Our Story

Located in the township of Marlborough, Montgomery County, Sumneytown was named in honor of Isaac Sumney, and for many years was the most prominent village in northwestern Montgomery County. In 1762, the Red Lion Inn was established by Isaac Sumney at the prominent fork in the road at the center of the village. In the early 1800’s, the hotel was a popular stop for stagecoach, teamsters and other visitors.

In 1835, the Sumneytown Hotel was the scene of a crime that changed the landscape of the small village. On the evening of December 18, 1835, five men entered the Hotel. The men were in the village surveying the area for the proposed railroad linking the Perkiomen Valley to the Lehigh region. A fight broke out between one of the men (John W. Nevins) and a local resident, George Willauer. During the altercation, Willauer was stabbed and later died of his injuries however, a year later, the five men were found not guilty in the death. As a result of this tragedy, the railroad project was terminated. Although the project was renewed twenty years later, the railroad would not pass through or touch the village of Sumneytown.

Fifty years after that incident (mid 1870’s), Samuel Barndt demolished the previously standing hotel which was damaged by fire and erected a new building in its place. The new building was three stories high with a two-story brick kitchen attached. It was anticipated that the new hotel would return the small village to being the central point of business in the valley that it once was.

Fast forward, The Hotel was purchased by John S. Burke from Russ and Queenie Weidner on the day after Thanksgiving in 1967. At that time, the second and third floors of the Hotel were used as a boarding house and remained as such into the early 70’s. Jack and Sibylle Burke managed the Hotel alongside John until his death in 1980. Jack and Sibylle’s son, John, became a business partner in 2006.

After over 50 years of generosity and service in the community, the Burke family retired. On June 2, 2021 the Jamison and Mitcham families gained ownership of Sumneytown Hotel and began restorations and renovation honoring the nearly 260 year old building. The week of July 19, 2022 the Jamison Sumneytown Hotel reopened to the public with the kitchen led by Head Chef Nydia Fornelos. This team of artists bring a passion for food, drink, and hospitality with decades of craftsmanship.

Please join us in this historic gathering place - Cheers from our families to yours!