 
Photos of the King of Prussia Inn
This photo and text (below) contributed by John Morrell.
Circa
1906 post card view of the King of Prussia Tavern at King of
Prussia, Pennsylvania. This is a terrific old street view showing many of the
other old buildings in the area. Notice the horses and wagon. This is
near Norristown and Bridgeport and Phoenixville.
The tavern was first licensed sometime between 1762 and 1769, but the
building may have existed as a private residence as early as 1709. It
was not uncommon at the time for homeowners situated on a main thoroughfare
to take in travelers, and many inns evolved from private residence to
public house over a period of years.
 All agree that the inn was named to honor Frederick the Great, the King
of Prussia from 1740 to 1786, but the political reasons behind the name
are debated. One theory asserts it was named prior to the Revolution,
to honor Frederick’s assistance to the British in the seven Years
War with France, which ended in 1763. Others argue it was named to recognize
Frederick’s support and admiration for George Washington during
the Revolution. A more sales-oriented idea is that it was named to attract
the business of Prussian soldiers camped at Valley Forge. But on a spy
map of 1777, the inn is referred to as “Berry’s,” the
name of the general manager at the time. In 1850 the postal service made
common usage official, recognizing the surrounding town’s name
as “King of Prussia.”
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