Montour House, Danville Pa

Montour House In Danville, Montour County Pa.
The hotel was located at the southeast corner of Market & Mill Streets.

August 1923

The first store in Danville, owned by Daniel Montgomery,  was located at the southeast corner of Market & Mill Streets. After Montgomery's death in 1834, the building became the Brady Hotel, operated by Samuel Brady.

In 1846, the building was leaded by G.M. Shoop.  Shoop added a 3rd floor to the building and changed the name to the Montour House.

On September 19th 1878,   Barnum’s Greatest Show on Earth was exhibited in Danville. P. T. Barnum, with 40 of his first-class artists, stayed at the Montour House.

After changing hands a number of times, in in 1910 it was purchased by O.P. Rockfeller, who named it the Montour Hotel.

October 18th 1950

In 1965, the Danville National Bank purchased the property and turned it into a parking lot.  Demolition began on May 26th, 1965.

===========

THE MURALS

=============

Three murals hung in the Montour Hotel, all painted from photos taken by Frank Irving, of Danville. Basse Beck, general manager of the Sunbury Daily Item, borrowed the negatives from Irving, and had the murals produced as Christmas gifts to his daughter and son in law, Mr & Mrs William E. Booth.  The Booths owned the Montour Hotel.

Beck asked that the murals be placed in the hotel, and kept there even if the Booths sold the hotel. The murals remained in the building until it closed.  The Booths then decided to donate the murals to the library and the YMCA, so that they could be seen by the community.

The first mural is a panoramic view, showing the St Cyril Academy tower.  It was presented to the Thomas Beaver Free Library.

The second mural depicts the Susquehanna River at Danville. It was given to the Danville YMCA.

The third mural, a scene from the top of Blue Hill, was placed in City Hall.

================

READ MORE

================

May 1965