Five Years Ago: Lans-Bowl Burns

Even with weeds sticking up through the concrete where it once stood, it's hard to believe it's been five years.

In the early morning hours of March 14, 2007, not long after its 3:00 a.m. closing, a fire that started in the bar & grill area of the Lans-Bowl bowling alley ripped through the entire building and destroyed a Lansdale landmark that had endured since the eve of World War II. The blaze burned through the morning and was still being doused by firefighters that afternoon.

My mother-in-law, who lives in Colmar, still proudly displays a raft of trophies she won during league play in the 1970s and 80s. Many other area residents have fond memories of Lans-Bowl.