Our History

This café sits on the site of the Lakeview Amusement Park.

Benjamin Kern, a local farmer, acquired the property with the lake around 1900. For a time, the spring-fed lake’s primary use was for harvesting ice.  Kern would cut large blocks of ice from the frozen lake during the winter month and store them in an icehouse.  He sold the ice to local residents in the summer months.  Electric refrigerators would soon replace the need for ice boxes.  Kerns was no longer selling ice and purchased a small motorboat to use on the lake in the summer months.  People passing by were eager to take a ride around the lake in the motorboat and paid a nickle for a ride. Kern realized the potential to develop his property into an amusement park by adding more rides.  His son, Benjamin Kern continued to operate and expand the 40+ acre park creating many memories for the Royersford locals.  By the late 1980’s it became economically unfeasible to maintain the park and its aging rides.  

We thank the Spring-Ford Area Historical Society especially William Brunner for providing the history of the park and the pictures proudly displayed throughout the Café.  

Memories have been made on this site in the past, we hope many more memories will be made at the Café with friends and family.