William Everhart (May 17, 1785 – October 30, 1868) was an entrepreneur and wealthy businessman from
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
. He was responsible for developing much of
West Chester and stimulating its economic growth. He was a member of the
U.S. House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...
from 1853 to 1855.
Biography
William Everhart was born in
Chester County, Pennsylvania. His father James Everhart was a soldier in the
Continental Army
The Continental Army was the army of the United Colonies (the Thirteen Colonies) in the Revolutionary-era United States. It was formed by the Second Continental Congress after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War, and was establis ...
. He attended the common schools and became a
civil engineer
A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering – the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructure while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing ...
. Everhart served in the
War of 1812
The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It bega ...
as captain of a company of riflemen. He was the only passenger saved from the packet ship ''Albion'', wrecked off the coast of
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
in 1822. Upon his return to
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
he planned a large addition to the city of
West Chester, Pennsylvania
West Chester is a borough and the county seat of Chester County, Pennsylvania. Located within the Philadelphia metropolitan area, the borough had a population of 18,461 at the 2010 census. West Chester is the mailing address for most of its neighb ...
.
In the early 1800s, Everhart opened his first store in
Pughtown, 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 in
Tredyffrin Township,
West Goshen, and
West Whiteland before opening a location in West Chester in 1824.
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-acre
Wollerton 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.
He built the
William Everhart Buildings in 1833, and resided at the
William Everhart House in West Whiteland Township; they are both listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
.
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).
Everhart was elected to Congress as a
Whig in 1852. He served in the
33rd Congress
The 33rd United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1853, ...
, 1853 to 1855. He was not a candidate for renomination in 1854.
His sons were scientist
Benjamin Matlack Everhart Benjamin Matlack Everhart (born 24 April 1818; died 22 September 1904) was a United States mycologist.
Biography
His father, William Everhart, the son of a Revolutionary soldier, was a merchant, and a member of congress in 1853-55. Benjamin was ...
and politician
James Bowen Everhart
James Bowen Everhart (July 26, 1821 – August 23, 1888) was an American politician from Pennsylvania who served as a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives for Pennsylvania's 6th congressional district from 1883 to 1887. He also s ...
. He died in West Chester on October 30, 1868, and is interred at
Oaklands Cemetery
Oaklands Cemetery is a rural cemetery founded in 1854 in West Goshen Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania. It is located at 1042 Pottstown Pike and is approximately in size.
Description and history
The Oaklands Cemetery was founded in respon ...
.
The Albion
Everhart sailed back and forth between
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
and
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...
making sure that he had the best goods to sell. On April 1, 1822, he boarded the
packet ship ''
The Albion'' and set sail for Europe. On Sunday, April 21 the ship reached
Cape 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.
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 the
main mast.
After hours of battling the rough seas, the remaining crew spotted the "Old Head at Kinsale"
lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of physical structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses and to serve as a beacon for navigational aid, for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways.
Lighthouses mar ...
displaying their proximity to land. Washing into the rocky cliffs of
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
, the ship was damaged even more. Climbing from the nearly vertical section of ''
The 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.
Religion
Originally an average
Christian
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
, after surviving the wreck of ''The Albion'' Everhart gained a new appreciation for religion. Upon attending
Presbyterian
Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...
sermons held by
Reverend
The Reverend is an style (manner of address), honorific style most often placed before the names of Christian clergy and Minister of religion, ministers. There are sometimes differences in the way the style is used in different countries and c ...
William A. Stevens outside of the West Chester Courthouse, Everhart became both a convert and an avid supporter. Religious devotion led him towards
abolitionism
Abolitionism, or the abolitionist movement, is the movement to end slavery. In Western Europe and the Americas, abolitionism was a historic movement that sought to end the Atlantic slave trade and liberate the enslaved people.
The Britis ...
. 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.
Many of the wealthy members of
West Chester chipped in, including members with no relation to Presbyterianism such as David Townsend, Orthodox Quaker
Judge Isaac Darlington and his deistic cousin
Dr. William Darlington.
Thomas Ustick Walter
Thomas Ustick Walter (September 4, 1804 – October 30, 1887) was an American architect of German descent, the dean of American architecture between the 1820 death of Benjamin Latrobe and the emergence of H.H. Richardson in the 1870s. He was ...
designed the church, and the first corner stone was laid July 3, 1832.
The
First Presbyterian Church of West Chester was completed in January 1834, providing Everhart and the rest of the local Presbyterian faith a place to grow.
Politics
Everhart was a member of the
Whig Party. As he became more wealthy and established, he also became more involved in
politics
Politics (from , ) is the set of activities that are associated with making decisions in groups, or other forms of power relations among individuals, such as the distribution of resources or status. The branch of social science that studies ...
. Everhart served as
West Chester's Chief Burgess in 1836 and 1837, and was elected to Congress as a
Whig in 1852. He served in the
33rd Congress
The 33rd United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1853, ...
from 1853 to 1855.
He was also a strong supporter of
abolitionism
Abolitionism, or the abolitionist movement, is the movement to end slavery. In Western Europe and the Americas, abolitionism was a historic movement that sought to end the Atlantic slave trade and liberate the enslaved people.
The Britis ...
, as well as an avid member of the
American Colonization Society. On May 19, 1854, he delivered his only speech as a house member. In this speech, he addressed the proposal of the
Nebraska and Kansas Bill—a bill which called for
popular sovereignty in territory that was previously barred
slavery
Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...
.
In 1833, Henry Cooper was arrested in
West Chester under the existing
Fugitive slave laws
The fugitive slave laws were laws passed by the United States Congress in 1793 and 1850 to provide for the return of enslaved people who escaped from one state into another state or territory. The idea of the fugitive slave law was derived from t ...
. The case was seen by Judge
Isaac Darlington
Isaac Darlington (December 13, 1781 – April 27, 1839) was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania.
Biography
He was born near West Chester, Pennsylvania and attended Friends School at Birmingham, Pennsylvania. He stu ...
.
When Cooper was found guilty and ordered to return to slavery, Everhart along with numerous other
Cestrian abolitionist residents pitched in various amounts from $3-$10, and purchased his freedom for $300.
Notes and references
Further reading
*Filemban, Mustafa (May 15, 2015).
WC History: The Shipwrecked Entrepreneur.
Down Town West Chester'. WCBID.
*
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Everhart, William
1785 births
1868 deaths
American military personnel of the War of 1812
American civil engineers
Burials at Oaklands Cemetery
Whig Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania
People from West Chester, Pennsylvania
19th-century American legislators