Tri-Counties Genealogy & History by Joyce M. Tice The Allen Home of Mansfield PA Bradford County PA Chemung County NY Tioga County PA

Photo by Joyce M. Tice Oct 2002  from across the street

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The first map of Mansfield drawn by M. L. Clark dated 1856, shows the site of the Henry Allen house located just north of the Hope Cemetery, now called Prospect. The house was built before 1846.

On November 28, 1856, fifty-seven citizens of Richmond Township from the area known as Mann’s field partitioned the Court of Tioga County, PA, to set up the area as a Borough. The Grand Jury of the County set March 17, 1857, as the date of the first election. The election was held and the following officers were elected: Burgess Henry Allen; Councilmen – Porter Gaylord, L. H. Elliott, M. Kelley, J. M. Cassels, H. Daves.

Henry Allen must have come to Mansfield prior to 1846. He was born in Smithfield, Bradford County, PA, August 19, 1825. He was the third son of Ezra Allen who came to Pennsylvania from Vermont in 1819.

Henry was instructed in law in Luzerne County and in Bradford County. He was admitted to the bar of Bradford County, Tioga County and granted permission to practice before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court and the U. S. District Court.

He married Elizabeth Fralic of Richmond Township in 1846. She died in 1862. Allen married a second time to Jean Butts of Mansfield. The Allens had one daughter, Frederica.

Henry Allen’s law office in 1857 was located on the East Side of N. Main Street, just south of Sherwood Street. That building became the first Mansfield Free Library after his death in 1888. The Library opened there in 1902. The building was removed for the present Tri-County Offices.

Mr. Allen served on the Council in 1864 and in 1882. He was elected Burgess again in 1866. He served as lawyer for the Borough Council and was one of the most persistent to present bills for service rendered sometimes late.

Frederica married George Clark, son of J. B. Clark, Jr. in 1891. The Clarks maintained the Allen family home and both died there.

George Clark was a graduate of the Allen Business College and the Mansfield State Normal School. He was a partner in the J. B. Clark Carriage, Wagon and Harness business and took over as owner when his father, J. B. retired in 1895.

In 1903, George Clark owned one of the first Oldsmobile’s with handle steering. His wife, Frederica A. Clark’s name always appeared on the lists of prizewinners at the Mansfield Fair for horseback riding.

Stories of the Underground Rail Road in Mansfield always included the Allen house along with the Davis house, a few yards up the road from each other. An ancestor of Benjamin Peterson, who was an escaped slave in Mansfield, related the fact that he was told to contact Mr. Allen when he reached Mansfield. Allen Peterson was a barber for many years in Mansfield. Relatives of the Petersons also settled in Tioga.

Prospect Cemetery was first named Hope. An early pun was that the people who lived on Poverty Hill had hope. Frederica made a fuss about it to the Borough Council. Her house was next to the cemetery.

Allen House in 2002 and 2011. Both photos by Joyce M. Tice