Years in parentheses are years of service as a Director of The Bank of Delaware County and/or The Delaware County National Bank

Hon. William Anderson (1814-15; 18-21) was born in Chester county in 1762. When a lad of less than fifteen years, he enlisted in the Continental Line and saw five years of continual active service, was present at the siege of Yorktown and the surrender of Lord Cornwallis during which campaign he was promoted to major. After the war he located in Chester, and in 1796 purchased the Columbia House, an important old hostelry that stood at the corner of Fifth and Market streets, and was removed to make room for the present Cambridge building in 1885. He conducted the Columbia House for over seventeen years, until in 1814 he sold the tavern lot to Nimrod Maxwell. In 1803 he erected the imposing dwelling at Fifth and Welsh streets, which in 1893 was removed to give place to the United States postoffice building. He was a leader in the political affairs of this section. In 1804 he was appointed by the Court County Auditor, and the following year was 6ne of the Directors of the Poor. He represented this district in 1809 and 1811, serving in the Eleventh and Twelfth Congress. Because of a delay in apportioning the districts he was continued one year beyond the term for which he was elected by the people. In 1817, he was re-elected, serving during the Fifteenth Congress. He was chairman of the Delaware County Committee appointed to welcome Lafayette in 1824; was designated as one of the Committee of Revolutionary Veterans to receive the Marquis at Independence Hall, September 29 of that year, and because of his long war service was selected to make the address on that occasion to "The Nation's Guest." When Lafayette, a few days later, visited Chester, he was Anderson's personal guest. Governor Shulze, January 5, 1826, appointed William Anderson one of the Associate Judges of the Courts of Delaware county, but after serving on the bench for several months he resigned that place to accept a position in the Custom House in Philadelphia. His daughter, Evelena, who was herself one of the original subscribers to the stock of The Bank of Delaware County, was the wife of Commodore David Porter and mother of Admiral David D. Porter. Major William Anderson died at his residence in Chester, December 16, 1829, in his sixty-seventh year. 

[Obituary]