New owner vows to preserve period appeal of Bedford County's Lincoln Motor Court

A Bedford County native is the new proprietor and steward of a historic landmark along the Lincoln Highway.

Lucas Steinbrunner, 41, said the Lincoln Motor Court, which has been in business along Route 30 in Napier Township since 1940, is a perfect fit for him.

“I’ve always liked older things,” he said. “I drive an old car, and I grew up with a grandfather who would take me to antique shops.”

The previous owners, Bob and Debbie Altizer, preserved the 1940s appearance of the court’s dozen small cottages, which are arranged in a horseshoe shape. Steinbrunner said he intends to keep that period look while making some needed updates.

He said the exteriors of the cottages, which are covered in insulbrick, will remain the same. But, he plans to add gutters and downspouts while replacing ceilings that are in poor shape and updating some bathrooms.

Four of the cottages will be closed temporarily while the work is underway.

Steinbrunner intends to build a pavilion in a field behind the cottages.

“I want to be able to have outdoor events,” he said. “That will open a whole new avenue of income for me.”

When Steinbrunner previously worked as manager at Indian Lake, a private lake farther west off Route 30, he said, “I would drive by the Lincoln Motor Court twice a day, on my way to and from work, without thinking about it. I didn’t realize what an historical gem it was.”

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Recognized as the last surviving business of its type along the coast-to-coast Lincoln Highway, the court has a small house at its core.

That’s where the Altizers raised two daughters and lived for 39 years, until their recent retirement. A single dad of four teens, Steinbrunner is renovating the house before he moves there from his current home in Bedford.

“It’s a massive downsizing,” he acknowledged.

While it’s about time for his eldest son, Thomas, 19, to fly the coop, Steinbrunner intends to share the central court dwelling with his youngest child, Daniel, 13. Daughters Leah, 16, and Greta, 18, will get their pick of the cottages to call home.

The court came with two resident female cats that Steinbrunner feeds, though they aren’t exactly pets.

“They’re the best mousers,” he said.

Steinbrunner had noted about a year ago that the Lincoln Motor Court was for sale.

“I thought it was neat, but I wasn’t in a position to purchase it,” he said.

That changed when he decided to sell his tree service business.

“It was a good business,” he said, “but I wanted to quit while I was ahead. It’s a dangerous job.”

The Altizers handed the keys to their successor July 5, they said, “after a year and a half and many people ‘interested’ in the property. The superb part is the new owner will continue to run it for what it is — the last remaining motor court on the Lincoln Highway for overnight guests.”

Steinbrunner is planning an open house Aug. 6, mainly targeting people who live in the area surrounding the motor court.

“It’s about letting them know that this is one of the last ones of its kind, and we have it right here in our backyard,” he said.