Eighteenth century taverns of Montgomery County share typical features that make them easily recognizable. Usually built of stone, they are two stories high, squareish and have attic windows in the gable ends and often attic dormers; along the front, one will almost invariably find a long porch sheltering two doors: one leading into the bar-room and the other leading into the inn parlor and family living quarters.
Anyone who researches 18th or 19th century Swamp (from the German “Schwamm” – sponge, lowlands, meadows, the former name of New Hanover), will surely find emigrant Johannes Schneider, his five boys and their descendents. They were one of the dominant families of this village for almost 200 years.
Henry Dotterer records in The Perkiomen Region: “John Schneider, son of the founder, became owner of the two hundred acres of choice land located along both sides of Minister’s Creek, a tributary of the Swamp Creek, which was sold, December 9, 1718, by John Henry Sprogell to the elder Schneider. John Schneider, his son, established an inn on this property, on the main road running through Falkner Swamp, which became famous throughout the land. In the colonial days the inn-keeper was a man of influence in his neighborhood. Although he died rather young, John Schneider [b.1728 d.1769] became possessed of wealth. After his death his widow, a woman of unusual strength of character, maintained for years the good reputation of the hostelry, the conduct of which devolved upon her at her husband’s death.”
Tavern licenses were taken out for the next 30 years by Catharine, her brother in law Henry and her son John.
The historic inn to which Dotterer refers was last known as the Brendlinger Store building, which stood at the intersection of Route 663 and Charlotte Street and was razed in 1941. It stood on the corner where a Wawa now stands.
John Schneider, son of Johannes the founder, married Catharine Deringer daughter of Henry and Christina Deringer, New Hanover farmers, about 1748. They had seven children. Their sixth child, John (b.1764) married Catharine Dengler in 1791 and also died young on Jan. 15, 1797. He had four children; only the youngest, Charles, survived. These are the principal players in our story.
The following summary is recorded in Deed Book 8, page 147, found in the Montgomery County Historical Society.
* In 1720 John Frederick Richards bought 150 acres from Sprogell. This block (it seems) lies along the west side of what became Charlotte Street approximately from somewhere between Moyer and Klemen Road north to the township building (township orientation: north is toward Pennsburg; south is toward Pottstown; west toward Boyertown and east toward Limerick).
* Deed for 50 acres from the north end to John Berkenbill 12/23/1726.
* Deed John Berkenbill to Bastion Reifsnyder and Frederick Antis 7/25/1732.
* Deed one-half interest, Henry Antis, Exr. of Frederick Antis to Bastion Reifsnyder 11/23/1746.
* Bastion Reifsnyder and Susanna his wife to Henry Deringer 11/16/47. This is just about the year that Henry Deringer’s daughter Catharine married John Schneider (son of emigrant, Johannes).
* Henry Deringer to his daughter, Catharine Snyder, 4/13/1774.
* Catharine Snyder to John Snyder, her son, 6/22/1795.
John Snyder (documents used the English spelling, but the family always retained the German “Schneider”), Catharine’s son, died in 1798. His estate included “a tavern house and plantation.” His mother, widow since 1769, eventually had remarried a man with the last name Derr, with whom she had children. She died in 1802. The property remained in estate until Charles Snyder came of age in 1816 and was then sold out of the Schneider family.
Now about the tavern. Deeds do not describe buildings, only the “metes and bounds” of the property, but on June 6, 1757, the Court of Quarter Sessions recommended that a license to keep a tavern be granted to John Snider of New Hanover Township. I think it is very possible that was when our Brendlinger Store Building was constructed. His father-in-law, Deringer, owned that corner property; John Schneider had been married to Catharine Deringer for almost 10 years;, and he had taken out a tavern license. What better location for it than the corner of the road from Pottstown and the road that became the Swamp Pike?
Another clue that Henry Deringer owned a tavern house is two newspaper clippings located in the County Historical Society archives. Dated 1772, they advertise that two valuable properties of 170 acres and 125 acres situated in New Hanover Township, which had been seized by the sheriff to be “exposed to sale on Nov. 11 and to be struck off at precisely 3 o’clock in the afternoon at the house of Henry Deringer.” These sales would have been held at the local tavern. It would have been called Deringer’s because John Schneider (the second) had died in 1769, and John Schneider (the third) was still a boy.
This, then, is the probable origin of the building that became Brendlinger’s Store. As early as 1839 Frederick Brendlinger had a “license to sell foreign merchandise” in New Hanover Township. He kept store and post office there for the rest of his life. When did the building stop being a tavern? That will be next week’s story.
The Historian is produced by the New Hanover Township Historical Society. Contact Robert Wood at 610-326-4165 with questions or comments.
