You may have checked out Bellefonte’s first mural, but do you know the history behind it?

In our Uniquely stories, CDT journalists celebrate what we love most about Centre County, its history & culture. Read more. Story idea? cdtnewstips@centredaily.com.

The first large-scale mural in Bellefonte has been completed, with the art installation depicting scenes from the area’s past.

Work began on the mural on May 21 and the art duo known as Key Detail officially finished about a week later, after days of residents stopping by to check out the progress.

Key Detail is the husband and wife team Andrey and Julia Yu-Baba, whose art style is “ideal for story-telling and highlighting community assets,” according to a press release from Bellefonte Art Museum of Centre County.

Taking up the entire wall of 123 S. Allegheny St., the mural depicts a young air mail pilot posing next to the propeller of a plane that he perhaps once flew, as well as an early-model airplane in the top-left corner of the mural.

In the top right of the mural lies another clever homage to Bellefonte — a matchbox-shaped stamp with the Match Factory painted on it, a reference to both the Match Factory itself and the American Philatelic Center that’s inside. The stamp and mail theme continues with the blue and orange border resembling a stamp.

The mural is in reference to the borough’s rich air mail history, and the important role that Bellefonte played in the early days of air and transcontinental mail from 1918 to 1928.

According to the Centre County Historical Society, Bellefonte was a crucial stop on the route from New York City to Chicago.

Many towns located in the 851 miles between the two cities were looked at as potential refueling stops by the United States Post Office Department, but because of the geographical location of the borough, Bellefonte was chosen as the best spot.

“At 747 feet above sea level, it was drier than other nearby towns such as Lock Haven, which frequently flooded,” CCHS’ website reads. “On Oct. 11, 1918, the POD announced that regular airmail service between New York and Chicago would begin the next month, and Bellefonte would be the only scheduled stop in Pennsylvania.”

The first airfield was located at the Thomas Weaver Farm, the current location of the Bellefonte Area High School. The field itself was about 600 feet long and 200 feet wide.

Flying in the early 1900s was no easy task though, as pilots regularly had accidents resulting in injury or even death.

While Bellefonte was the only refueling site in Pennsylvania, it did pose a unique challenge to pilots attempting to land there.

According to the historical society, the mountain ranges surrounding Bellefonte varied in height from 440 to 2775 feet, often leaving weather conditions to be unpredictable. Thick, low-lying fog regularly surrounded the airfield, meaning that pilots would get lost in the fog and have to attempt a treacherous landing, or circle the air above the field until the fog cleared while they reoriented themselves.

Years later, in 1925, a new airfield was built just outside Pleasant Gap, near the limestone plant on state Route 64. This new airfield had upgraded facilities, including a larger hangar, field lights and a beacon system.

Just a few years after the new airfield was built though, airplane technology advanced so much that planes no longer needed to refuel in Bellefonte en route between New York and Chicago. From there on out, the Bellefonte airfield was only used as an intermediate landing zone planes flying mail from coast-to-coast.

According to the historical society, remnants of the airfield’s history remains in Bellefonte, with a historical marking placed at the site of the old field and a memorial to those who died performing their duties placed at the American Philatelic Center, at 100 Match Factory Place.

Kathleen Ammon, Downtown Bellefonte Inc.’s Community and Programming Manager, said she’s overjoyed with how the mural representing the air mail history turned out.

“When we first met the artists and they presented us with the sketch of what the mural would look like, it was already great,” Ammon said. “Now that they’ve painted it though, I’m even more in awe of it. It looks stunning and the artists really nailed every single detail that they possibly could’ve.”

Key Detail posted the mural on its Instagram page along with some details that they felt made this project special.

“I painted the Havilland DH-4s airplane, which was among the aircraft used at that time...” the post reads. “Julia and I are so grateful for this opportunity and for the wonderful time our family had in Bellefonte.”

While another mural isn’t on the immediate radar for Downtown Bellefonte Inc., if another opportunity came up to bring a second mural to Bellefonte, there’s a possibility that it could happen, Ammon said.

“Bringing art to Bellefonte is one of the DBI’s main focuses,” Ammon said. “It makes the town look even better than it already does and will attract more people and businesses to this area.”

The mural was funded by a Pennsylvania Wilds Center for Entrepreneurs grant.