For much of the 20th century, Lesher’s Hotel stood as a well-known landmark along the Pottsville Pike in what is now Muhlenberg Township, adjacent to the Reading Crest Avenue intersection, serving both local residents and travelers heading north out of Reading. Long before chain restaurants and convenience stores reshaped the corridor, the hotel reflected an era when roadside establishments were deeply woven into the social and commercial life of Berks County.
Operated by Irvin D. Lesher and his wife, Anna, Lesher’s Hotel was far more than a place to stay. It functioned as a neighborhood gathering spot, offering dining, drinks, live music, and dancing. Newspaper advertisements promoted evenings of entertainment featuring live bands, crab cakes, sandwiches, and “good beer,” highlighting the hotel’s role as a destination in its own right. Nearby businesses even used Lesher’s Hotel as a geographic reference point, advertising their products as being “across from Lesher’s Hotel,” underscoring how firmly the building was anchored in the local landscape.
The hotel also served as a venue for civic and professional life. Organizations such as the Reading Traffic Club held meetings there, drawing railroad officials, business leaders, and former public figures. These gatherings reinforced Lesher’s reputation as a respectable and familiar meeting place along the Pike during the postwar years.
That sense of permanence was shaken on May 28, 1968, when a serious fire broke out at the hotel during the early evening hours. The blaze caused extensive damage to the attic and upper floors, prompting responses from fire companies across the region. Firefighters worked for several hours to confine the flames, which were largely limited to the attic, though water damage affected the living quarters above the bar and dining room below. Officials later determined the fire was caused by faulty wiring. The incident drew widespread attention and underscored the hotel’s importance to the surrounding community.
Lesher’s Hotel was itself part of a much older tradition. The property had long been known as Rothenmel’s Hotel, dating back to a time when the surrounding area was still closely tied to farming operations. In the early 20th century, the property passed into the hands of the Lesher family, who operated it through the interwar and World War II years. Over subsequent decades, the building assumed several identities—known to later generations as Lesher’s, the White-Mar, and the Apple Inn—as the Pottsville Pike steadily evolved.
Ultimately, the hotel did not survive the broader transformation of the corridor. The building was eventually demolished, and the site later became home to a Wawa convenience store, reflecting the shift from locally run roadside landmarks to modern commercial development. Though no physical trace of Lesher’s Hotel remains today, its story lives on in newspaper accounts, advertisements, and memories of a time when the Pottsville Pike was lined with places that served as centers of music, meetings, meals, and everyday community life.
Former site of Lesher’s Hotel, once a landmark along the west side of the Pottsville Pike heading north.
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