Crowing Meyers’s Avenue, a tree-lined thoroughfare hosting some of the oldest and grandest houses in Meyersdale, the Deal Mansion was home to local coal and timber baron Levi Deal and his family. Completed in 1900, the 15-room house featured a ballroom on the top floor, reception hall, parlors, drawing rooms, a dining room and library all trimmed in light, native hardwoods, including birch, oak, and maple.
Often referred to as “the castle”, this opulent house was an example of the Chateauesque style, complete with rounded towers, diamond-shaped leaded windows, and a massive, steeply pitched roof. The first story was faced in Cleveland sawn sandstone. Other exterior features included elaborate chimneys, intricate brick corbelling, and finials reaching 11 feet high.
The history behind the grand structure goes back to the late 18th century when Levi Deal of Pinkerton built the house as a showpiece for the town. Levi Deal bought three lots for his house, which took four years to complete. Little wonder why the palatial property took so long to build. Three floors compromising eight fireplaces with imported tile, hand-carved woodwork, stained glass windows and a unique Victorian design of rotunda rooms on each of the three floors would have been a builder’s masterpiece at the turn of the century. Even though the house was a showpiece in the early 1900’s, it was later sold and split into two residences by the 1920’s, and in later years it was again sold and sectioned off for apartments, falling into disrepair by the 1970’s.
In 2005, Fred Dickson bought the house as a fulfillment of a dream to restore an old house. Time and the elements had been unkind to the Levi Deal Mansion. Thus, before restoration could begin, all of the deteriorated features and insensitive modifications had to be removed and the building was then made structurally sound. The Deal Mansion contains what are perhaps the most sophisticated and beautiful interior finishes in Meyersdale. Restoration required painstaking care and attention to the details of historic features while considering the building’s new use as a bed and breakfast.
Upon nearing completion, phase one of the restoration allowed the opening of the Levi Deal Mansion Bed & Breakfast in June, 2007. The next phase will consist of restoring the third floor, including the ballroom. Once finished, the mansion will house one more guest room, and a spacious gathering room.
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The House Whisperer
The Levi Deal Mansion wants to thank Buddy Grimm, of Buddy Grimm Carpentry, for his tireless labor over the last few years to return the castle to its former glory. His talents are many and his craftsmanship impeccable. He's also the area's leading expert in "forensic carpentry."
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