NORTH ABINGTON TWP. — Penn State plans to use a sprawling property in the Abingtons for education and enhancing the environment while working with the community.
Officials formally dedicated Penn State Fullers Overlook on Thursday afternoon. Penn State plans to use the site in North Abington Twp. and Dalton for education, research, field trips, workshops, symposia and retreats. It will also be used as a demonstration site for showcasing innovative practices that enhance land, water and ecosystem health, officials said. It will be administered through Penn State Sustainability.
The 355-acre property consists of a dozen buildings, more than 120 acres of forests, wetlands and meadows, a 39-acre lake and a 10-acre regenerative farm.
Mort and Sue Fuller, whose family had owned the property since 1902, signed the gift agreement with Penn State in May of last year and the property was transferred to Penn State in October, Corey Gracie-Griffin, the site’s director, said. Officials said the property is one of the largest gifts of land and property in the university’s history.
The entire transaction, including the $11 million property transfer and a $12 million planned gift to help Penn State start up its presence at the site, cost $23.3 million, according to officials.
Then-U.S. Sen. Bob Casey suggested the Fullers work with Penn State on the future of the property during a dinner he had with the couple and his wife, Therese, in 2017.
Sue Fuller said the dedication is the start of a new chapter for the property, and she and her husband are looking forward to what the future holds for it.
“Mort and I are filled with hope that Fullers Overlook will continue to serve as a place for research, learning, reflection and inspiration for generations to come,” she said during the dedication event.
The Fullers, who received a congressional proclamation from U.S. Rep. Rob Bresnahan, R-8, Dallas Twp., during the event, still own four buildings on the property, Gracie-Griffin said, with the remaining eight buildings owned by Penn State. In addition to Gracie-Griffin, two other people work at the site full time and he plans to hire two part-time employees.
Endless Roots Farm at Overlook, a farm that grows produce for the public and community organizations, continues to operate on the site. Mike and Liz Krug, who started the farm in 2014 as Fullers Overlook Farm, began leasing the farm from Penn State in January of last year, Gracie-Griffin said.
Row houses at Penn State Fullers Overlook pictured Thursday, June 5, 2025. (Christine Lee/Staff Photo)
People gather before the dedication ceremony for Penn State Fullers Overlook Thursday, June 5, 2025. (Christine Lee/Staff Photo)
An antique car inside a barn with an exhibit on the history of Fullers Overlook pictured Thursday, June 5, 2025. Penn State acquired the property late last year and plans to use it for education, research and a community space. (Christine Lee/Staff Photo)
The barn at Penn State Fullers Overlook pictured Thursday, June 5, 2025. The university acquired the property in North Abington Twp. last fall and plans to use it for education, research and a community space. (Christine Lee/Staff Photo)
Penn State will work with the University of Oregon and SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, both of which have worked with the Fullers. Gracie-Griffin said two graduate students are working at the site for the summer and he anticipates more will be on the site in the future.
University officials who spoke at the dedication said it will promote research and noted the Fuller family’s dedication to the property, which Penn State will continue.
“From my many conversations with our president, Neeli Bendapudi, I know how grateful she is to Mort and Sue and the rest of the Fuller family for their generosity and the incredible trust that they’ve placed in Penn State to ensure the preservation and appropriate educational use of Fullers Overlook for years to come,” Larry Terry, vice president for Penn State Outreach, said during the event.
David Kleppinger, who chairs Penn State’s board of trustees, said work in ecological restoration and regenerative agriculture being done at the site will contribute to the agriculture field.
“I look forward to seeing that cutting-edge research,” he said.
Casey, who attended the event with his wife, said prior to the dedication the site will benefit generations to come. He also said it will enhance Penn State’s mission of sustainability.
“The impact of this will go well beyond 125 years,” he said. “Penn State has worldwide reach, so this property will have an impact not just on our commonwealth, not just on our country, but the world.”
More than 50 people, including local leaders, attended the dedication, which included the Fullers unveiling the site’s logo. Many toured the property prior to the event.
Abington Heights School District Superintendent Christopher Shaffer, Ed.D., said the site presents opportunities for students in the district, many of whom are interested in science and research. He said he has begun discussing those opportunities for students with Penn State.
“Having a research extension right here within our own boundaries for our kids to take advantage of alongside professionals in a absolutely beautiful environment is exciting,” Shaffer said. “It’s going to be a great opportunity for our kids to be on the cutting edge of research working in their own backyard in a beautiful almost 500-acre facility.”
Gracie-Griffin said Penn State wants to continue the work the Fullers and the Krugs do with the community. He said what is done on the site will be in line with Penn State Outreach’s mission of fulfilling the university’s land grant mission.
“We want the community to be involved,” he said. “All the decisions that I make here are going to hopefully benefit Northeast Pennsylvania.”
The public can schedule a tour of the site by visiting the Penn State Fullers Overlook website at fullersoverlook.psu.edu.