In the  days following the American Revolution, a settlement existed at the edge of present-day Ambler.  Called Gilkey's Corner, the name came from the tavern of Andrew Gilkeson on the northeast corner of two major turnpikes, the Great Road to Bethlehem, today called Bethlehem Pike, and the bisecting Butler Turnpike. The location was considered ideal, with no one doubting that here one day would be a thriving metropolis.

Descended from a family of Scottish origin, and born about 1750, Andrew Gilkeson had arrived here in Upper Dublin Township as a young man.  By 1790, he had acquired much wealth, including a large plantation north and northeast of this important crossroads.   His holdings, along Bethlehem Pike, reached as far north as Hagues' Mill Road   It was about 1800 that he purchased additional land at this busy crossroads where a small public house is said to have existed since pre-Revolutionary days.  It is believed that Gilkeson was licensed to run a tavern in Upper Dublin as early as 1778.

By 1803 he had erected a larger, more substantial stone building to accommodate the increasing numbers of travelers, mainly farmers.  They were using the Great Road to transport goods from the lush farmlands of Lehigh County into Philadelphia.  The round-trip journey of at least two days made it necessary to have numerous stop-over taverns and inns along the way to accommodate the traveler. Here he could water his horses or even exchange them, besides stopping for nourishment of both man and beast, and a night's rest before continuing the long and arduous journey into the City.

Andrew's public place, Gilkeson's Tavern, while caring for the needs of the traveler, was an important part of the local community.  Not only a place to imbibe, it was here that the latest news and gossip were exchanged.   The Norristown Herald and Weekly Advertiser of December 5th, 1800, advised its readers that the tax collector would be "at the establishment of Andrew Gilkeson in Upper Dublin to collect taxes on land, dwelling houses, and slaves".  It was here also that local residents voted. Before establishment of the Postal System, it was customary for locals to approach a traveler with a request to hand-deliver a letter to a person living along the route to Philadelphia. Taking its name from the Tavern, the crossroads soon became known as Gilkeson's Corner, or simply "Gilkey's Corner."

Travel on the Great Road decreased with the establishment of North Pennsylvania Railroad's line from Philadelphia to Gwynedd in 1855. Located less than a mile from "Gilkey's", one of the stations was called "Wissahickon" and around this depot the Village of Wissahickon developed.  Prior to this, the area had no name, being simply a part of the western sector of Upper Dublin Township.

The railroad's arrival allowed for faster movement of food supplies into the City, in particular dairy products.  The Village of Wissahickon, long the site of water-powered mills and farmlands, did not develop as expected until the 1880's when the Industrial Revolution brought the Keasbey & Mattison Chemical Works to the Village, now called Ambler. Until this time, Gilkey's Corner remained a viable location.

Andrew Gilkeson, the first of several Andrews, died on Friday evening August 1st of 1814, in his 63rd year, leaving a widow, five sons and four daughters. As was the custom then, local carpenter George Dunnet was brought in to measure the body for a custom-made pine coffin, built roughly to conform to the body's shape.  For this service Dunnet received $10.00.  Without delay, the body was borne to the cemetery at St. Thomas' Church in Whitemarsh, for burial on Sunday August 3rd of 1814.   Records show that the grave was dug by local laborer Christopher Loeser for the sum of $2.50.   Loeser, born in 1743, was a Veteran of the Revolutionary War and is also buried at St. Thomas'.

Andrew Gilkeson's death in 1814 left a widow and nine children,  the estate shared mainly by the five sons. Eldest son James fell heir to the 50 acre plantation on which he was living, while Elias received his father's "riding horse, saddle and bridle".  Young Andrew inherited his desk.  Son Samuel became owner of the Tavern, and his father's "waggon and  all its gears thereto pertaining."  Youngest son, Joseph, received Andrew's silver watch, the widow, Edith Gilkeson, and their four daughters were less fortunate, receiving only small amounts of cash and dowries.   The will directed that each of his "unmarried daughters, Esther and Harriet shall receive Three Hundred dollars, and  each shall have a trunk and all the property therein,  and each of them a feather bed, bedstead, and all the furniture sufficient to make each of them a good bed." 

Dr. John Jones of Three Tuns was paid a mere $4.25 for medical attendance, while Dr. George Martin received $56.50 for his services. Martin, of Whitpain Township, later moved to Whitemarsh when his family became owners of the Sandy  Run Tavern, now known as the Clifton House, home of the Historical Society of Fort Washington. 

Samuel Gilkeson operated the tavern until his death about 1847, while his brother James Gilkeson kept the store on the corner across Butler Pike from the tavern.  Not long after, the properties were no longer held by any member of the Gilkeson family, with Jonathan Lukens becoming the new owner.  The license to dispense spirits had years before been given up, signaling the end of the era of a public house at this corner in Upper Dublin.  The building's new role was that of a general store to serve the Upper Dublin community. 

Following a series of Sheriff sales, the property was purchased by David Dunnet in 1871. He operated the general store successfully for a number of years in the Bethlehem Pike side of the old Tavern building. The Upper Dublin Business Directory of 1871 tells us that he was a "dealer in  Dry Goods, Groceries, Hardware, Drugs, Paints, Oils, Boots, Shoes, & c." and that he could  be found at Gilkeson's Corner. Dunnet who had purchased the property from Jonathan Lukens was the son of carpenter George Dunnet who had fashioned the pine coffin for Andrew Gilkeson's burial in 1814 at St. Thomas' Cemetery.    

Succeeding years, marked by Sheriff sales, saw many owners, until 1894 when the building and seven acres were sold to Edward H. Johnson, Sr., for $3,000. He apparently did not operate the general store himself, but leased that part of the building to various operators, including Robert McIlroy in the early 1900's. During this period, the old "Gilkey's Corner" crossroads became known as "Rose Valley". 

In 1912, during Johnson's ownership, an old stone barn behind the tavern was razed,  disclosing a chiseled stone bearing the date 1803 and Andrew Gilkeson's name.  Hand-hewn oak timbers, with oak pins, as well as wrought iron hardware, nails and spikes, were retrieved and used in the erection of a double tenant house adjoining the store and fronting the turnpike, the houses having eight rooms each. Further information is unavailable. 

In 1921 John H. Martin purchased the property from Edward H. Johnson, Sr., adding  the one-story structure along the Butler Pike side. operating it as a Tea Room.  This addition has continued as the location of a food establishment to the present time. 

Martin sold the property in 1924 to John Stout, who just five years later sold it to George Porter.  A major change came in 1946 when Charles Sandilos purchased the property from Porter.   Born in Greece, he came to America in 1905, living in Scranton until 1933. The family then moved to Ambler, purchasing the popular eating place on Main Street, known as Nick's Lunch, famous for its Texas Wieners and the "secret" onion topping. Moving to the new location, now called Rose Valley Delicatessen, Sandilos installed the grill, enlarged the sandwich menu, and became the County's second largest retailer of Breyer's Ice Cream.