King of Prussia Inn
Why it's listed
Built in the early 1700s at the crossing of Swedesford and Gulph Roads, the King of Prussia Inn began as a stuccoed fieldstone public house and was later remodeled in 1750 and enlarged in 1769 by Daniel Thompson. Its present appearance is largely that of the 1769 enlargement, with a center hall plan, back-to-back diagonal fireplaces, and surviving sections of 18th century wainscoting and paneling. For more than two centuries it served travelers and the surrounding community as an inn and meeting place, and it gave its name to the village that grew around it. Because it lay on the path of the Revolutionary armies, it hosted officers of both the British and American forces, and the proprietor's wartime records list both. George Washington and several companions held Masonic meetings in one of its second-floor rooms, where Lafayette was later admitted to the order at Washington's request. The building is regarded as a well preserved example of the early roadside inns of the region. It has been boarded up for several years and now sits in the median of U.S. Route 202.
Significance in brief: The inn served as a public house and community center for over 200 years and gave its name to the community. It played host to officers of both the British and American armies during the Revolutionary War, and Washington's Masonic meetings were held in one of its upper rooms. The document describes it as an excellent example of the early inns along the region's major roads.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 75001656, listed December 23, 1975. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 101 Bill Smith Blvd., King of Prussia |
|---|---|
| County | Montgomery County |
| Listed | December 23, 1975 |
| Reference number | 75001656 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1719 |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Boarded up for a number of years and in poor condition; the King of Prussia Historical Society is planning stabilization and restoration. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.08736, -75.37727 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 75001656.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6412283
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.