Since 1961, Harvest Moon Lanes has been more than just a place to bowl or grab a bite to eat. Located at 7521 U.S. Route 220 in Linden, it has been a community hub where bowlers laugh, chat and, sometimes, cheer. Now that the bowling lanes are up for sale, Bill Miller hopes the future buyer will not convert the lanes into something else.

“People [might] quit bowling because they won’t want to travel,” said Bill, who is one of the Miller family members, who have run the business since 1974.

Bill pointed out the majority of the lane’s bowlers come from Jersey Shore. Should the Harvest Moon be shuttered, bowlers would be forced to travel to Williamsport or Lock Haven to play their beloved sport.

When the bowling alley went up for sale in November, the family decided to continue operations in the lanes and lounge. That’s when Debra Miller started getting a lot of questions from regulars.

“People keep asking, ‘What are we going to do? Who is going to wait on us? Who is going to cook for us?'” said Debra, who has managed the lounge for the past 25 years.

If you ask any one of the four family members who now operate the lanes why they are selling, their answer is the same. Debra, Bill, Dave Miller and Peggy Miller would like to retire.

“Forty-nine years is long enough. It’s time. I will miss the people after we have been with them for so long,” said Bill.

One of those memorable people is Dale Gerhard, who bowled a 900 series during a league night in 2016. That night thrust Gerhard into the annals of bowling history, making him the 29th person in the United States to bowl three perfect games.

“It’s a dream that everybody dreams about when they start bowling and chances of doing it are slim to none,” Gerhard told the Williamsport Sun-Gazette at the time.

His history-making turn also thrust the Harvest Moon into the national spotlight.

According to Dave, “People from all over the United States reached out when they saw the [story] on national news. Everybody was excited. When he threw his last ball, everyone was videoing it because it isn’t something you see everyday.”

Only 10 other American bowlers have managed to achieve the 900 series goal, since Gerhard did. To this day, Gerhard’s achievement is celebrated with a framed article from the Williamsport Sun-Gazette proudly hung on a wall.

For the Millers, the bowling alley is a big piece of their family’s legacy. In 1974, Vance and Evelyn Miller of Williamsport purchased the business. Later, their four children began running the business and continue to do so now seven nights a week in the winter and fall months.

“It closes from May to September because nobody bowls in the summer. It really is a winter activity,” said Debra.

The 16 lanes and bar comprise over 19,000 square feet on 2.5 acres of land and is listed by Fish Real Estate for $1.5 million.

For the Millers, retirement may be a necessity but walking away from the people who breathed life into their business won’t be easy.

“There are bowlers that have been coming for as long as we have been open,” she said.

Bill added, “They are like family.”