Central Pennsylvania History: The Junction House (Centre County)

The Junction House at an unknown date

Nestled between Nittany Mountain and Sand Ridge lies the quiet village of Nittany. Like many of the quaint communities that line this end of Nittany Valley, life moves a little bit slower here, a quality that many residents appreciate. Though some aspects have stayed relatively the same, time has inevitably changed Nittany.

One impressive building had the honor of standing watch as the village around it changed over 166 years. It was a structure that commanded attention from anyone entering or leaving the village. In more recent years, it was probably the only thing travelers remembered as they sped by. Though no longer standing, its annals provide a cross-section of the community’s history. This is the story of the Junction House and Peck’s Store.

The Junction House was the brainchild of architect John Losh. Its location at the intersection of the Lock Haven and Bellefonte Turnpike (present day Rt. 64) and the Milheim Pike (now Rt. 445). It was anticipated that travelers on these thoroughfares would frequent the hotel.

Peck's Store was located in the boarded up section to the right
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The Junction House from Rt. 64
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The junction that gave the building its name
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Hand crafted eaves
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The decorative wrought iron porch columns
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From 1848-1849, Thomas McMinn and Daniel McGinley constructed the building's frame and stable. Its dimensions were quite impressive compared to other buildings in the village: 54 feet wide in the front by 64 feet along the sides. Seventeen rooms encompassed the building, with twelve being upstairs and the remainder downstairs. Built in the Italianate style, the building exhibited a shallow roof pitch, ornate eaves, and decorative wrought iron support columns.

Losh’s dreams of great success sadly did not come to fruition and the building’s true potential was never realized. Losh was to sell the property in 1851, however the deal fell through. A sheriff’s sale disposed of the building to William Musser on January 31, 1852. The building then changed owners twice before being purchased by Thomas Huston, a local wealthy landowner, on December 23, 1865.

Joseph Huston, Thomas’ son, was a doctor and kept a small room upstairs to store his medicine. In 1878, Dr. Huston amputated the leg of Henry Robb, who was the owner of the nearby Nittany Inn at the time. Henry had suffered a wound to his leg during the Civil War. For whatever reason, he was spared a battlefield amputation. Delayed complications from the wound in the years after the war must have necessitated this procedure.

It should also be noted that for a time, the location of the Junction House was not technically Nittany. The more accurate designation was Huston. The name was derived from Thomas Huston, who had drawn up plans for a formal community in 1876, but never materialized. Nevertheless, the area around the Junction House continued to be called Huston for some time. During the era when the Central Railroad of Pennsylvania ran through the valley (1893-1918), Huston had its own station just down the hill from the Junction House. Modern day Nittany now encompasses this former “community.”

Solomon Peck purchased the building on March 21, 1881. The Peck family operated a furniture and undertaking business within the building around 1882. A few years later, the Peck’s opened a general store on the western side of the building. Peck’s Store became well-known for selling the highest quality dry goods, home furnishings, general merchandise, produce, and coal. Earl Peck, grandson of Solomon, was postmaster from 1916-1931, 1933, and again in 1935. During his time as postmaster, the post office was located in Peck’s Store. Over time, the store became synonymous for the Huston area. In later years, Peck’s Store gradually replaced Huston in identifying the location.

Earl sold the building to Albert Kaufman on September 5, 1950. Kaufman ran the store until March of 1951 when the building was purchased by Charles Kyle, who transformed it into a multi-family dwelling.

In September 2014, the Junction House/Peck’s Store was the subject of a public hearing held at the Walker Township municipal building. By now, the building had sat vacant for decades. Plans were submitted to demolish the structure to make way for a housing project. An attempt was made to preserve the building through Preservation Pennsylvania, but unfortunately this attempt was not successful. The following year, the building was razed piece by piece until only the stone foundation remained. This was then filled in and the lot leveled. Construction of the housing project commenced not long after.