Hotel & Tavern, Brother’s Pizza, Lyken’s Market

What to do: Fish in the Bald Eagle Creek, enjoy some of the local’s favorite wings at the Port Matilda Hotel & Tavern, explore the borough’s community park, partake in a meat shoot at the Port Matilda Sportsmen’s Association

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Located just off Exit 61 on Interstate 99 near Centre County’s southwest border with Blair County, Port Matilda Borough is home to offerings that historians, nature-lovers and foodies alike can enjoy.

The borough is a part of the Bald Eagle Valley, located about 20 minutes from State College in an area that was settled in 1836 by Israel de Haas, who opened a chair-making store there, Port Matilda Mayor Ida Lively said.

In 1841, Clement Beckwith moved into de Haas’ former home and bought 1,800 acres of land surrounding it, eventually laying out the formal town of Port Matilda in 1850. It was incorporated into a borough in 1925, making it the youngest borough in Centre County.

There’s some local lore around how the borough got its name. “Matilda” was the name of Beckwith’s daughter, Lively said. She’s heard a couple of possibilities about “Port” — either Beckwith asked his daughter to bring him a port of wine while he was sick, or it comes from Beckwith’s hopes to connect the town with the Pennsylvania Canal, which never materialized.

Fast forward 100 years to today, the borough will celebrate its centennial, reflecting on its history and unique offerings.

Landmarks and Mister Rogers connection

Port Matilda is home to some unique historical landmarks, including Plank Road, also known as Pennsylvania Route 220, and a brick factory that has history connecting the borough to “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.”

In the 1850s, Plank Road was used as the primary route between Bellefonte and Tyrone, two of the area’s larger industrial hubs at the time. The traffic along the roadway meant that Port Matilda was seeing a lot of visitation, which turned the area into a bustling working town with lots of shops, Lively said.

While the increased traffic brought an abundance of business to the small town, it also stirred up a lot of mud, which made the roadway difficult to traverse at times. But then several wooden planks were placed on top of the mud, which made for a smoother, cleaner ride. That became the inspiration for the name of Plank Road.

Another unique piece of Port Matilda history involves the former McFeely Brick Company — a name that fans of the beloved children’s television show “Mister Roger’s Neighborhood” and icon Fred Rogers may recognize.

Mr. McFeely may have been the Neighborhood of Make-Believe’s mailman, but his namesake is Fred McFeely, Fred Rogers’ grandfather and the owner of McFeely’s brickyard. It was open for decades before it was bought by General Refractories and shut down in 1959.

“The brickyard was a very, very strong presence in the borough for many years before it closed,” current mayor Ida Lively said. “After it closed, it was greatly missed.”

Today, some of the brickyard’s remnants still stand, but they are located on private property and overgrown with vegetation.

Outdoor activities

While some of Port Matilda’s history may be unique, those who would rather spend their time in the great outdoors can be satisfied as well.

Anglers can make their way to the Bald Eagle Creek, a waterway that runs directly through the borough and is known for its excellent trout fishing conditions.

Located at 8413 S. Eagle Valley Road in Worth Township, a few feet from the borough line, is the Port Matilda Sportsmen’s Association, which also offers a variety of activities for outdoor lovers — provided that you come on the right day.

Around this time of year, when summer is transitioning to fall, the association holds weekly meat shoots at 7 p.m. each Wednesday. Those participating in the shoots bring their own shotgun and aim down-range at a small target on a piece of paper.

Ammo for the shotguns is $15 per every five rounds, and the shooters that end up with the most hit marks in the target get a prize from a selection of cash prizes and cuts of pork, beef and chicken.

If fishing and shooting isn’t your thing though, the Port Matilda Community Park is the place for you.

Surrounded by trees with the sound of Bald Eagle Creek in the background, the park is located along Front Street in the borough near the Port Matilda American Legion, and offers a baseball field, a playground and some small walking paths to enjoy.

Sneaky spots for foodies

Port Matilda may not have the largest food scene of the county’s 10 boroughs, but the food that it does have packs a punch.

Located at 201 W. Plank Road, the Port Matilda Hotel & Tavern was built in the early 1860s, Mayor Ida Lively said, and has withstood “a couple of” arson attempts during that time.

Many believe that it boasts the best selection of wings around — take it from Jennifer Gilbert, a Worth Township resident who’s been teaching at the Port Matilda Elementary school for over two decades (and eating the hotel’s wings for just as long).

“If you’re going to eat anywhere here, you’d be best off getting the wings at the hotel,” Gilbert said. “Their wings are huge, you get great bang for your buck and there a ton of different flavors to pick from.”

In total, 22 wing flavors are offered at the hotel, including 15 sauces and seven dry rubs, but if you’re looking for the recommendation of a local, Gilbert would suggest getting a baker’s dozen of the zippy tomato bacon wings — “I know the flavor sounds weird at first, but trust me on this one, they’re outstanding.”

Other restaurants in Port Matilda include a Brother’s Pizza and Lykens Market, which is typically known as a gas station but also offers hot and cold subs, salads, wraps, fried food, breakfast foods and desserts.

Brother’s Pizza is located at 101 W. Plank Road, and Lykens Market is located at 202 W. Plank Road.

Centennial celebration

This weekend Port Matilda Borough is turning 100 years old, and to honor the occasion the borough is holding a Centennial Celebration, complete with activities for people of all ages.

The celebration starts at 5:30 p.m. Sunday at the Port Matilda Community Park.

Attendees can look forward to presentations by at least two local historians, food provided by both the Port Matilda American Legion and some vendors, games and activities for children, a cornhole tournament, a small veterans parade, Port Matilda-themed mugs for sale and a raffle hosted by the Port Matilda Fire Company.

“Port Matilda, through its 100 years, has seen rise and decline, but we’re still here and we’re celebrating our little town that’s fabulous,” Ida Lively said.

Her husband, Mark, agreed.

“We’re a small town with strong spirit,” he said.

This story was originally published September 19, 2025 at 10:58 AM.