Our
History
Rising
Sun Restaurant and Tavern
The site of the Rising
Sun has been occupied as a Tavern/Bar for over 200 years. Our earliest
indication of a tavern at this location was in 1794. When Frederick
Wolfersberger applied for a tavern license. The 1798 Federal Glass tax, a tax
taken on each pane of glass in a household, indicated that it was a 32ft x 28ft
one-story wood building on two acres of land. A stable 18ft x 16ft was also part
of the grounds. The land, originally owned by Frederick’s father, Philip
Wolfersberger, was sold to Frederick in 1809. Frederick and Molly Wolfersberger
continued to operate their tavern until 1811, when they sold their property to
his brother John Wolfersberger (1767-1818) and John’s son, John Wolfersberger,
Esquire (1789-1864). The decade of the 1840,s presented a challenge for John
Wolfersberger, Esquire and his wife Elizabeth. Due to financial difficulties as
stated in their deed of assignment dated November16, 1843, their various
properties were transferred to son John Wolfersberger and son-in-law Samuel
Carper in trust for payment of debts. This deed of trust included
the hotel property – a 60 –acre and 64 perch tract, and the rite to use the
water in the pump for the families residing near the hotel and across the
street. A few years passed and the tract remained unsold. The property
eventuality reverted back to John and Elizabeth in February 1847. 
John B and Elizabeth Wealand, son-in-law and daughter of the Wolfersbergers,
purchased the same property on September 3,1863.
Mr., Wealand died in testate (with out a will) in 1866. The Lebanon County
Orphan’s Court named his widow and brother-in-law Gabriel Wolfersberger
trustees. Latter, a public sale was held and the highest bidder, George Peter,
purchased the property, unable to pay the amount, Mr. William E Brunner, a local
merchant who also submitted a bid was awarded the sale by the court on 25 April
1866.
On March 31,1868, the portion of the 60 acres that
contained the hotel was sold as a 19-acre tract to Edward Dissinger, a local
tailor. After opening a store at the western end of town, Mr. Dissinger sold the
hotel to John Sanders and Jonas Eby in 1869.
Subsequent owners of the hotel were: David B Gingrich, 1876-1889 whose son
Samuel served as a bartender there in 1880; Charles Penrose Eby, 1889-1890 and
Harry W. Bachman.
Mr. Bachman, originally a farmer, purchased the hotel in 1890. His death on
February 18,1904 left the operation of the hotel to wife Clara and daughters
Jesse (sp.) Pearl wife of T.C. Shirk and A. Murvie Bachman. Clara then sold the
property H.H. Books on April 2.1907. Some years passed and H.H.
Books fell into Financial Difficulty. As entry in Lebanon County Liquor License
Annual for January1916, indicated that H.H. Books was the proprietor, but due to
financial difficulty his lawyer P.S. Keiser was assigned to benefit Mr. Books
creditors. With a Sheriff’s sale a few months later, the property transferred
to T.C. Shirk on April 18,1916.
It was during the decades between 1900 and 1920 that numerous
renovations were made to the hotel building – added were the current Mansfield
roof, a third floor on the back portion, a front bay window, and a wrap around
porch. It was probably in 1913 when the Hershey Press reported on June 26th, “
A new addition is being built to the Rising Sun Hotel. John Basehore has the
contract.”
Subsequently, T.C. Shirk sold the hotel to Jacob Page on June 5, 1916. After the
proprietorship of Jacob Page, it was sold to his son J. Emmett on March 23,1927.
It was Mr. Page and his partner J.LeRoy Singer, a former candy sales-man from
Lancaster County, who then operated the Rising Sun. Due to financial
difficulties on the part of Mr. Page, Howard Yawn, Sheriff of Lebanon County,
sold the property to the Valley Trust Company on July 16, 1935. It was the
Valley Trust, which sold the same to Roy Singer. After Emmett left the business;
“Roy” Singer continued to operate the Rising Sun.
In
1942 Mr. Singer left the family and rented the “sun” to his wife Ethel.
Because she needed to apply for her own beer and liquor license, she only
operated a soda fountain. Then in 1943, Mrs. Singer acquired her own license.
Along with alcoholic beverages she sold soup. Sandwiches and other light fare.
Her specialty was “crab cakes.” Those who helped Mrs. Singer were Victor
Brown, bartender and James “Buster” Rhoads. Ethel Singer and her family
resided on the second floor. Consisting of 8 rooms and 2 baths, Mrs. singer,
daughter June, son Robert and Mrs. Singer’s father-in-law, John K. singer,
each had their own rooms.
During World War II, Mrs. Singer was asked to remove the sign from the hotel.
The sign, a part of the property since before 1900 was removed and placed on the
hotel’s third floor. It depicted an orange sun rising over a hill with the
words “Rising Sun Hotel, Campbelltown, PA” and a date of 1803. One must
wonder if the sign was offensive because of its uncanny resemblance to the
Japanese Flag and nickname – “Land of the Rising Sun.”
Ethel remained at the helm until a stroke in 1945 left her unable to operate the
business alone. June, Ethel’s daughter, left her full time job and came to
work at the Rising Sun. the death of Ethel Singer in 1949 left the operation to
June and her husband Ernest Deppen. They continued to operate the Rising
Sun until early 1952, when they were asked to close the hotel by June’s
father, Roy Singer who was then living in Lititz, Lancaster County. According to
June he was experiencing financial
difficulty. It was sold on June 16, 1952 to Sterling Sechrist.
“The
sun” was eventually sold to Marvin and Verna Hinkle on October 5, 1955. It was
Mr. Hinkle who registered the name “Rising Sun Bar and Grill” at Lebanon
County Courthouse on October 20, 1955.
Subsequently, the Hinkle’s sold the business to Otis, Jr. and Ruth Oliver on
March 16, 1964. Current owners Dale and Sally Wagner purchased the Rising Sun in
1968 and continue to operate in the Campbelltown location with its long history.
The
history and Pictures on this page was taken from the "book"
"Campbelltown
Pennsylvania a Historical Review in Words and Photographs by Donald Rhoads
Jr."
[Click here
to purchase book.]
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