From 1874
William H. Woods was born in Lewistown, Pennsylvania in 1829. His parents, James S. and Marion (Witherspoon) Woods were prominent individuals in Lewistown. Marion was a granddaughter of the Reverend John Witherspoon, the only clergyman to sign the Declaration of Independence and president of Princeton College. Generations later, William H. Woods carried on the family's prominent social status. Young Woods graduated from Princeton College in 1848. Once this education was complete, Woods began teaching school. He continued to study, with the aim of becoming an attorney, like his older brothers. William Woods was the principal of the Lewistown Academy in 1850, and for five years after that, he served in the preparatory office at Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania. Moving to Shade Gap, Pennsylvania, Woods became principal of Milnwood Academy, still studying to become an attorney. He was admitted to the Bar in Huntingdon and Mifflin counties in 1858. Woods left Milnwood Academy and returned to Lewistown to serve as principal for another year. In 1863, William Woods and his wife Francis moved to Huntingdon. In 1874, the Woods and their young son, George, moved into the Woods Mansion at 1001 Washington Street. At the time, there were few other houses around, making William and Francis Woods' home an unmissable piece of architecture in Huntingdon.
To the turn of the century
Not 20 years after their home was built, the Woods were forced to find a new home. When the home was sold, a prominent Huntingdon business man happily purchased the property - Henry Leister and his wife Mary. By 1899, however, they too sold the property. The house changed hands several times before Chester J. Langdon purchased it in 1918. In some old newspaper articles, the house is listed as the "Historic Langdon Estate," after this Mr. Langdon. In total, six families used the mansion as a residence.
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Changing Coarse
In 1945, Owen D. Bechtel purchased the home on 1001 Washington Street. He was the first individual to use the house as a business. Bechtel operated a funeral home, called Bechtel Funeral Home, in the house from 1945 until he sold the property in 1957 to Michael Baker. At some point during this time, the upstairs of the mansion was closed off, creating a second floor apartment. Modern amenities were added to the home as well, such as bathrooms, ramps for accessibility, and modern doors. The house was converted from a historic piece of architecture to a useable, relatively modern workspace. Just four years later, Merle Heffner purchased the building. Heffner operated his practice from within the walls of the once-mansion. Several other county offices have rented office spaces from the mansion throughout the years.
Fully restored
On December 31, 2004, Barbara and Joel Brown purchased the property at 1001 Washington Street. The couple had only one intention for the building - a full restoration of the mansion to its Victorian splendor. To hear the full story of the buildings transformation from 1960s office spaces to its 1870s original style, schedule a tour to see the Woods Brown Mansion. On our tours, you are guided through the picturesque home by our educated staff. Likely, you will also get to meet the owners themselves, and hear stories of their decades-long journey to restoring and preserving their unparalleled home.