The Union Hotel, also known as the Shepherdstown Hotel or Hilltop Inn, is an historic, American

hotel A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a re ...

that is located in Shepherdstown in

Cumberland County, Pennsylvania Cumberland County is a County (United States), county in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 259,469. Its county seat is Carlisle, Pennsylvania, Carlis ...

. It was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

in 1989.

History and architectural features

Built in 1860, this historic structure consists of a three-story, eight-bay, rectangular, brick main section that was designed in the Georgian style and measures fifty-six feet, six inches wide by thrty-three feet deep. It has a brick ell that also dates to circa 1860 and a -story frame summer kitchen. A one-story frame addition was built circa 1920. The building was restored during the 1980s. ''Note:'' This includes The hotel was built by Abraham and Mary Zook, situated in a prime hilltop location on the Gettysburg Pike. It was initially used as a tavern, eventually being sold to

Adolphus Busch Adolphus Busch (10 July 1839 – 10 October 1913) was the German-born co-founder of Anheuser-Busch with his father-in-law, Eberhard Anheuser. He introduced numerous innovations, building the success of the company in the late 19th and early 2 ...

of the Anheuser-Busch Brewing Co. It was sold once again before the beginning of

prohibition Prohibition is the act or practice of forbidding something by law; more particularly the term refers to the banning of the manufacture, storage (whether in barrels or in bottles), transportation, sale, possession, and consumption of alcoholic b ...

, on Oct. 26, 1918. Between that time and October 1922, the building was a private home. After this period, the home was bought by John Ungar and became the Hilltop Inn, a

Pennsylvania Dutch The Pennsylvania Dutch (), also referred to as Pennsylvania Germans, are an ethnic group in Pennsylvania in the United States, Ontario in Canada, and other regions of both nations. They largely originate from the Palatinate (region), Palatina ...

-style restaurant. In 1932, the structure was once again a private residence. Since the completion of

U.S. Route 15 U.S. Route 15 or U.S. Highway 15 (US 15) is a United States Numbered Highway, serving the states of South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New York. The route is signed north–south, from US ...

, the Union Hotel has been situated in a less prominent location to passersby. It still serves as the focal point of Shepherdstown and as inspiration for the architecture of nearby developments, which have effectively taken the Union Hotel’s role of being a rest stop for travelers. It was listed on the

in 1989.

References

{{National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania Hotel buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania Georgian architecture in Pennsylvania Hotel buildings completed in 1860 Buildings and structures in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania National Register of Historic Places in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania