ABCs of Centre County

Rebersburg (Miles) – Rich farm land and a nearby water supply encouraged early development by Germans from southeastern Pennsylvania along the early road that Colonel Samuel Miles built from Union County into Brush Valley. Conrad Reber acquired a portion of Miles' land and laid out the village in 1809, in a series of uniform 60- x 90-foot lots spread in a thin ribbon along each side of Brush Valley Road. When the road lost its prominence as a thoroughfare, village growth and change stopped.

Rock (Benner) – The rocky precipice on the south shore of Spring Creek gave its name to the iron works built by General Philip Benner. Benner, in turn, gave his name to the abundant spring located there. Known as one of the richest and most influential of Pennsylvania's early ironmasters, Benner came to this wilderness in 1793 with 100 ironworkers from Chester County. During the next seven years, he built two forges, a furnace, a rolling mill, nail factory, gristmill, and a sawmill. Benner shipped his high quality iron from Rock to Pittsburgh, Baltimore, and New Orleans. In 1815 inventor Eli Whitney described it as "some of the best in the world." Benner's large and handsome limestone mansion stood on a knoll on the north side of the creek facing the Rock. Benner's mansion was razed in the 1940s.

Rock Spring (Ferguson) – Located at the headwaters of Spruce Creek, a spring gushes from an overhanging Tussey Mountain rock ledge.

Romola (Curtin) – Romola is one of only two communities located in sparsely settled Curtin Township. The name is said to derive from a novel written by George Eliot.

Roopsburg (Spring) – A few miles south of Bellefonte on the Buffalo Run Road, Roopsburg has been an industrial location since Daniel Turner established the Turner IronWorks, Spring Creek Forge, and grist and sawmills in 1795. Thirty years later, Jacob Roop built a small brewery, the only successful brewery to operate in Centre County in the 19th century. Roop's brewery remained in business until 1902. The large three-story brick Brockerhoff Mill was built in 1862 by Henry Brockerhoff and occupies the site of earlier mills.

Rote's Mill (Penn) — In 1900 Simon Rote purchased an existing milling operation on Penns Creek, just west of Coburn. The existing mill had been in operation for more than fifty years. He, his sons, and his daughter-in-law kept a gristmill and sawmill in operation until the 1960s, the last mills to operate in the area.

Runville (Boggs) – The village of Runville, located along the Snow Shoe Highway, was laid out in the early 1800s. The highway follows the major route used to carry coal and lumber from the Mountaintop area to the central part of the county. At the headwaters of Wallace Run, its name, Runville, may reflect the fact that the run extends through the village.