One of the oldest homes in Bellefonte, Willowbank was built by William Lamb in 1785, in what was then called a Lamba s Settlement, later enlarged by James Harris and subsequently rented and later owned by William Thomas, when he brought his family to Bellefonte after joining the Valentine and Thomas iron operation. Then called Marlbrook, Thomas renamed the property Willowbank. In 1834, he gave up the house and returned to a simpler Quaker lifestyle and moved to the oldest portion of the Thomas Homestead.
The property later became the Bellefonte home for the poor. It is now, once again, a private residence.