MERTZTOWN
The village of Mertztown is located at latitude 40.506 and longitude -75.665 in the area of the intersection of the former East Pennsylvania Railroad and Reading Railroad (today Norfolk Southern), Valley Road, Chestnut and Barclay streets in Longswamp Township. It is documented that Nicholas, David, and Peter Mertz, all of whom arrived in Philadelphia in 1733, were among the founders of the Longswamp Church. There is also evidence that large parcels of land in the Mertztown area were deeded to J. Peter Trexler in 1788 from Peter, Nicholas, and David Mertz. At that time, many of the name of Mertz moved to Northumberland, but the Mertz family name was established in the village.
LTHS' "Village of Mertztown" booklet was published in 2014; you can purchase a copy from our store.
Image below: Hotel Biery bar room
"The most valuable structural lost in the Mertztown fire of May, 1903, which nearly wiped the old part of the village off the map, was the Hotel Biery, which was built in 1874 at a cost of $14,000*. Biery's total losses in the disastrous fire were estimated at $50,000**."
from Longswamp Township Historical Society's 2nd annual Historic Scavenger Hunt booklet (September, 2020)
* $318,000 in 2020 dollars
**$1.5 million in 2020 dollars
LTHS' "Village of Mertztown" booklet was published in 2014; you can purchase a copy from our store.
Image below: Hotel Biery bar room
"The most valuable structural lost in the Mertztown fire of May, 1903, which nearly wiped the old part of the village off the map, was the Hotel Biery, which was built in 1874 at a cost of $14,000*. Biery's total losses in the disastrous fire were estimated at $50,000**."
from Longswamp Township Historical Society's 2nd annual Historic Scavenger Hunt booklet (September, 2020)
* $318,000 in 2020 dollars
**$1.5 million in 2020 dollars
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