James V. Brown Library - Lycoming County Digital Photo Archive

The White Mansion. On verso of photograph: "This historic old house, once known as the "White Mansion", due to its neat white-washed appearance, was in many hands since the demise of the Culbertsons. It was for years a farm house, known as the Turley Farm, it was later purchased by the eccentric Peter Herdic (who was the greatest asset that Williamsport ever had or probably will have). The taxes on this farm were so high ($125.00 per acre) that it was impossible to meet the payments and the farm was sold to the South Williamsport Land Co. In 1894, Mr. John B. Otto purchased the property for a summer home. He gave it the appropriate name, "Lacomic Terrace", by which it was known until 1915, during which time it was visited by thousands of people. In 1915 a company of men, all members of the Masonic fraternity, leased this home as a club house and named it the "Minnequa Club", due to the fact that they met from time to time, at Peter Herdic's summer resort, Minnequa Springs, near Canton, Penna. In 1928 this historic old mansion was sold to Mr. Gottlieb Kohlberger...THE FATAL WEDDING NIGHT...In February, 1807, when the old mansion was occupied by Charles Sarch, a very distressing accident occurred. A party had assembled to witness the nuptials of William Ray and Margaret Morris. Among the guests was James Duffy, of Larry's Creek. In the south west room of the upper story in the house was a door which had been intended to open on a balcony, but it had not been built. Young Duffy being upstairs, and seeing this door, opened it and stepped out. He fell to the ground, landing on a large flat stone which lay at the door of the north entrance, and was instantly killed. The stone was there a few years ago, scarcely changed from the position it occupied on that fatal night.