William Everhart | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Everhart in 1899'sWest Chester, Past and Present. | |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromPennsylvania's6th district | |
| In office March 4, 1853 – March 3, 1855 | |
| Preceded by | Thomas Ross |
| Succeeded by | John Hickman |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1785-05-17)May 17, 1785 |
| Died | October 30, 1868(1868-10-30) (aged 83) |
| Resting place | Oaklands Cemetery |
| Political party | Whig |
| Spouse | |
| Children | Benjamin andJames |
| Signature | _(cropped).png) |
William Everhart (May 17, 1785 – October 30, 1868) was an entrepreneur and wealthy businessman fromPennsylvania. He was responsible for developing much ofWest Chester and stimulating its economic growth. He was a member of theU.S. House of Representatives from 1853 to 1855.
William Everhart was born inChester County, Pennsylvania. His father James Everhart was a soldier in theContinental Army. He attended the common schools and became acivil engineer. Everhart served in theWar of 1812 as captain of a company of riflemen. He was the only passenger saved from the packet shipAlbion, wrecked off the coast ofIreland in 1822. Upon his return toPennsylvania he planned a large addition to the city ofWest Chester, Pennsylvania.
In the early 1800s, Everhart opened his first store inPughtown, Pennsylvania, which sold general wares. On March 8, 1814, he married Rebecca Matlack of Goshen, granddaughter of one of the borough's first farmers. After finding success in Pughtown, he went on to open stores inTredyffrin Township,West Goshen, andWest Whiteland before opening a location in West Chester in 1824.[1] Items he sold included fine cloths, silks, clothing, eye glasses, medicines, paints and oils, and liquors -– many imported from Europe.
In 1829, he purchased the 102-acreWollerton Farm in West Chester, southwest of what is today the intersection of Market Street and Wimont Mews. In 1830, he built a family mansion on Miner Street which still stands.[1] He built theWilliam Everhart Buildings in 1833, and resided at theWilliam Everhart House in West Whiteland Township; they are both listed on theNational Register of Historic Places.[2]
By 1835, Everhart was by far the richest man in town, worth nearly twice as much as his nearest rival. In real estate alone, Everhart was worth approximately $70,000 (nearly $2,000,000 in 2015).[3]
Everhart was elected to Congress as aWhig in 1852. He served in the33rd Congress, 1853 to 1855. He was not a candidate for renomination in 1854.
His sons were scientistBenjamin Matlack Everhart and politicianJames Bowen Everhart.[4] He died in West Chester on October 30, 1868, and is interred atOaklands Cemetery.
Everhart sailed back and forth betweenNew York andLiverpool making sure that he had the best goods to sell. On April 1, 1822, he boarded thepacket shipThe Albion and set sail for Europe. On Sunday, April 21 the ship reachedCape Clear but encountered thick fog and strong southward winds. Though the crew shortened the sails, a "strong and sudden squall" carried away one of the main sails and tore another.[1] As night approached, there was a lull in the wind and the crew set about repairing the damage. They were not free of the storm, however, as later that night a large wave struck the ship and destroyed themain mast.
After hours of battling the rough seas, the remaining crew spotted the "Old Head at Kinsale"lighthouse displaying their proximity to land. Washing into the rocky cliffs ofIreland, the ship was damaged even more.[5] Climbing from the nearly vertical section ofThe Albion that was still afloat, Everhart planted himself on the cliffside and waited for rescue. After several hours of waiting, local residents located the wreck and pulled Everhart to safety. Of the 54 total members on the ship upon departure, only 9 survived–8 crew members and 1 passenger: William Everhart.[1]
Originally an averageChristian, after surviving the wreck ofThe Albion Everhart gained a new appreciation for religion. Upon attendingPresbyterian sermons held byReverend William A. Stevens outside of the West Chester Courthouse, Everhart became both a convert and a supporter. Religious devotion led him towardsabolitionism.[3]
Agreeing with Stevens that their congregation needed a physical foundation to grow around, Everhart offered a lot from his development, directly across the street from his mansion on Minor Street, selling it to the Presbyterians for $420.[3] Many of the wealthy members ofWest Chester chipped in, including members with no relation to Presbyterianism such asDavid Townsend, Orthodox QuakerJudge Isaac Darlington, and his deistic cousinDr. William Darlington.Thomas Ustick Walter designed the church, and the first corner stone was laid July 3, 1832.[3] TheFirst Presbyterian Church of West Chester was completed in January 1834, providing Everhart and the rest of the local Presbyterian faith a place to grow.[6]
Everhart was a member of theWhig Party. As he became more wealthy and established, he also became more involved inpolitics. Everhart served asWest Chester'sChief Burgess in 1836 and 1837, and was elected to Congress as aWhig in 1852. He served in the33rd Congress from 1853 to 1855.[1] He was also a strong supporter ofabolitionism, as well as an avid member of theAmerican Colonization Society. On May 19, 1854, he delivered his only speech as a house member. In this speech, he addressed the proposal of theNebraska and Kansas Bill—a bill which called forpopular sovereignty in territory that was previously barredslavery.[1]
In 1833, Henry Cooper was arrested inWest Chester under the existingfugitive slave laws. JudgeIsaac Darlington oversaw the court case. When Cooper was found guilty and ordered to return to slavery, Everhart along with numerous otherCestrian abolitionist residents contributed various amounts from $3 to $10, purchasing Cooper's freedom for $300.[3]
Media related toWilliam Everhart at Wikimedia Commons| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
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| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromPennsylvania's 6th congressional district 1853–1855 | Succeeded by |
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