The majestic home known today as the Conewago Manor Inn dates back to 1739. Then known as the Conewago Manor Farm, it served as the residence for Samuel Smith, a local miller and Indian trader who received the original deed from the William Penn family in May of 1742. At that time the brick portion of the home served as a public house and inn.

In 1800 Henry Bates Grubb, Ironmaster of the Hopewell Forge, bought the property and aded the stately stone portion of the mansion in 1811. He expanded the farm to 4,000 acres and renamed it Mount Vernon Estate.

In 1899 the Mount Vernon Estate was acquired by the Pennsylvania Vaccine Company. Owner Dr. H.M. Alexander used the large stone barn on the premises as a laboratory for his experiments. The doctor established a commercial business in nearby Marietta, PA, which is known today as Wyeth - Ahearst Laboratories.

The Conewago Manor Inn has served as a U.S. Post Office, a railway ticket office, and now, under the careful eye of your hosts Keith and Laura Murphy, returns to its glorious past as a gracious inn.

Special thanks to the employees and subcontractors of
K. Murphy and Company of Elizabethtown, PA for their dedication and countless hours of difficult and often tedious work spent in the restoration of the Manor. Their vision, craftsmanship and pride were instrumental in the successful completion of our project.