Old Coaly - University Park, PA - Animal Memorials on Waymarking.com

The coordinates given are for the rear entrance to the HUB. From the rear entrance, go upstairs to the street level and toward the theater and art alcove to find Coaly. From the front entrance, Coaly is to the rear and to the right.


From display signage:

Coaly 1855 - 1893
The black mule who hauled stones for building the original Old Main, Pennsylvania State University.

Encased in 1977 through the efforts of the Coaly Honorary Society, with a grand from the Agriculture Alumni.


Old Coaly 1855-1893
Old Coaly was a black mule who helped to build the original Old Main. Born in Kentucky in 1855, he came to Pennsylvania in 1857 with his owner, Piersol Lytle, whose son Andy was among 200 workmen engaged in constructing the building. Along with three other mules and two horses, Coaly hauled tons of limestone blocks to the construction site from a quarry located on what is today a part of Old Main lawn, near the intersection of College Avenue and Pugh Street. (A plaque now marks the quarry's location.) The five story Old Main was completed in 1863. Penn State then purchased Coaly for $190, a high price for that era, reflecting his reliability and great capacity for work.

Coaly spent the next thirty years handling a variety of tasks on the campus and surrouding farms. He was a favorite of the students, and served as their informal mascot long before the advent of the Nittany Lion. So great was their affection for Coaly that after his death on January 1, 1893, his skeleton was perserved. It has had numerous resting places, including a wildlife museum in the original Old Main; Watts Hall, in the West Halls dorms; the attic of the old Penn State veterinary hospital; the Agricultural Administration Building; the Ag Arena; and now, here in the HUB-Robeson Center.

Type of Memorial: statue Type of Animal: service, work animal

Visit Instructions:
Proof of visit is required. The easiest proof is a gps photo of the memorial. GPS photos will always be acceptable proof. Individual waymarks may ask for an alternative type of proof of visit.

Recent Visits/Logs:

Date Logged Log User Rating   02/02/2022 ted28285 visited it