20 Year Anniversary of the King of Prussia Inn’s Relocation

After years of planning, and an entire year of shoring up and bracing the structure, the King of Prussia Inn was moved on Sunday, August 20, 2000 from the US 202 median to Bill Smith Boulevard, land donated by PECO Energy Company.

It was one of the most successful engineering efforts in Pennsylvania’s history, winning the American Association of State Highway Officials 2004 National Legacy Award for successful relocation and restoration from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.

With the challenge to relocate the King of Prussia Inn, a dedicated group of local supporters mobilized to formulate a plan to move the structure. Between 1997 and 2000, the Arthur Powell foundation, the Kravco Co., and PennDOT raised $1.63 million to move the Inn. An additional $400,000 was raised throughout the community for restoration after the move.

Finally, in front of a huge crowd, at 6:00 am on that August Sunday in 2000, the move began with a brief ceremony – champagne bottle smashed against an I-beam protruding from the frame supporting the inn. Janet Klein, chairwoman of the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, described the inn as “a significant icon of history.”

With dreams of becoming a combination museum and community meeting place to start a new life on Bill Smith Blvd, the Inn started to move at a speed of about 200 feet an hour.

The Inn had to travel down three different streets (first northbound on the six lane SR-202, then right onto South Gulph Road, then left onto Bill Smith Boulevard), through two major intersections and then through a park to reach the new site. A weak bridge on SR-202 had to be shored up by International Chimney prior to the move. Sinkholes (yes, sinkholes!) complicated the move path and had to be located with ground penetrating radar then stabilized before the move. Coordination and traffic control were a major factor to keep traffic moving and the many businesses along the move route open. Careful coordination with the appropriate companies had to be arranged to deal with power lines, signals, utilities poles, signs, and other obstructions in the move path. On move day the appropriate utility crews had to be on hand and ready for action.

The King of Prussia Inn was constructed prior to the advent of Portland cement mortar. Clay mortar used in the 1700’s resulted in very weak walls. A great deal of wooden bracing was therefore added to the building by International Chimney to hold things together during the move.

The approximately 510 ton King of Prussian Inn was moved on 21 rubber-tired dollies (168 tires in all), some of which were self powered. There were a total of 2 duplex main beams, 13 cross-steel beams, 7 rocker beams, 2 stiff-back beams and numerous other steel beams supporting the Inn during the move.

Delays during the first day of the move changed the timetable from an original plan of 12 hours to 18 hours plus. They finished Monday. One problem came up early in the day Sunday, when a hydraulic dolly failed and two others had to be brought in from South Jersey.

Restoration was more costly than anticipated. In-kind donations for the Inn included window panes painted by volunteers from the Lockheed-Martin Company, electrical service courtesy of Independent Local of Electrical Workers Union 380, phone wiring by members of the Communications Workers of America and grading and landscaping from the Gambone Brothers Development Company with a wonderful sewer lateral by American Infrastructure. Volunteers also hung pictures, cleaned floors and cut grass. Every one of them saving the project thousands of dollars that were needed.

At the end of 2002, the King of Prussia Chamber of Commerce moved into the fully restored Inn. Today the Inn is home to the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce. To visit the Inn, one must contact the Chamber.