History

Over two hundred years ago The Washington House was a small farmhouse built on an ancient Lenni Lenape trail. Owned by Mr. Jan Jenson, it sat on land deeded from William Penn to Mr. Thomas Freame, who transferred 102 acres to Jenson in 1735. The property was later purchased by Samuel Sellers who enlarged the building and made it into a tavern. Henceforth, both the hotel and the town were known as “Sellers Tavern”. The site became a town center, serving as the first Post Office, hotel, and stagecoach stop for the long journey between Bethlehem and Philadelphia. It is rumored that the Liberty Bell and the men who carried it to safety in Allentown stayed here during the Revolutionary War.

In 1856 the tavern was sold to the North Pennsylvania Railroad who added the ornate Victorian bar and the distinctive cupola. The original front bar was destroyed during prohibition and replaced with the current one when prohibition was repealed, the back bar remaining original. Because of the building’s importance in the founding of Sellersville, the property is included in the Pennsylvania Inventory of Historic Homes.

Today you can learn the history of our hotel and Sellersville by taking a nine station self guided tour through the restaurant. It shows vintage photos, stories of people who lived here, and a brief history of the town.

For a more detailed history and Historical Timeline, click HERE.