In Penn's Woods

     On Monday I had the somber duty to perform a funeral service for the father of a long time friend from North Wales.  We alternately laughed and cried as we recalled a life well lived.  Then after the interment where four generations of my own kin are laid to rest we gathered for lunch at a venerable local landmark, The William Penn Inn.  The family had only contacted them on Friday afternoon and amazingly the management provided our group with a sumptuous buffet luncheon.  On one side of the room there before us was a fresh fruit and salad table and across the room was another table of entrees and sides that could satisfy any palate.  We could choose from glazed salmon, capon and pork loin and the accompanying rice pilaf, creamy mashed potatoes, green beans and cauliflower gratin.  And on the tables were warm, fresh baked dinner rolls with compound butter.  And for dessert a strawberry sundae with flecks of real vanilla bean in the ice cream.  It was a meal rivaled only by the conviviality of the guests who gathered in memory and in gratitude for the life of Milton Schatz.

photo courtesy of DJM

     But I guess I shouldn't have been surprised by the quality of the meal or it's prompt preparation and presentation.  After all, the William Penn Inn has been providing such accommodation for nearly 300 years.  Penn's Woods was originally a colony founded by Quaker William Penn as a noble experiment in religious tolerance.  And around 1700 Penn himself, along with his daughter, Letitia, visited the Gwynedd Friends Meeting, staying in the area for a few days before traveling on to tour his expansive land grant.  A public house was established just across "The Great Road" (Sumneytown Pike) from the meeting house in 1714 that fronted "The State Road" (DeKalb Pike) to provide food and lodging for weary travelers making their way from Penn's "Greene Country Towne" to locations north and west of Philadelphia.  The way station was originally deeded to the Evans family, early welsh settlers in Gwynedd.  Over a century later, in 1818, the structure was sold to David Acuff and remained under that family's ownership for 3 generations.  In 1827 proprietor Acuff secured a license to operate a tavern and gave his venture it's present moniker.

     It was at the turn of the century in 1900 that Algernon Yothers leased the inn from the Acuff family and expanded the operation to include stables at the rear of the property that were equipped with "pure artisan well water and electric lights."  He also raised the roof to add a third floor and added on a two story porch.  Since that time there have been a succession of owners, each contributing their own special touch in decor, menu, and service.  The William Penn Inn today is the oldest continuously operated country inn in Pennsylvania.  It remains one of the foremost locations for a special event or a memorable meal.  After all, they've been in the business for nearly three centuries.