Tucked along the Old Lancaster Pike in Cumru Township, Berks County, the Five-Mile House was more than just a roadside tavern — it was a community anchor, a social hub, a post office, and a living monument to more than two centuries of regional history. From its colonial land grants to its 20th-century role in hoedowns and auctions, the Five-Mile House bore silent witness to the evolving story of southeastern Pennsylvania.
Colonial Roots and Early Ownership
The origins of the Five-Mile House trace back to an August 1765 land warrant granted by Thomas and Richard Penn to John Patton. A prominent ironmaster and local judge, Patton conveyed part of this land to Benjamin Lightfoot in 1769, including rights to mine ore. Lightfoot, Berks County’s first sheriff, transferred a tract known as “Partington” to Nicholas Gauer Sr. in 1783. Gauer’s will divided his estate among his children, with Nicholas Jr. receiving the land that would eventually host the tavern.
A section of this property was also designated for a neighborhood school, later becoming the Mt. Pleasant School. The earliest building date of the Five-Mile House structure remains unclear, but architectural studies could likely pinpoint it.
Below: The Five-Mile House hotel, known by that name during the final century of its existence, stood in the Mount Pleasant area of Cumru Township. It was located along the west side of Old Lancaster Pike, near the junction where Fairmont Avenue branches off to the southeast toward Mohnton.
The Rise of the Tavern
The property changed hands multiple times in the late 18th century, passing through the ownership of tradesmen like coopers and cordwainers, until March 31, 1810, when William Ermel, an innkeeper, became the first confirmed tavern operator at the site. His detailed will listed a bar, stock in trade, and household goods, indicating a bustling business that also likely housed a store.
Ermel’s widow Sarah retained control of the property until her death in 1846, when it was sold by executor Francis Krick. The tavern continued to be owned by a succession of innkeepers throughout the 19th century.
Tavern, Post Office, and Community Hub
In 1858, under the ownership of Joseph Gaul, the Five Mile House became the site of the Cumru Post Office. Gaul was appointed the first postmaster, and the tavern served as the local postal center for several decades. Gaul’s tenure cemented the tavern’s role as a communal institution, and his descendants and sons-in-law would continue to operate the establishment.
Throughout the 19th century, ownership of the Five-Mile House passed through various families, including the Lash, Shade, and Bertolette families. It was around this time that the tavern began to be called the “Five-Mile House,” a reference to its distance from Reading.
Below: An aerial view from 1951 captures the Five-Mile House and the adjacent mobile home park, with U.S. Route 222 visible in the background. At the time, the mobile home park on the opposite side of the street had not yet been developed.
A Century of Entertainment and Everyday Life
Under Jacob K. Olwine’s ownership from 1880 to 1902, the tavern underwent significant expansion and solidified its reputation as a popular gathering place. Newspaper clippings from 1895 highlight the tavern’s appeal to Reading residents seeking a scenic drive and a pleasant social stop.
Stories of fox hunts, basketball games, and nickelodeon music enliven the record of this period. During Prohibition, it quietly served strong beer to regulars, while keeping Yuengling “near beer” on tap for public appearances.
The Talys, the Arners, and Mid-20th Century Memories
In 1924, Joseph and Mary Talys took ownership of the Five Mile House and kept the tradition of Saturday hoedowns alive. They added features like a horse trough and a gasoline pump, and even used the dance hall as a car paint shop. When they moved to Wernersville in 1933, the Addesso family briefly took over, followed by a series of short-term operators.
In 1937, Steward and Verna Arner became proprietors and gave the establishment a much-needed renovation. Their stewardship, which lasted 15 years, marked a revival in community engagement with dances, bingo nights, and live music in the post-war era.
Transition to the Mohn Family and Final Years
Richard and La Vera Mohn, the Arners’ daughter and son-in-law, assumed management in 1957. After securing a new liquor license and completing renovations, the Mohns re-opened the Five Mile-House. Though hoedowns returned briefly, they soon gave way to weekly auctions and, in the 1970s, “Hillbilly Jamborees” — informal music gatherings beloved by locals.
By this time, the once-rural setting had begun to change. The Arners developed a mobile home park adjacent to the tavern, and their original one-room log cabin grew into a full family home. A springhouse still supplied water to the tavern until construction disrupted the source in the 1960s.
Below: This log house belonged to Steward and Verna Arner and was located within their mobile home park adjacent to the Five-Mile House. It served as their residence while they operated the park beside the historic tavern. Remarkably, the log house still stands today as a quiet reminder of the area’s past.
Below: The former tenant house at 1607 Old Lancaster Pike, located across from the Five-Mile House tavern, was part of the property until it was sold by the Arners to George and Mary Keenan in 1946. For years, both the house and the tavern shared a common water source, which remained in use until it was disrupted by sewage trunk line construction in the 1960s. Today, the house still stands as a lasting piece of the site’s historic past.
Epilogue: The End of an Era
The Five Mile House officially closed in December 1982, ending its long run as one of Berks County’s oldest operating taverns. The building sat vacant for nearly eight years until it was demolished on June 26, 1990. Its destruction marked the final chapter of a property that had witnessed everything from Revolutionary land deals to 20th-century clambakes, fox hunts, auctions, and community gatherings.
Below: The Five-Mile House as it appeared in the mid-1950’s. The water trough on the side of the dance hall was constantly supplied by gravity with water from the springhouse. The overflow flowed into a gutter along the dance hall and into a drain.
Below: A 1957 photo of the barroom shows the interior as it appeared in the final years of the Five-Mile House. A large doorway in the room opened directly into the adjoining dance hall, linking the two lively social spaces.
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