The history of the General Lafayette Inn and St. Peter's Church, which is adjacent to the Inn, has been entwined through the centuries.  On May 18, 1778, General Lafayette and 2200 of the best equipped men were sent by General Washington from Valley Forge to Barren Hill (now known as Lafayette Hill) to spy on the British in Philadelphia.
        The British learned of Lafayette's position at Barren Hill and planned to capture him by sending five columns over the great roads from Philadelphia and surround his encampment.
        During the night of May 19th, this news reached Lafayette and, as dawn approached, he climbed into the tower of the old church.  From the elevation of the tower, he could see the surrounding countryside and was able to plan a brilliant plan of escape.
        He left 500 men, cannons and 50 Indians at the Church to hold the British off until the main body of his command could escape.  (Click here to learn more about the role of Oneida Indians during the Battle of Barren Hill).  The battle at the Church was short but fierce, and it gained the precious time needed.  He and his men did reach sefety, crossing at Matson's Ford to the west side of the Schuylkill.  The British returned to Philadelphia in humiliation.
        On May 22nd, Lafayette returned with his men to the encampment at Barren Hill.  They remained here carrying out their intelligence orders until June 19, 1778, when they joined Washington on the march out from Valley Forge onto victory at Monmouth, New Jersey.
        During the period of the encampment at Barren Hill, it is believed that General William Smallwood and General William Hull used the Inn for their Headquarters.  There is no doubt that the jovial young French officer Lafayette frequently joined his fellow officers at the Inn for refreshment and discussions.
        After the Revolution, much had to be done to rehabilitate all the buildings at Barren Hill, for the war had taken its toll on the little village.  It was during this period when the Dager and Hitner families intermarried and the large addition to the Inn was added, with its unusual corner-fireplace at the long end of the building.  This was repeated on the second floor sleeping area.
        The prominent Hitner family owned several marble quarries in the area.  One was called "Old Blue" and was just up the road from the Inn.  The mantle of the blue marble fireplace in front of which Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence was made of marble quarried from "Old Blue."  The long dining room across the front of the General Lafayette Inn has a fireplace of this blue marble.
        In 1874, a horse-drawn trolley line was opened out from Philadelphia and later tracks were laid along the same route.  Thus, once again, the old Inn became a welcomed place for refreshment for the travelers at the junction across from the General Lafayette Inn, then called "Barren Hill Hotel."
        In 1946, the owner, Ludwig Zackiewicz, changed its name to the "Lafayette Hotel" because he was very aware of the building's historic value.  Mr. Zackiewicz, in 1958, saved the old inn from being demolished to make way for a gas station.  He also persuaded its next owner, Ted Helmetag, to make extensive alterations and improvements and continue its long tradition of hospitality.  For the next 30 years to follow, this tradition would be carried on by generations of the Mustin family.

        In the mid-1990's, the Inn closed its doors after centuries of continued operation, during which time new life was breathed into the old building.  In 1996, after extensive restoration by local preservationist Mike McGlynn, the General Lafayette Inn opened its doors once again.  While maintaining its Colonial appeal and upscale dining atmosphere, the Inn now housed its own microbrewery, producing local and nationally award-winning beers.  A venue was also created for local area artists to perform eclectic music to a lively tavern several nights a week.  In 1999, the General Lafayette Inn expanded its property ownership and opened a Bed & Breakfast, Lafayette’s Retreat, which continues to offer five tastefully decorated rooms for weary travelers.  With McGlynn's ties to local Revolutionary War re-enactors, the Inn started celebrating anniversaries not celebrated elsewhere, such as May’s honoring of Lafayette’s Escape from the British and October’s Soldiers’ Return from the Battle of Germantown.  One never knows when one may come face-to-face with the Marquis de Lafayette or even George Washington at the General Lafayette Inn!  In June 2003, McGlynn succumbed to cancer at the early age of 50.  Prior to his passing, he requested that the integrity of his work at the Inn be carried forward by Chris Leonard, who had already been the Inn's brewmaster for four years.  In March 2004, that request was finally granted when Leonard--along with members of the Leonard family--proudly took ownership. 

"Ye Ole Inn Keepers" invite you to browse around the old Inn and note its mellow, warm details and architecture.  Enjoy the atmosphere they have proudly created and partake of their excellent "spirits and victuals."

1732........................Small inn built on present site
1752........................Christopher Rapine, early 18th Century (before 1752).
                                   Inn called "Three Tuns."
1762........................Valentine Miller.  Sheriff Sale.
1777........................Jacob Houser.  Conveyed to son-in-law.
1779........................Ludwig Dager.  Continued in Dager family
1825-1828...............John Hagey.  Inn called "Trooper."
1828-1869...............John Dager
1869-1874...............George and Leonard Fisher.  Inn called "Barren Hill Hotel."
1874-1895...............James Mewhinney
1895-1946...............Lottie Gundlack (widow)
1946-1958...............Ludwig Zackiewicz.  Inn called "Lafayette Hotel."
1958-1961...............Ted Helmetag
1961-1968...............Toddy and Milton Mustin.  Also during this period, Henry
                                    Borbach.
1968-1986...............Mike Weiss and Joseph Mustin.
1986-1996...............Joseph, Mike, and Mark Mustin.
1996-2001...............Mike McGlynn, Jeff Bill, Neal Cook, Kenneth L. Kaufmann.
2001-2004...............Mike McGlynn.
2004-Present............Chris Leonard and Leonard Family