It was Ambler's first hotel.
In 1856, the North Pennsylvania Railroad, which formed in 1852, opened station in then village of Wissahickon, today's Ambler borough in 1856. That year also saw the Great Train Wreck, which led to the town's current name. The train line brough an increase of people and trade.
The land next to the railroad during the 1860s was owned by Jonathan Lukens, who was creating a real estate boom in the borough. He purchased a coal yard near his property, and the sold land to Jacob Lugar. Lugar bought the stones from an old mill at Main St. and Tennis Ave. for the construction and foundation of a small public house on Butler Pike. The footprint of the property now contains several businesses, including The Pizza Box, a framing shop and a gutter company.
Fun Fact #1: It was called "The Ambler Park Hotel" from 1870-1880.
Unfortunately, Jacob had financial problems and the sheriff took the property. It was then purchased by James Wampole of North Wales. Like Lugar, Wampole was also foreclosed upon by the sheriff in 1875. The hotel was then purchased by Jacob Hoover for his friend William Acuff.
When William died in 1879, the property was transferred to his son Alfred S. Acuff (1837-1891). In 1883, Samuel T. Godfrey (1844-1931) bought the property for $13,500. During his ownership, he expanded the hotel and rebuilt the stables of stone as it existed for many years before after it was burned in 1890.
As it increased in value, Samuel sold the property to John D. Cooper for $27,500. John made a large profit on its sale to William C. Blackburn (-1900). Between the 1890s and the early 20th century, the hotel was known as "Hotel Ambler."
When William died in a horrific train wreck in Hatfield, his son Irvin H. Blackburn (1863-1942) took over the hotel business.
Fun Fact #2: William and his son Irvin operated the Centre Square Hotel (Waggon Inn) prior to operating The Hotel Ambler.
Prior to World War I, Joseph H. Fretz purchased the hotel, and sold the corner where the horse sales took place to the Ambler Trust Company.
With the rise in small businesses and stores in the borough, and the popularity of the automobile, the demand for hotels waned, causing Hotel Ambler to fade out of existence. The hotel burned down in 1944.
Bibliography
Franklin Survey Co. Atlas: Montgomery County 1949 Vol D, Plate 15, 1949.
Herman, Andrew Mark. Eastern Montgomery County. (Charleston: Arcadia Publishing, 1999): 72.
Hough, Mary P. H. "Ambler Yesterday: History and Fact Behind Ambler of Today: Hotel Ambler Has Fascinating Background." Ambler Gazette. October 26, 1939. Page 12. http://digitalcollections.powerlibrary.org/cdm/compoundobject/collection/wivp-gazett/id/21663/rec/1.
Hough, Mary P. H. "Early history of Ambler 1682-1888.” A Celebration of Women Writers. Accessed April 29, 2021. https://digital.library.upenn.edu/women/hough/ambler/ambler.html.
Klinge, Frank H. M. Montgomery County 1927 Reading Main Line Vol 1, Plate 31, 1927.
Mueller, A. H. Atlas of the North Penn Section of Montgomery County, Pa., Plate 26, 1916.
Roberts, Ellwood. Biographical Annals of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, Containing Genealogical Records of Representative Families, Including Many of the Early Settlers and Biographical Sketches of Prominent Citizens, Volume 2. (New York, Chicago: T.S. Benham & Co. and The Lewis Publishing Co., 1904): 258-260.
Scott, J. D. Montgomery County 1877, Gwynedd, North Wales, Ambler, Royer's Ford, Limerick Station, 1877.
Scott, J.D. North Pennsylvania Railroad 1886 Philadelphia - Bucks - Montgomery Counties, Ambler, 1886.
"Whittock's Whitpain." Wissahickon Valley Historical Society. Accessed February 2, 2021. https://www.wvalleyhs.org/whittocks-whitpain/.
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