Milestone 7 by the Lower Merion Township Building on the north side of the Road
*Above banner image was taken at Chenoa Manor animal sanctuary near Avondale, PA. http://www.chenoamanor.org/ Link to learn more about Chenoa Manor and its mission
The Red Lion is described as being a quarter mile West of the 7th Milestone by Sachse. Link to a picture of the Red Lion, scroll past page 14, but before 15 http://books.google.com/books?id=IUcVAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA5&lpg=PA5&dq=wayside+inn+in+sachse&source=bl&ots=EJK-wjnDcy&sig=9OLDlRp3DUG7LKX3Pd2IveK_NN8&hl=en&ei=g7xeTbn_M8KBlAePr7mCDA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CCcQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q&f=false
The Seven Stars was on the South side of the pike near the 7th Milestone. According to a 1964 article St. Colman's Church now sits on the spot. The Seven Stars was built by Charles Kugler a Revolutionary War veteran in 1797 as a farmhouse and was converted to a tavern. In 1805 either a nephew or son also named Charles Kugler was born on the second floor of the tavern. In 1808 the Tavern became known as the Three Tuns and sometimes the United States as well. The younger Charles was apparently a sensitive soul, "He was disturbed by the oaths, guffaws and drunken shouts of the drivers and drovers" and when he inherited the tavern in 1830 he turned it into a temperance Inn. He removed the bar and ceased selling alcoholic beverages. 49 years later, on his deathbed, he refused medicine that contained spirits so it is doubtful the Inn ever served alcohol again. Kugler ended up dying in the same second floor room he was born in.
Turnips and Watches - What a strange combination!
Between the 7th and 8th Milestones was the Three Tuns (barrels or casks). It was about 600 feet North of Lancaster Avenue where it intersects with Mill Creek Road. It was built before 1730 by Richard Hughes. Exact date is unknown. Francis Houlton bought it in 1760 along with 45 acres and renamed it The Prince of Wales (King George II). In 1774 it was bought by Philip Syng, Jr. a gold and silver smith and friends of Ben Franklin. It was a Syng inkstand that was used at the signing of the Declaration of Independence. He also did his bit for colonial population growth fathering either 18 or 21 children. It was Syng who converted the inn into an awesome country estate. In some of the estate windows he placed a display alternating watches for sale and turnips. Turnips you say. It was believed at the time that turnips rotated in the earth every 24 hours as they followed the sun, hence the connection. Ben Franklin sometimes visited at the estate. Syng later sold the estate to a Captain Robert McAfee who was known for his capture of the outlaw known as Sandy Flash. According to one story McAfee used the reward money from the capture to purchase the inn. He renamed it the Green Tree. In the early 1800's a Mr. Imhoff purchased the property and renamed it The Sign of St. George.In 1811 the estate was sold to a doctor James Anderson. Anderson and his heirs would own the property for 146 years until 1957 when the last of them died. That spelled the beginning of the end for the old house and it was torn down in 1962.
http://www.lowermerionhistory.org/texts/first300/part07.html
A link for Lower Merion Township that gives us more information about the Red lion and The St. George.
The News clipping above from the Jan. 1, 1954 Issue of the Main Line times gives the account of how Robert McAfee captured the notorious highwayman Sandy Flash and then used the reward money to purchase the Prince of Wales Inn which he renamed the Green Tree. This story is from the C.C.H.S. archives.
A Terrain map with the salmon colored stickpin showing the general location of Milestone 7
Below: The complete sketch of the milestone 7 through milestone 11 stretch of the turnpike.
