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Inns and Taverns

  • Apr 15
  • 3 min read

Updated: Jun 28

Where Travelers Rested and Celebrated


The establishment of inns rapidly followed the building of roads and the settling of communities. The abundance of inns and taverns in colonial Chester County is a good indication of the region’s early affluence and the steady growth of commercial traffic. 


Tavernkeepers were required to apply every year for a license to operate. In securing the license, the tavernkeeper’s character outweighed the convenience of the tavern’s location, since courts expected tavernkeepers to monitor customers by keeping them from loitering and drinking excessively. Tavernkeepers also had to control any gambling, swearing or revelry on the premises. To secure a license, the tavernkeeper had to convince the community that he would maintain a neat, orderly and well-run business.



Undated postcard photo of Sadsbury Hotel (courtesy of Deb Zwicker Wilson)
Undated postcard photo of Sadsbury Hotel (courtesy of Deb Zwicker Wilson)

Sadsbury Hotel


On July 27th 1799, David Cowan transferred ownership of the property to John Sloan, who later constructed the Hotel there. The hotel is located at the intersection of what is now Lincoln Highway and Old Wilmington Road, almost exactly halfway between Philadelphia and Lancaster. Four stagecoaches stopped at the hotel daily: 7 a.m., 10 a.m., 2 p.m., and 6 p.m. In 1824, General Lafayette stopped at the hotel for a two-hour visit. During this time, the hotel served as the first voting place for Sadsbury Township; in 1825, the innkeeper John Kendig was appointed the first postmaster of the village. After the inn changed owners several times, John Bair purchased the building in 1870 and successfully re-attained the lapsed beverage license after making numerous improvements to the building. With Prohibition in the 1920s and 1930s, the building became an apartment house, but by the middle of the 20th century George and Andrew Shesko were operating a cocktail lounge and serving sandwiches and appetizers. In 1973, Harry and Athena Lymberis bought the Hotel and operated it as a restaurant. In 1992, the Lymberis Family completed extensive renovations to both the interior and exterior of the building; since then, the handsome historic building has dominated the village of Sadsburyville. (2949 Lincoln Highway, Sadsburyville, PA 19369).




Former United States Arms Hotel as it looks now.
Former United States Arms Hotel as it looks now.

The States Arms (also known as United States Arms)

 

The inn was established in 1790, at the 40th milestone, around the time the Philadelphia and Lancaster Turnpike was being established. Before operating as an inn, the building served as a two-family farmhouse. It was the last tavern in Chester County, where stagecoaches heading west changed horses in the early years of the nineteenth century. The inn was also known as a “lodge” stand, because the “Unity” Masonic Lodge held its meetings here. The inn was later converted into a private home.




Undated postcard photo of Stottsville Inn
Undated postcard photo of Stottsville Inn

Stottsville Inn


The original structure was a log inn built in the early 1740s by Thomas Truman near what is now called Stottsville Inn. In 1831, that building was torn down when Colonel Joseph Stott built a frame tavern on the spot. In 1866 a new and larger stone hotel was built at Stottsville directly across the road from the frame tavern, which was destroyed by fire in 1935. David Stott’s family owned and operated the country hotel for many years. Past Inn owners have promoted a local legend suggesting that a member of the Stott family, Josephine Stott Chandler, haunts the building. (3512 Strasburg Road, Coatesville).




Former Black Horse Tavern as it appears today.
Former Black Horse Tavern as it appears today.

The Black Horse Tavern


Built in 1794 by Michael Wallace Boyd, who operated it as a Tavern until 1816. The Black Horse Post Office was established here in 1816; in 1832, Samuel Jackson was the postmaster.



Cabins and Tourist Camps

 

Tourist camps along the Lincoln Highway were popular in the 1920s-1940s, particularly in Pennsylvania. In the early 1900s, as automobile travel became increasingly affordable and popular, roads improved, people drove farther, and the need for affordable overnight lodging increased. By 1923, motor camping was the number one national pastime, as automobiles provided average Americans a new type of freedom and a way to escape their daily routine by touring the countryside on short weekend trips or cross-country treks. Some tourist camps began as "tent camps" where travelers pitched their own tents, later transitioning into small, permanent cabins. Individual tourist cabins offered more security, hot showers, and radios. With the growth of national chain hotels and motels, tourist cabins struggled for survival.











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