Jack's Roadhouse

Though neither named nor incorporated at the time (that happened in 1896), a town started to develop across the street from the Pennsylvania Agricultural High School (the initial name of Penn State) with it's founding in 1855. The first two houses still can be seen in the 100 block of east College Avenue, each now behind store fronts.

Jacks' Roadhouse, the first hotel, was built soon after that by James Jack from Philadelphia. One hundred and sixty years later, the hotel is a landmark on the southeast corner of Allen Street and College Avenue across from Penn State's main gate.

The building has been expanded, remodel and renamed several times over the years: College Inn, Nittany Inn, State College Hotel, and most recently the Hotel State College. While still a hotel, since 1926 the building has been better known for the Corner Room Restaurant. There is another eatery above the Corner Room, a sports bar behind it, and a bar that caters mainly to college students in the basement. Still, if you tell a friend, “Meet me at the Corner,” they know the place.