Washington House (Churchtown) Records, 1898-1918
Call Number: MG-448
5 volumes 2 cubic ft.
Repository: LancasterHistory.org (Lancaster, Pa.)
Shelving Location: Archives South, Side 11
Description: Set of five guestbooks for the Washington House kept by John E. Boehringer & Son (1898-1900, 1906-1907) and Levi Alderfer (1909-1913, 1915-1918).
Creators: Washington House (Churchtown, Pa.); Boehringer, John E.; Alderfer, Levi.
Conditions for Access: No restrictions.
Conditions Governing Reproductions: Collection may not be photocopied. Please contact Research or Archives Staff with questions.
Language: English
Source of Acquisition: Source unknown.
Administrative/Biographical History : The Washington House
The Washington House has also been known as the Churchtown Hotel and is mostly recently referred to as the Washington Inn. The west end of building was built first, although it is unclear whether that was in the early 1700s or after 1784. The east end addition was added about 1812.
The mail stage stopped there regularly after 1820 because of the good accommodations, and the inn also attracted horseback riders. Churchtown was a popular vacation spot in the late-nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The inn, at one time, was famous for its chicken and waffle dinners. Despite more than a century of success, the invention of the automobile combined with prohibition eventually caused the business to decline.
The Washington Inn saw antique auctions on its grounds in the 1930s and continued as a restaurant through WWII. The building was renovated in 1968 by owners Mr. and Mrs. Harry Short. In 1993 the inn was owned by Mr. and Mrs. Robert F. Weaver and Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth D. Draude.
Petrofske, Mary T. Recollections of Caernarvon Township: Portrait of a Lancaster County Community, 1930-1993. West Kennebunk, Maine: Phoenix Publishing, 1993.
Related Material: Guestbook, 1901-1902 at Caernarvon Historical Society.
Book 1 Guestbook. John E. Boehringer & Son, proprietors. 1898-1900.
Guest pages show name, residence, room number, number of horses, time of day, and if the check was paid. The time of day seems to indicate a meal and/or lodging. It appears that most guests only dined at the establishment. The bound-in blotter between each page advertises businesses in northeastern Lancaster County, western Chester County, and southeastern Berks County, including hotels, a brewery, liveries, dry good stores, a watchmaker, bakers, cigars, and a veterinary surgeon.
Book 2 Guestbook. John E. Boehringer & Son, proprietors. 1906-1907.
Guest pages show name, residence, room number, number of horses, time of day, and if the check was paid. The time of day seems to indicate a meal and/or lodging. It appears that most guests only dined at the establishment. The bound-in blotter between each page advertises businesses in northeastern Lancaster County, western Chester County, and southeastern Berks County, including hotels, a brewery, liveries, dry good stores, a watchmaker, bakers, cigars, and a veterinary surgeon.
Book 3 Guestbook. Levi Alderfer, proprietor. 1909-1911.
This volume is being repaired.
Book 4 Guestbook. Levi Alderfer, proprietor. 1911-1913.
Guest pages show name, residence, room number, number of horses, time of day, and if the check was paid. The time of day seems to indicate a meal and/or lodging. It appears that most guests only dined at the establishment and significant groups are noted, such as the township supervisors, Caernarvon Band, and Bell Telephone employees. The bound-in blotter between each page advertises Frank A. Reiker’s Star Brewery, Lancaster.
Book 5 Guestbook. Levi Alderfer, proprietor. 1915-1918.
Guest pages show name, residence, room number, number of horses, time of day, and if the check was paid. The time of day seems to indicate a meal and/or lodging. It appears that most guests only dined at the establishment. The bound-in blotter between each page advertises Frank A. Reiker’s Star Brewery, Lancaster.