Where the old borough hall stood

            It was just over 100 years ago that the Borough of Pennsburg decided to hire a police officer.  It was at the same time the borough was in the middle of tearing down its existing borough hall and building a new one. 

Built in the 1880's, the original Pennsburg Borough Hall and lock-up also housed the Pennsburg Fire Company. The building was razed in 1926.

            It was on July 7, at the last meeting scheduled to be held in the current borough hall on Main Street, that the decision to start a police department was made.  Plans were already in the works to raze the existing building and construct a new, larger one on the same site.

            The current borough hall was built in the late 1880s and also housed the borough's fire company.  The plans included keeping the fire company in the new building along with the town lock-up.  It would remain the fire company's home well into the 1980s.   The borough and fire company would share the building until the early 1950s, when Pennsburg would move into its new office at the newly constructed Civic Building on Sixth Street

Built on the same site as the previous borough hall, the new building was constructed in late 1926.  It remained the home of the Pennsburg Fire Company.  It also continued to house the borough lock-up until the early 1950's.

            Starting the police department came on the heels of a recent sermon given by Rev. G. W. Lutz at the Pennsburg Reformed Church.  During that sermon, titled "What does Pennsburg need?" Rev. Lutz urged officials to put an end to reckless use of automobiles on Main Street (remember that this is 1926), Main Street flirtations, and general disregard for law in the town.

            The sermon caused much discussion in the borough and came up for consideration at the borough meeting. The result was that immediate action was taken to break up those practices.

            The local constable, John Borntrager, was appointed borough policeman to patrol the streets of the borough, day and night.  At the time the constable also served as health officer, road supervisor, and more.

            He was instructed to devote his entire time to this work.  His salary was fixed at $30 per week.   Borntrager was also instructed to enforce borough and state laws without fear or favor, to curb speeding and reckless driving in the town, and to serve in any capacity that would tend to enforce the laws.

            With all of his other duties, it was only a few weeks later that William Mensch was hired to serve as police officer.  Mensch reported at the August Borough Council meeting that just the appearance of a police officer in town seems to have calmed the infractions that were prevalent in the past.  He gave out no citations during the past month but did issue several warnings. 

            For decades the Pennsburg police department would be served by part-time police officers and police chiefs until the 1960s, when the business and residential growth of the community warranted officials to research upgrading to a full-time police department.