King of Prussia was settled by
Welsh immigrants in the early 1700�s who originally called
it Reeseville, after a prominent family who owned much of
the land. During the later part of the 18th century it
became common to refer to the area as King of Prussia,
after a tavern by that name operated by the Reese family.
That may be the only piece of the puzzle which is certain;
the exact date when the tavern was established, and the
political reasons behind the name, are clouded by time.
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 1746, 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.� |