The Grounds

Glasbern Inn grew from humble beginnings, and the old farm buildings that are on the grounds have been renovated to include many of the facilities available to guests. The character and original architecture has been kept while the inside of the buildings have all modern upgrades. Glasbern Inn is as much a destination as it is a country inn and restaurant. Guests to the property can experience:

• Farm Walking Trails
• Meeting Rooms & Event Space
• Farm-to-table dining in the onsite restaurant & Pub
• Outdoor pool with seating area
• Greenhouses
• Full spa and fitness center
• Patios for Weddings and Outdoor events

See Our Property Map

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Glasbern Inn is made up of many buildings and outdoor areas. View Our Map »

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History of Glasbern

The history of Glasbern dates back to 1787, when the original tract of land was warranted to Melchoir Siep. The first building on the land was the original spring house that Joel Mohr lived in as early as 1870. He lived in the second floor of the spring house which offered rudimentary accommodations. As evident by Mohr Lane which runs east –west behind Glasbern, Joel Mohr was influential in the early development of the region. Copies of the Siep warrant & Mohr deed along with an early map and picture are in the lower hallway of the main barn. He sold the property in 1896 to Rosa and Elmer Shoemaker. Rosa and Elmer lived at the property for 16 years until they sold it in 1912 to William A. Kirschner. William Kirschner lived in the original farmhouse and worked the farm for the next 59 years till his death in 1971. The property remained vacant until 1985, when Al and Beth Granger purchased it. With the purchase of the property, the Grangers added running water and indoor plumbing in the farmhouse. They lived there while the barn was restored into an inn. Since the south side of the barn was all glass, Beth came up with “Glasbern”, old English for glass barn. The first guests arrived in December 1985.

Many of the original buildings remain today and have been meticulously renovated to accommodate visitors. The original tractor shed is now the warm and inviting Carriage House. Here the Granger’s experimented with fireplaces and whirlpools. Their popularity led to the inclusion of these upgrades into many of the 38 accommodations. After completing the Carriage House the innkeepers turned their attention to the Gate House. This was originally nothing more than a garage that master carpenter Bill Huber rehabilitated to first class accommodations. The exposed original rafters made of tree limbs stand as a testimony to the vision, skill and determination of early craftsman. The Garden Cottage, the last of the original outbuildings was made ready for guests in 1995.

Local architect, Frank Moyer interpreted our sketchy dreams into blueprint form and provided the framework for artisans to follow. Behind the Main Barn, the grounds developed gradually from open space to a large framed tractor shed built which was against an earthen wall. This facility is now our Lodge which houses our conference rooms and social banquet rooms. To the west, at the far end of the Carriage House parking lot, a barn from another Lehigh County farm has been re-constructed. Similar to a classic barn raising, only with a crane, the Stables were erected. Perched on the hillside above the Stables you will find the Pack House. A marriage of two unique barns, badly in need of relocation and refurbishment was able to produce 12 guestrooms and private conference room. Routinely, this space is reserved for corporate off-site retreats and wedding guests.

The Farm

Sustainable Agriculture for Farm-to-Table Dining

Grass-fed beef and lamb, pastured chicken, Berkshire pork, and more.

Come see (and taste!) sustainable agriculture in action

In 2005, farming started again at Glasbern, reviving an excellent parcel of farmland that had laid fallow for about 35 years. When you dine here, it'll be very clear why the original German farmer chose to carve a farm out of this particular hillside. There's something special about this land.

Encompassing over 130 acres, our farm practices sustainable agriculture to raise healthy vegetables, cattle, sheep, hogs, turkeys, and chickens for use in our restaurant. We invite our guests explore the farm's pastures, gardens, and greenhouses while observing the daily work that mirrors the changing of the seasons.

We have a long-term commitment to the health of the land, and practice rotational grazing of our animals. The herb garden, greenhouses, and large cultivated beds provide fresh heirloom produce year-round for our kitchen. These seeds haven't been cross-bred and -- you be the judge -- are known for superior flavors. Glasbern’s flower gardens flourish under the loving cultivation of Horticulturalist Pamela Ruch, and in turn lend an atmosphere of love to the Inn.

We're not "certified organic", even though many of our practices are. Rest assured you won't find any pesticides, herbicides, antibiotics, or hormones at Glasbern or in any of the food we raise and serve.

Besides our large outdoor vegetable plot, two wood-heated greenhouses keep Glasbern produce on the table year-round. These “high tunnel” greenhouses protect our raised beds during early spring and late fall to extend our growing season into the winter months. Crops are grown in the ground and in hanging structures, yet are protected from temperature fluctuations and light frost. In addition, “high tunnels” reduce wind and moisture fluctuation, and allow us to control pests through all natural means.

We invite you to join us in experiencing the delights from our pastures and garden firsthand in Glasbern's restaurant.

On Glasbern Farm, we use rotational grazing to raise lean, healthy Scottish Highland cattle and Katahdin sheep. In addition to producing excellent grass-fed beef and lamb, rotational grazing preserves and enhances our surrounding landscape. It fertilizes it without fertilizers -- when you stay here on our farm, you'll notice it doesn't very much smell like a farm. Again, a meal at Glasbern is all that's needed to demonstrate the value of sustainable agriculture.

To get more specific about our rotational grazing, Glasbern Farm uses a small paddock rotation system, the sort used on Joel Salatin's Polyface Farm, made famous in Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma. Cows and sheep graze in small, fenced sections of the farm each day. Like people, cows and sheep are picky eaters - when put in a pasture, they'll overgraze some grasses and under graze others. Over time, this leads to poorer grass quality and less total forage. Small-scale rotational grazing allows us to manage both pasture growth and weed eradication, and maximizes the regrowth of forage prior to re-grazing. As an added bonus, rotational grazing incorporates manure as a natural pasture fertilizer and minimizes erosion through the development of nice, thick root systems.

Being grass-fed, the cattle at Glasbern Farm are leaner, with better tasting and more nutritious beef. The sheep are springier and healthier, with better tasting meat. Tramping up and down the hills all day builds great muscle! But again -- we'll let you be the judge.

Pennsylvania has a rich history of farming, and Glasbern is proud to share in this great tradition. When you stay with us we invite you to visit our neighbors the Rodale Institute, just a few miles down the road, one of the pioneers of the worldwide organic farming movement.