399,900: Historic Lumber Baron Home for Sale in Loyalsock

A mountainstone estate at 220 Northway Road in Loyalsock Township is now on the market for $399,900, marking only the third time in over a century that the property will change hands. The 3,762-square-foot home, which served for decades as a rectory for Saint Ann Catholic Church, was originally built as a summer retreat for Joseph Bentley, a Pennsylvania native who became wealthy in the lumber industry in Central Louisiana.

The home stands as a rare architectural outlier in Loyalsock Township, reflecting a blend of Pennsylvania stone and Louisiana influence that separates it from the standard Victorian styles of the era.

From Bavaria to the Red River

The story of the Northway home begins with the Bentley family’s arrival in Williamsport from Bavaria, Germany, around 1873. While Joe Bentley initially ran a successful lumber business in Pennsylvania, his true fortune was forged further south. Bentley saw a business opportunity in Louisiana and relocated his siblings and their families to pursue it.

By 1892, Bentley had partnered with E.W. Zimmermann to purchase a sawmill adjacent to the Red River in Cotile. What followed was an expansion of industrial scale. Bentley established two lumber companies and a mill town that functioned as a self-contained ecosystem, featuring a company store, a utility system, and fire control for its 600 workers. At its peak, the Bentley Lumber Company controlled 90,000 acres of virgin pine—a resource that was entirely denuded by 1962.

Bentley’s ambition extended beyond the woods. He founded the Guaranty Bank and Trust Company, which was the largest bank in Central Louisiana at the time. He also built the Hotel Bentley in Alexandria in 1907. According to the hotel’s own history, the opulent structure was born out of a classic eccentric impulse: legend suggests Bentley built the hotel simply because he had been turned down for a room at the former Ice House Hotel.

A Louisiana Influence in Loyalsock

By the 1920s, the heat of the South and a deep-seated longing for their Pennsylvania roots drove the Bentleys to plan a return. In 1928, Joe commissioned the construction of the Northway Road home to serve as a sanctuary for the extended family during the summer months.

Steve Furey, a descendant of the family, notes that the home’s design was a departure from the local norm. Furey believes the architecture was heavily influenced by the French style prevalent in Louisiana at the time. This stylistic choice created a unique hybrid: a mountainstone exterior suited for the Pennsylvania climate, but with an internal logic and elegance tied to the French-influenced South.

The property remained in the family until 1955, when it was purchased by Saint Ann Catholic Church, located just across the street. For the next several decades, the home operated as both a residence for clergy and administrative offices for the parish. This institutional ownership is a primary reason the home remains in such high condition today.

“The Catholic church always maintains everything well,” said Rob Pierce of Fish Real Estate, the listing agent for the property.

The Stakes of a Historical Sale

For potential buyers, the home offers a level of craftsmanship. The interior features oak flooring, casement windows, a breakfast nook, and a mountain stone portico. The layout includes six bedrooms and five bathrooms, along with a 700-square-foot wing that previously served as church offices. Pierce suggests this addition is flexible enough to be converted into a primary suite, in-law quarters, or a home gym.

In a township where Rob Pierce notes that historical properties are scarce, the preservation of the Bentley home is a matter of maintaining the local architectural record.

The property sits on a 1.4-acre lot. As it moves toward its third owner in over 100 years, the home remains a quiet witness to a time when a single family’s ambition could span from the mountains of Pennsylvania to the bayous of Louisiana.