The posting of a sepia-toned photo — showing the Wheel Pump Inn, 529 Bethlehem Pike, Erdenheim — has sparked conversation among Facebook locals who saw it and recall the landmark.

A 2018 article by J.M. Jones in the Chestnut Hill Local traced the property’s history.

The Wheel Pump Inn was built in 1735 near Flourtown.

Among its earliest names was the Washington Hotel; however, it was renamed repeatedly, with most tags relating to its unusual water pump out front. The engineering of that public accommodation drew water by rotating a large wheel rather than the more common hand lever.

Over time, the property’s signage that highlighted the design included:

• Wheel Pump Tavern
• Wheel Pump Hotel and Café
• Derby’s Wheel Pump

Eventually, the site became a retail location. But when that entity went out of business in 2011 the property was purchased by an entrepreneur who restored it but kept its commercial use.

Facebook posters fondly recalled its food-service past.

“[I] worked there as a waiter when I was [in] college,” commented Philadelphia‘s Paul Karhoff. “[L]ocal clientele [enjoyed] the renowned crab cakes and the beautiful bar.”

More Wheel Pump Inn history is in the cited 2018 article in the Chestnut Hill Local.

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How exactly do those old water pumps with handles work?

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