To young Walter Baum, growing up in Sellersville at the turn of the 19th century, "the grounds of the Washington House appeared ...as a place packed with dream-stuff." It was on these grounds that visitors from far-away places gathered; horses and carriages of all types came and went and the sights and sounds of the nearby wheelwright shop, huge cattle pen and blacksmith shop were enough to capture the imaginations of every youngster in town. In 1894, Baum witnessed what many considered to be a high point in the development of the town, the construction of a new livery stable. Baum remembered:

"The building of a new stable at the Washington House was an unprecedented event ...Nowhere in neighboring towns could anyone boast of such a modern stable!"

For many years the hotel and stable, whose design was "marveled at by the elders," served as the hub of the community. As time passed, people and transportation changed, but the imposing brick and stone structure remained, serving as a storage garage for automobiles and food delivery trucks. In 1950, the building took on a new life when Mr. Bernard Haines bought and converted it into the "Selvil Theater." While renovating, he had the exterior brick walls plastered and painted. Today you can still see the outlines of the original stone arches showing through the plaster at the ground level.

In 1970, a seven-alarm fire destroyed the roof and interior of the building. Rescued by new owners, Joan and Robert Ianetta in 1972, the theater was rebuilt and renamed "Cinema 1894", after the discovery of the original cornerstone during renovations. (This stone is seen today directly below the ticket window.) The theater was later purchased by Pat and David Maclay, who personally handled the day-to-day operation of the business for almost thirty years.

In July of 2001, William Quigley and Elayne Brick, owners of the nearby Washington House Restaurant, acquired the property. Their goal was to create a home for arts and entertainment, bringing music, laughter and new vitality to the town of Sellersville. Following much research, design work and planning, major renovations began in May of 2002. ' The new Sellersville Theater opened its doors to the community in the fall of 2002 and once again became "a never-ending source of entertainment" for our town.