(Editor’s note: This is the third story in an occasional series featuring locations and sites for area residents and travelers to visit over the summer months.)
SMETHPORT — For many visitors to Smethport, their first impression of the county seat comes from the more than 30 magnificent and well-maintained homes and churches in the Mansion District along Main Street.
Most of these homes date back to the late 1800s, Smethport’s Gilded Era, a period of rapid economic growth with great wealth accumulated, especially in the lumber, oil and banking sectors.
Much of that wealth went into the construction of comfortable, rambling homes with large porches. Most of the homes on the self-guided Mansion District Walking Tour are examples of the various Victorian-style architecture.
For instance, the McCandless-Hamlin Mansion at 905 W. Main St., built in 1891, is of the spacious Victorian Queen Anne style, characterized by turrets, towers and wrap-around porches.
Since 2009, this has been the Mansion District Inn Bed and Breakfast with six guest rooms. Ross and Jovanna Porter are the owners and innkeepers.
“We lived here for 15 years before we thought of opening a B and B,” Jovanna Porter said.
Ross Porter said, “After we decided to open this business, one of our goals was to offer our guests an experience in a fine home of the 1890s.”
Each breakfast, Jovanna Porter noted, consists of three courses, including a biscotti, fruit and organic foods, all of which are home-grown. Local products, such as maple syrup, are used as much as possible.
The Porters’ attention to detail and courteous service have paid off in excellent reviews. For example, in late February, the MDIB&B was honored with TripAdvisor’s 2015 Travelers’ Choice Award as one of the top 25 B&Bs in the United States. It ranked number 7 nationally.
Travelers’ Choice awards are based on guests’ reviews and comments. Owners do not apply for this honor.
The Porters were quite surprised when they were notified in late February that they had received this honor. Ross Porter credits his wife with much of the B&B’s success, saying, “She’s the force behind this venture, but it’s also been a team effort,” referring to the staff of seven. “We thank our guests who felt inspired to write reviews that allowed us to be recognized in the United States.”
Additionally, the MDIB&B earned certificates of excellence from TripAdvisor, the world’s largest travel website in 2012-14.
This B&B was named the Smethport Chamber of Commerce’s 2014 Business of the Year.
The John Forrest Mansion at 620 W. Main St. and the Rose Mansion at 916 W. Main St., with intricate stick work, vertical, horizontal and diagonal boards, creating elaborate patterns, show the Victorian Stick style.
At the Byron Delano Hamlin Mansion at 619 W. Main St. and the Henry Hamlin Mansion at 808 W. Main St., the style is Italianate, the most popular design of the Victorian era.
The Romanesque style is evident at St.. Elizabeth of Hungary Church at West Main and Franklin streets. This architecture is famous for semi-circular arches, towers and heavy masonry construction.
St. Luke’s Episcopal Church at 602 W. Main St. was built in 1891 in the English Gothic tradition, resembling English castles and medieval cathedrals.
Constructed about 1878, the John Hamlin residence at 904 W. Main St., is a Colonial Revival, characterized by one or two stories and double-hung windows.
The Medbury House, Smethport’s stop n the Underground Railroad, at 606 E. Main St., was built in the Greek Revival style.
Brochures for the Mansion District Walking Tour are available at the McKean County Courthouse and Old Jail Museum, to name a few places.
At the stops on the tour are markers telling the history of the homes, reminiscent of a by-gone era.
