The Hallowell Store - Spring House, PA
- Yen Ho
- Jun 26
- 2 min read
Many people know the Spring House Tavern that stood at the corner of the busy intersection of Norristown Road and Bethlehem Pike, but not many people know there was another building that stood on the opposite corner from the tavern. But, it wasn't really a tavern...
The Scarlett Family
The store was opened by Isaac Hallowell (1836-1925) in 1867. Hallowell was born in Upper Dublin, and moved to Lower Gwynedd one year later. Prior to his arrival, the hotel was owned by Thomas Scarlett (1779-1839).
The Scarlett family owned the hotel for about half a century: his son Robert (1808-1886) was born in Ellicott's Mills, Maryland, and married Mary A. Wahlbach of Lower Gwynedd (originally from Bethlehem, PA) in 1849. Robert was originally a contractor and builder of the turnpikes (Springhouse and Sumneytown Turnpikes) and railroads (Baltimore and Ohio and Reading). Around the time of their marriage, they occupied the hotel his father operated.
Isaac Hallowell
Isaac purchased the hotel from Robert and Mary Scarlett, and remodeled it into a general store. He also owned the spring that flowed through his property, and ran the general store as a post office since he was the postmaster during his time.
Bibliography
Herman, Andrew Mark. Eastern Montgomery County Revisited. (Charleston: Arcadia Publishing, 2005): 76.
Jenkins, Howard Malcolm. Historical Collections Relating to Gwynedd: A Township of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, Settled 1698, by Welsh Immigrants ; with Some Data Referring to the Adjoining Township of Montgomery, Also a Welsh Settlement. (Philadelphia: Ferris Bros., 1884): 356.
"Mary Ann Scarlett." Ambler Gazette. May 24, 1906. Page 1. https://digitalarchives.powerlibrary.org/papd/islandora/object/papd%3Awivp-gazett_4152.
"Obituary. ISAAC J. HALLOWELL." Ambler Gazette. June 25, 1925. Page 6. https://digitalarchives.powerlibrary.org/papd/islandora/object/papd%3Awivp-gazett_14821.
Scott, J. D. Montgomery County 1877, Gwynedd, North Wales, Ambler, Royer's Ford, Limerick Station, 1877.
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