Peter Herdic House Restaurant

The Peter Herdic House Restaurant, located at 407 West Fourth Street, Williamsport, Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, is located one of the oldest surviving homes in the city. Lumber tycoon Peter Herdic settled in Williamsport amidst the lumber boom and built one of the first grand houses on West Fourth Street, known as Millionaire's Row, in 1854. The street housed the wealthiest families and businessmen of the era. Through preservation, restoration, and renovation efforts, the home is now the Peter Herdic House Restaurant.I

Peter Herdic (1824-1888) was a lumber baron, businessman, philanthropist, millionaire, and former mayor of Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Herdic claimed residency in Williamsport in 1853 and was one of many lumber tycoons residing in Williamsport. The dense forests surrounding the Williamsport area were ideal for the booming lumber industry. He purchased a stake in the Susquehanna Boom Company and grew his lumber business steadily between 1853 and 1855. Peter Herdic commissioned New York architect Eber Culver to design his home in the Victorian villa architectural style. The wood throughout the home is hand-carved, including a winding mahogany staircase. The home features a walk-in cupola, expansive archways, bay windows, and ornate plaster moldings; the outside boasts wrought iron fences, porch columns, and carefully kept shrubbery. 

Herdic’s widow, Ernice, sold the home in 1890, and it was passed between renters and owners as personal residences until the 1960s, when it became apartments and office buildings. The building also supported a television repair station. In February of 1977, the Herdic House unexpectedly caught fire, trapping and killing one man in the blaze. The fire caused extensive damage to the interior and exterior of the home. The following year, the Peter Herdic House was added to the National Register of Historic Places; the United States government, in turn, funded preservation projects for these historical places. In 1979, the Millionaire’s Row Historical Homes Incorporated, an organization under the leadership of Margaret Young, purchased the property for under $30,000. The organization restored and renovated the home over a three-year period and placed it back on the real estate market for slightly over $42,000 in 1982. The organization spent more than $125,000 to ensure the authenticity of the home’s restorations. The restorations and renovations included the replacement and replication of stylistic and structural details featured in the original home. The organization had trouble finding an eager and suitable buyer for the property post-restoration.

“Hand Carved Wood Used Extensively in Mansions.” The Sunday Grit, January 21, 1973. 43.

“Herdic House Tops in State.” The Williamsport Gazette, May 5, 1985.

“Is There Life in Tattered Herdic House?” The Sunday Grit. May 30, 1982.

“West Fourth Once Wealthiest Street in the World.” Spotlight. March 25, 1985. 7.

Garner, Frank. “Historic House Rescued From Decay.” The Sunday Grit Business Editor, n.d.

Harrington, Laurie Root. The Desertmakers: Peter Herdic, The Peter Herdic House Restaurant and Inn. Accessed November 11th 2019. https://herdicinn.com/desertmakers/.

Sellers, Troy. “Sisters Combine Hospitality, Historic Preservation.” Williamsport Sun-Gazette, August 18, 2002.