So Much to See and Do in Any Season
The Smethport Mansion District Walking Tour brochure features a numbered map that guides you along the village streets to over 30 historical properties. You can enjoy the walking tour anytime and at your own pace.
Properties featured include the home of Henry Hamlin, once the wealthiest private banker in the United States, and St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, a premier example of English Gothic architecture designed by William Halsy Wood. The Melbury House, once used as a stopover on the way to freedom for slaves escaping to the north via the Underground Railroad, the residence of Dr. S.D. Freeman a famed surgeon during the American Civil War of 1861, along with the Bucktail Civil War Monument, bring to light the importance of the village of Smethport and its residents during the Civil War era.
Tucked away in the Pennsylvania Wilds, where the Nunundah Valley and Marvin Creek Valley converge, Smethport was first surveyed by Dutch land surveyors in 1807 who selected it as northwest Pennsylvania’s most perfect town site. In 1880, several factors propelled Smethport into the forefront of the Pennsylvania Wilds.
The combination of vast lumber assets, oil reserves, and the railroads beginning in the 1870s caused McKean County’s economy to skyrocket. Vast amounts of money flowed into Smethport, the governmental seat and financial center of the county. By the 1880s Smethport’s Mansion District was in full construction.
A joint project of the Smethport Area Chamber of Commerce and the Allegheny National Forest Visitors Bureau, the Smethport Mansion District Brochure was developed following the designation of Smethport as the first heritage community along Pennsylvania Route 6.
To obtain a brochure, stop by the McKean County Courthouse or the Smethport Visitors Center on Main Street. Brochures are also available at the information kiosk in front of the Courthouse, which also features a large-format map of Smethport.
Download the entire Mansion District Walking Tour Brochure!
If you’re planning a visit to Smethport or the region, you can have the brochure mailed to you by contacting the Allegheny National Forest Visitors Bureau at 1-800-473-9370 or info@visitANF.com.
Midweek Golf & Stay Package
Stay at the Inn and enjoy 2 days of golf with 18 holes per day, plus club cleaning and storage, and unlimited range balls at our practice facility. Up to two kids age 17 and under stay free. $620 for 2 nights for 2 adults.
Lodging is available at the course-side Inn at Holiday Valley, the course-side Tamarack Club and area condominiums, townhouses and homes managed by Holiday Valley.
The Inn at Holiday Valley
6081 Route 219 South
Ellicottville, NY 14731
716-699-2345
aneal@holidayvalley.com
Safety measures of CDC guidelines & PA COVID-19 safety mandates are in place to aid you in traveling safely. Masks are mandatory, as is maintaining 6 feet of social distancing. Many businesses have been impacted by this pandemic, please call ahead to check for changes at your destination before traveling.
Link for PA Guidelines
Travelers (pa.gov)
Link for CDC Guidelines
Travelers’ Health | CDC