From Central Louisiana Pine to Loyalsock Mountain Stone: The Century-Old Estate on Northway Road
Standing quietly on a 1.4-acre lot at 220 Northway Road in Loyalsock Township, a 3,762-square-foot mountainstone home carries a rich history tied to a 19th-century business empire that once stretched deep into the pine forests of Louisiana. Built in 1928 as a summer retreat for the Bentley family, the property is now on the market for $399,900, offering a rare glimpse into a bygone era of industrial expansion, according to reporting by sungazette.com.
The story of the estate begins long before the mortar dried in Pennsylvania, rooted instead in the late-19th-century timber boom. According to family descendant Steve Furey, whose remarks were detailed in the sungazette.com report, the Bentley family arrived in Williamsport from Bavaria, Germany, around 1873. Among them was Joe Bentley, who ran a successful local lumber business before seeking larger ventures further south.
Historical records note that Joe Bentley purchased a sawmill adjacent to the Red River in Cotile in 1892 alongside partner E.W. Zimmermann. That enterprise quickly expanded into the Bentley Lumber Company, which ultimately controlled 90,000 acres of virgin pine. Beyond timber operations, Bentley founded the Guaranty Bank and Trust Company—then the largest bank in Central Louisiana—and constructed the opulent Hotel Bentley in Alexandria in 1907.
Architecture Shaped by Southern Roots and Northern Ties
By the 1920s, the family longed to return to their roots in Pennsylvania to escape the intense Southern heat. In 1928, Joe Bentley commissioned the Northway Road residence. Unlike the Victorian architecture common to the region at the time, the home’s design reflects a distinct French influence drawn from the family’s decades spent in Louisiana.
The property has only changed hands twice in its history. In 1955, the Bentley family sold the estate to the neighboring Saint Ann Catholic Church, situated directly across the street. For decades, the building served a dual purpose as a home for clergy and office space for the parish. Rob Pierce of Fish Real Estate, the listing agent for the property, noted to sungazette.com that the church’s stewardship kept the structure exceptionally well-maintained.
Today, the house retains its original character, featuring classic oak flooring, casement windows, built-ins, a breakfast nook, dual staircases, and a distinctive mountain stone portico. Alongside its six bedrooms and five bathrooms, the layout includes a 700-square-foot separate wing formerly utilized as church offices. Pierce pointed out that this flexible space could easily serve as a main-level primary suite, in-law quarters, a media room, home gym, or home school.
Market Rarity in Loyalsock Township
Because Loyalsock Township contains very few historical properties, the listing represents an unusual opportunity for prospective buyers. With over a century of history embedded in its stone walls, the estate stands as a physical monument to a Pennsylvania family whose industrial reach once shaped the economic landscape of the American South.
