December 11, 1886: History of The Mansion House a.k.a. Durangos a.k.a. Ironstone

By Margaret Leidy Harner from her book One Day at a Time: A Social History of Boyertown, PA.

December 11, 1886: Samuel Sperry has opened his new restaurant at 120 East Philadelphia Avenue with great fanfare, having the Keystone Band furnishing music. The building was originally the private residence of William Shaner, built before 1859 and converted into the William Penn Hotel in 1870.

When Sperry bought the hotel, he enlarged it and pretentiously renamed it the “Mansion House,” which became a premier eating establishment in Boyertown. The three-story brick building, located in the heart of the Boyertown business district, consists of a dining room, a barroom, a fully-equipped kitchen, 21 guest rooms, three apartments, and a sitting room. It was been a gathering place for leaders of industry, business, and politics.

William Schearer bought the hotel in 1917 and continued the tradition of fine dining, as does Durangos Restaurant [Ed. Note: now Ironstone], located there today under owners Pete and Sandy Haberle [Ed. Note: now under new owners]

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