Honoring the 28th

In 1919, the Boal Troop dedicated a monument to their fallen comrades elsewhere on Col. Boal's estate. In the 1920s, other units of the 28th Infantry Division erected memorials in this area and began referring to it as the "Shrine." By 1971, most World War I units of the 28th were represented here. A memorial wall for 28th Division members who died in World War II was dedicated in 1997. Outside the Shrine complex, the grounds remained active through much of the 1930s, with reunions, the addition of an Officer's Club, and expanded cavalry training grounds. In 1931, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania purchased the grounds. It was placed under the jurisdiction of the Department of Military Affairs and administered by the Society of the 28th Division A.E.F. In 1957, it was transferred to the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. Colonel Boal died before his long-cherished dream of establishing a museum on the grounds was realized. In 1969, the Pennsylvania Military Museum formally opened to the public. It is dedicated in honor of Pennsylvania's citizen soldiers.

Boalsburg, Pennsylvania · United States