Located in what is now Gilbertsville, Pennsylvania, the original hotel and six acres of land were purchased by Elias Fagley on March 11, 1861, from Joshua and Sarah Place for $255. Situated at the crossroads of Swamp Pike and Sanatoga Road, the area was known as Fagleysville and included a store and an inn called “The Rose,” built in the mid-18th century. This inn, which had even served as a Revolutionary War encampment, operated as the Fagleysville Hotel for 75 years under the Pfeiffer family before Phyllis and Jack bought it on September 4, 1964, when it had become a quaint country taproom.
Their transformation from taproom to gourmet dining began with the hanging of their new sign: “Jack Gleason’s Fagleysville Hotel, since 1964—adventures in dining.” They redecorated, expanded the menu, and gradually evolved from serving traditional American cuisine to offering increasingly exotic dishes as word of their culinary ventures spread.
In 1966, the “Main Line Chronicle,” a Philadelphia-area weekly, featured the hotel in a piece by editor Bernard Kramer. “After that,” Jack recalled, “we started getting a different type of clientele. While we don’t make any pretensions, people started calling it gourmet cuisine. That allowed us to cook more the way we wanted.” Soon, the *Philadelphia Inquirer* and other papers were also spotlighting the hotel. They even launched a 26-month series of international dinners, each one a highlight of the ever-growing menu.
Phyllis took charge of the kitchen while Jack managed the front of the house. Together, they created one of the finest gourmet destinations in the region. With only 5% of their clientele being locals, the rest journeyed from Philadelphia and beyond. The hotel, with its country charm, boasted three main rooms: a bar with eight stools and several tables, a main dining room, and a secondary dining room adjacent to the bar. There was also a cozy porch area, seating around 90 guests in total. The bar itself was a Victorian masterpiece of mahogany, complete with hand-beveled mirrors and metal accents for striking matches. Jack would reserve tables with personalized “reserved for…” cards, making guests feel at home; some of these cards were kept and later adorned the walls as decorations. Each table was dressed with white linens and candles, surrounded by china and knickknacks along a high rail. Patrons often described the atmosphere as comfortable, charming, and relaxing.
Dinner prices ranged from $20 to $30 for a “properly lubricated meal,” and Jack’s wine cellar was impressively stocked with vintage French wines, including a $100 Bordeaux. It was, at the time, one of the most extensive collections in eastern Pennsylvania.
Over the years, many notable local and national personalities dined there. Regulars included esteemed chefs like Julie Dannebaum, Wally Callahan, and June Callahan. Their friendship with Ed Pizak led to a collaboration with Mrs. Paul’s Foods, allowing the hotel to serve as a test kitchen for new product ideas.
One of my favorite parts of researching the hotel has been reading the handwritten reviews from patrons—some glowing, others critical. Each letter feels like a time capsule, capturing the essence of the hotel and its patrons from a bygone era.
