When fire reduced Lower Macungie Township’s historic Buckeye Tavern to rubble in May, owner Terry Bender vowed to rebuild.

“I’m all about the history,” he said at the time. “You’ve got to keep the history.”

Now, though, the 4,900-square-foot property at 3741 Brookside Road is listed for sale at $549,000, with a liquor license available but not included in the asking price.

Bender, who also owns the Alburtis Tavern and Lodge, could not be reached for comment on why he decided to sell instead of rebuild.

Township manager Bruce Fosselman said there had been rumors about the property but no concrete information. No plans of any kind have been filed with the township.

“We’re just waiting to see who might be interested,” he said.

The news about the sale is bound to disappoint a lot of regulars who were looking forward to a quick return of the cozy tavern with its broad menu and convivial atmosphere.

The fire began around 7:30 p.m. May 12 near several commercial freezers at the rear of the building. Employees ushered patrons out of the building, and no one was hurt as the fire raced through the structure, exacerbated by brisk winds.

All that was left of the building were charred stone walls, some burned wooden framing and a pile of rubble.

State police on Wednesday said a report on the cause of the fire would available in about a week.

A GoFundMe campaign started by a friend of Bender’s daughter raised nearly $2,000 for the Bender family, but the fate of that money is unclear. The last donation was made about five months ago.

The building was constructed in 1735, according to the tavern’s website, and became a local eatery in 1768.

A display at the tavern showed a “chain of title” for the property once known as the East Macungie Hotel and later as The Load of Mischief.

It indicates the property dated to June 1768 and the first owner was Martin Speigle. It changed hands nearly two dozen times over the centuries. The Benders bought it in 2008.

According to research done by the Lower Macungie and Macungie historical societies, the tavern might have been one of the places where local tax protesters met to discuss grievances during the Fries Rebellion of 1798-99, also known as the Hot Water Rebellion.

The Macungie Historical Society says the area became a hotbed of opposition to the government’s “direct tax” on property, houses and slaves. Protests led to violent resistance. Folklore indicates that a local woman was the first to pour boiling water on federal appraisers.