A stunning Federal Mansion presides over West Potomac Street near "The Busy Corner," on lot 20 of the original plan of Williamsport. The large house is laid in Flemish Bond brickwork at the front elevation with heavy wooden lintels featuring corner blocks with carved rosettes. The structure is four bays wide and three-story high, with a stepped parapet at each end and paired brick chimneys built within the walls.
A stunning fanlight sets within the attic of the east wall, and a deep cornice runs above the second story with half windows on the third floor covered in ornate grills. Few buildings in Williamsport boast as much style and architectural importance as this former mansion. Originally constructed circa 1825, this private residence became a bank in 1834 and has remained one ever since.
Elie Williams, the brother of the Town's Founder, leased lots 19 and 20 along Potomac Street in budding Williamsport in 1790. Otho granted Elie nine years to build a house and enclose the lot vs. the standard three, but he completed the task in four. Elie Williams relinquished the lease to Valentine Mautter in 1794 for 60 pounds. Valentine sold the lots in 1810 to the Miller Family, who sold them to the Van Lears in 1815. More about lot 19 and the lost Williamsport homes that once stood there can be read on our page from last summer's posting on June 22, 2022. https://wmsptwalls.myportfolio.com/potomac-20-w
Matthew Van Lear (1755-1823) and his wife Mary "Peggy" Irwin (1760-1828) were married in Mercersburg, Pa, in 1782 and proceeded to have twelve children. They moved to Williamsport, where Matthew and Mary bought a property called "Salisbury" just outside of Williamsport along the road to Hagerstown, and over time expanded the old log cabin into the large mansion now known as Mount Tammany. The couple was intelligent and business minded. They proceeded to amass a vast collection of real estate, including mills, farms, taverns, warehouses, and lots in Williamsport and land in Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Indiana. When Mary passed away in 1828, the estate went to her children, including Sophia Caroline, who married Archibald Findlay, son of the Governor of Pennsylvania. More about Mount Tammany can be seen here. https://washingtoncountyhistoricaltrust.org/52-mount-tammany-circa-1780-north-of-williamsport-md/
John Van Lear, son of Matthew and Mary, sold lot 20 to the newly formed Washington County Bank in 1834. The bank paid the high sum of $950 for the lot and brick mansion, which his mother and father built circa 1825 as their in-town home. The Washington County Bank absorbed the Conococheague Bank, which built the Williamsport Banking Mansion in 1814. The bank may have embellished the large house, giving it its current appearance, but that is still being determined. The Washington County Bank eventually became the Washington County National Bank in 1865.
The subsequent banks that occupied the old house have taken good care of the building, and its beautiful façade continues to grace and enhance the streets and charm of Williamsport.
As preservation month ends, it's important to remember that taking care of a building like this and preserving its architectural heritage brings civic pride to our community. Preserving our heritage in brick, stone, and wood is essential. Williamsport's history matters and should be protected.
