William Everhart
| William Everhart | |
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Everhart in 1899's West Chester, Past and Present.
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania's 6th district |
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In office March 4, 1853 – March 3, 1855 |
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| Preceded by | Thomas Ross |
| Succeeded by | John Hickman |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
May 17, 1785 Chester County, Pennsylvania |
| Died | October 30, 1868 (aged 83) West Chester, Pennsylvania |
| Political party | Whig |
William Everhart (May 17, 1785 – October 30, 1868) was an entrepreneur and wealthy businessman from Pennsylvania. 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 from 1853 to 1855.
William Everhart (father of James Bowen Everhart and Benjamin Matlack Everhart) was born in Chester County, Pennsylvania. His father James Everhart was a soldier in the Continental Army. He attended the common schools and became a civil engineer. Everhart served in the War of 1812 as captain of a company of riflemen. He was the only passenger saved from the packet ship Albion, wrecked off the coast of Ireland in 1822. Upon his return to Pennsylvania he platted a large addition to the city of West Chester, Pennsylvania.
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 1828, 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 Minor 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.
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