#4826 - Cole's Tavern, Pine Township, PA - 10/4/2022

Cole's Tavern, Pine Township (Wexford), PA

Cole's Tavern is well over a century old and the only casual neighborhood bar I can recall preserving the pre-prohibition standard of having no barstools at the bar. Maybe you don't have a spittoon or mustache rag at the ready, but if you want to hang at the bar you can do so standing like the old saloon days. The menu is fairly old school bar food - sandwiches, burgers, wings and various fried foods. The bar has been in the same family since 1902 and contains several great old photos and artifacts to illustrate some of that long history. It's a great stop for anyone who loves historical bars or just charming small town businesses.

Cole's Tavern, Pine Township (Wexford), PA

The following is a historical article that was posted as a screencap on the tavern's Facebook page. I am not sure of the author (possibly a Mark Biswick?), but it seems pretty well established.

"In 1901, John Benjamin (J.B.) Cole purchased Cole's Hotel and he and his wife, Matilda, moved in on Feb. 2, 1902, their wedding day. Formerly known as the Wexford Hotel, which was built in the 1870s and owned by Ignatius Booker, it served as lodging for those hauling produce and other items, with the livery bar housing horses and wagons. It continued to operate in that capacity after J.B. purchased it. Cole's was a place for travelers to get dinner, have a few drinks in the tavern, rent a room for the night, enjoy breakfast and then continue the journey.

The bar was originally where the Cole's Tavern kitchen is now located. The addition, which is now the current bar, was added in the late 1930s. J.B. and Matilda had six children: Edward, Charles, James, Herman, Elizabeth and Joseph. All of them worked at the tavern, the farm, tending livestock or butchering for most their lives. Cole's has been run in seamless transition for three generations, currently owned by J.B. and Matilda's grandchildren, Dolores Voll and Thomas Cole.

In 1947, Elizabeth woke up in the middle of the night to the smell of smoke. As it turned out, a fire had engulfed the top of the building. Fortunately, the Wexford Volunteer Fire Station, which J.B. helped start as one of its founding members, was right next door and the fire was quickly put out, although the roof and top floors were severely damaged. Family and friends came together to rebuild the roof, giving Cole's its unique roofline. While it was never proven, there was a strike with union beer workers at that time and J.B. started buying beer from a different brewery, which many believe caused the building to be firebombed.

One of the unique aspects of Cole's Tavern is the absence of barstools. Over the years, some frequenters of the establishment mentioned to the proprietors that stools should be brought in like some newer taverns. As the story goes, Joseph was there one night when a patron was inquiring about it. Joe's response was that when you can no longer stand, you've probably had enough to drink.

To sell liquor, establishments have long needed a license. Cole's Tavern had a liquor license that was specific for hotels. However, as the years rolled on and eventually, the hotel no longer rented rooms, officials would stop by from time to time to conduct surprise inspections. This meant the Cole family had to be sure they could show a minimum of five rooms ready for rent or face fines and possible suspension of the liquor license. Sometimes this meant stalling the inspectors while family members rushed upstairs to make sure five rooms were cleaned and deemed rentable. Finally, only a few decades ago, Dolores officially had the license changed so that the bar no longer needed to have rooms available.

Located out in front of the bar is one of the most iconic features of Cole's, the original water pump and horse trough. Patrons would stop by to water and tether their horses when traveling along the Perrysville-Zelienople Plank Road, often stopping inside for a few drinks. While the pump is no longer operational, it harkens back to the earliest days of the establishment and serves as a reminder of the lifestyle of the region from more than a century ago."

161 Church Rd, Wexford, PA 15090 - (724) 935-2000
Est. 1902 - Building constructed: 1876?
Previous bars in this location: Hotel Wexford 
Web site: facebook 
Reviews: pittsburghmagazine - yelp - tripadvisor 

#5931 - Saisaki Asian Fusion, Frederick, MD - 10/5/2024

Saisaki Asion Fusion, Frederick, MD
Historic location of Hagan's Tavern

As the name says this is an Asian fusion (mostly Japanese and Thai) restaurant/bar with hibachi style cooking by May Talabkaew and family, who ran the Yatai Hibachi food truck in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia for a few years before this. The food was quite good and the owners and staff were great. So while I would not hesitate to recommend it for those reasons, I must admit that my primary interest in the place was the old historic tavern building where it opened in 2024.

The structure, along the old National Road, was built in the late 18th century - many references say in 1875, but I tend to put most faith in the architectural survey created for the Maryland Historical Trust, which says perhaps as early as 1790, likely already a tavern at that time, and purchased by John Hagan in 1830.  It remained in the Hagan family for many years, and while it would serve under several different names over the decades, it was actually renamed Hagan Tavern as recently as 2009. It was informally known for many of these years as the "Old White House."

For a few details I'll turn to the real estate listing and again to the architectural survey. Standard caveats apply to claims of hosting George Washington et. al., though the location and historical description would seem to make it a good candidate.

From a real estate brochure:

"The main structure was built around 1785 to serve as a public house for travelers on the Olde National Pike, which at the time was the main thoroughfare between Baltimore and Cumberland and the gateway to the western frontier. Hagan’s was one of many taverns on the pike, but kept a reputation for having the best food, thereby attracting gentry as well as drovers.

Hagans’ guest list has included George Washington, John C. Calhoun, Andrew Johnson as well as Henry Clay. Through the years, Hagan’s Tavern has served varied roles: private home, resort, restaurant, tavern, inn, and — for a period in the 1930’s — a speakeasy. Hagan’s Tavern has also served as headquarters for soldiers and officers from both armies during the Civil War.

Original wall murals adorn the walls of some of the dining areas which depict glimpses of the styles of Moses Eaton and Rufus Porter, as well as the Zuber School of 18th century wall covering. Created by

local artist Virginia Jacobs McLaughlin, this unique display of artwork is only one of the many details of Hagan’s Tavern that creates a romantic atmosphere for its guests."

From an architectural survey for the Maryland Historical Trust:

"It was built possibly as early as 1790, pre-dating the National Road built through the area in about 1807. It was purchased about 1830 by John Hagan, who was the proprietor of the tavern through much of the mid and late 19th century. During the early 20th century, it continued to serve as a restaurant and bar with a rather notorious reputation for rough clientele. later in the 20th century, the building was an antique shop."

"The tavern has field stone walls which were covered with stucco during much of the 19th and early 20th centuries and painted white, a typical technique of drawing travelers' attention to inns, taverns, and toll houses along the National Road."

"The house may have been built as early as 1790 and is thought to have been a tavern operated by James Nixdorf. Architectural features of the tavern suggest conflicts with documentary evidence and oral tradition regarding dates, leaving open the possibility of construction between 1820-1830. By the 1830's, it was owned by John Hagan. His father Peter Hagan was described in Searight's 'The Old Pike: A History of the National Road (1894) as having a log tavern on the south side of the Pike near the stone Wilding's location which was famed among wagoners on the road.

The current owner of Hagan's Tavern [property], Mr. Mark McConnell, believes that the stone house may have operated concurrently with the log structure, eventually superceding it altogether. Research by Ann Lelilerz in the Frederick County Historical Society revealed that the tavern was still a well-known drinking place during the Civil War and was "patronized" by both Confederate and Union troops in their passages through Frederick County. With the advent of the automobile, the tavern continued to operate and had a notorious reputation during the early 20th century for its rough clientele. Memories of its use during the 1920's and early 1930's suggest it was known as a speakeasy as well as a legitimate restaurant. I.ater, it was used as an antique store. Mr. McConnell has information regarding several outbuildings which no longer exist, including stables, a summer kitchen, and a bank barn.'

5018 Old National Pike, Frederick, MD 21702 - (240) 490-8007
Est. 2024 - Building constructed: 1790?
Previous bars in this location: Nixdorf's Tavern, Hagan's Tavern, Silver Maple Inn
Web site: saisakifrederick.com - facebook - facebook (hagans) 
Articles & Reviews: yelp - fredericknewspost - mountolivethistory (Hagan family history) 

Historical Note: West Overton Village and Old Overholt Whiskey

West Overton Village Museum, Pennsylvania

Yesterday we visited the museum at West Overton Village in East Huntingdon Township, some 40 miles southeast of Pittsburgh. The museum is housed in the old distillery and mill house of Old Overholt Whiskey, the oldest continual whiskey brand in the country. The distillery was established in 1810 when Abraham Overholt took over his father Henry's farm and converted his distilling operation into a major commercial business. 

We had been to the village a couple times before, and visited the new distillery on the premises, but this is the first time we'd been able to tour the museum now in the distillery building erected in 1859. The museum includes the Sam Komlenic Gallery, which is said to comprise "the largest publicly accessible collection of artifacts related to Pennsylvania's rich history of whiskey distilling," including some 270+ whiskey bottles dating from the late 19th to mid 20th centuries. (westovertonvillage.org) 

West Overton Village Distillery

The property, then extending over 263 acres, was acquired by Henry Overholt in 1903, and like most Pennsylvania farms of the time began to distill whiskey. When Abraham took over he "developed the family farm into an industrial enterprise centered around whiskey production," expanding the farm "into a village that included the 1838 Overholt Homestead, the 1859 combined distillery and gristmill, several brick barns, a cooperage, shops, worker housing, and numerous outbuildings." For the next 100+ years, up until federal prohibition took effect in 1920, "the Overholts maintained the tradition of distilling Monongahela rye, considered the quintessential American whiskey." (ibid) 

Starting in 1881, the operation was owned and run by Abraham's grandson Henry Clay Frick. In that same year Frick, who had been born in the village and already become wealthy from his coke coal operation, was introduced to Andrew Carnegie, and in the same year would merge his operation with Carnegie Steel and become its chairman. It was in this capacity that Frick would in 1892 precipitate the "Homestead Massacre," by loading up barges on the Ohio River with 300 Pinkerton agents, with the goal of opening the Homestead plant for non-union workers, forcing their way past the striking workers, their families, and other townspeople determined to keep the plant closed until ownership reached a bargaining agreement with their union. The resulting conflict and exchange of gunfire left 10 to 16 steelworkers and Pinkerton agents dead, and eventually the American labor movement significantly weakened. (wikipedia) 

For the highly wealthy Frick, the distillery "was a sentimental side-business," to which he added partners Andrew Mellon and Charles W. Mauck. In 1888, the product, originally labeled "Pure Rye Old Farm Whiskey," was officially named "Old Overholt," in homage to Abraham, and by 1900 was a national brand. When Frick died in 1919, with prohibition pending, this ended the Overholt/Frick family's involvement, as well as operations at the village. For the production of "medicinal" whiskey during prohibition and resuming regular production post prohibition, the company used only their newer location in Broad Ford, PA. The company would be sold to various interests over the following decades, most notably to Jim Beam in 1997. (wikipedia)

The whiskey would change its mash bill and decline in quality and reputation over the next 20 years. But happily, beginning in 2017, new versions of the product would revive its reputation with serious whiskey fans and the craft cocktail world. For a good description of this I quote from an article by Eric Zandona on his EZdrinking blog:

"... Beam decided to move production of Old Overholt from Pennsylvania to Kentucky, changed the mash bill to the minimum 51% rye and drop the bottling strength to 80 proof. 

For about 27 years Old Overholt sat as bottom shelf whiskey overshowed by other more popular whiskeys in the Beam portfolio....  but in 2017, the now Beam Suntory began to get label approval for several new Old Overholt expressions. For the first time in about 30 years, Beam Suntory re-released a bonded version of Old Overholt which cause quite a buzz among whiskey writes and bartenders. And, two years later in 2019, Beam Suntory increased the standard bottling strength from 40% to 43% ABV. From then on there has been a steady release of new Old Overholt expressions which has helped to revitalize the brand from its bottom shelf ignominy to a brand that is once again well respected and sought after by American whiskey fans. It has been exciting to see Beam Suntory put some money and effort into supporting this historic brand by creating new and interesting offerings such as the return of the 4-year age statement on the standard bottle, the 11 Year Old Cask Strength, and the A. Overholt Straight Rye made with a traditional Pennsylvania rye whiskey mash bill. Hopefully this trend will continue and who knows what we will see in the future for this more than 200-year-old brand."

Bourbon Culture adds "Things changed yet again in 2023 when Beam rolled out with a cask strength, 10-year-old Old Overholt. Then came the news that this would be an annual review where the age should continue to increase."

Finally, while the village no longer owned the Old Overholt name, in 2020 it opened a new distillery on the premises, producing its own set of rye whiskeys under the West Overton Distilling name, as well as collaborating annually with other distilleries such as Stoll & Wolfe and Dad's Hat on blends. These and a small set of rotating cocktails are available in a remodeled 19th century barn across the road from the old residence. 

West Overton Village circa 1867
homestead, spring house, and distillery/grist mill buildings still intact today

Links: westovertonvillage.org - karensbranches - EZdrinking - thebourbonculture

wikipedia: West Overton - Homestead Strike - Henry Clay Frick 

See all Historical Notes 

#6593 - Rock Rest Lodge, Golden, CO - 6/10/2026

Rock Rest Lodge, Golden, CO

Here's a brief history from the bar's web site:

"Although records are unclear, local folklore holds that the front section of the Rock Rest was erected around 1885 as a trading post and stagecoach stop.  Originally called the “Rock House Rest” on old mining maps, by the time of the 1890’s census, the name had been shortened to simply “Rock Rest”. 

As nearby Camp George West expanded, so too did the Rock Rest.  The lodge, ballroom and “private” brothel areas were built around 1907 by then owner and local legend Len “Stump Puller” Johnson.  After Johnson retired back to Sweden, the Lodge was sold to a shady character by the name of JimboThraken.  Extending the brothel and gambling receipts were Thraken’s first order of business.  Soon the Rock Rest became the Ad Hoc officers club for the nearby camp.  In 1923 Thraken was killed in a barroom brawl and the Rock Rest went through a series of owners and into decline. 

Rock Rest Lodge, Golden, CO

During the Great Depression the Rock Rest was brought back to greatness by the famous fiddle playing band leader George Morrison.  Morrison and his Rigadooners were the toast of the town until the Klu Klux Klan threatened to blow up the Rock Rest and kill the African-American and Catholic band leader. 

The Rock Rest then came under the ownership of Max Heeley, a local Heavyweight boxer.  According to newspaper accounts of the time, Heeley’s Bull terrier “Dempsey” wandered into the cavern beneath the Rock Rest.  The distraught Heeley followed the pup in, and neither was seen again.  Since then, the cavern has been sealed for safety concerns.  On especially windy nights, it is said one can still hear old Dempsey howling!"

16005 Mt Vernon Rd, Golden, CO 80401 - (303) 216-2895

Est. c.1885 - Building constructed: c.1885/1907
Previous bars in this location: None known 
Web site: rockrestlodge.com - facebook - instagram 
Articles: onlyinyourstate - denverite (severed foot) - yelp - tripadvisor 

#6518 - Beck-Ringland Tavern, North Bethlehem Township, PA - 4/11/2026

Beck-Ringland Tavern, Scenery Hill, PA

Update: The Beck-Ringland Tavern closed June 27, 2026.

In 1811, following an act under President Jefferson, the country started what became the National Road, starting in Cumberland Maryland, reaching Wheeling, West Virginia in August of 1818, with subsequent legislation eventually extending it through Ohio and Indiana to Vandalia, Illinois, some 70 miles east of St. Louis. The road replaced footpaths and wagon trails with a 66-foot wide "stone-surfaced, cambered roadway, masonry bridges, culverts and cast-iron mileposts that set standards for antebellum turnpikes." (Wikipedia) 

Of course privately and locally funded services followed along the highway's 620-mile path, with the most essential of all these being taverns, established approximately one every mile, where weary passengers of Conestoga wagons and stage coaches could rest and refresh, along with their horses and livestock. And as was the norm in colonial and early independent America, these taverns often became important community hubs, centers of politics, legal proceedings, trade, and sometimes armed rebellions.

Beck-Ringland Tavern, Scenery Hill, PA

Among these, in the community of Hillsboro, PA, later Scenery Hill, was a tavern erected and opened by bridge builder James Beck in 1827. The building was two stories, primarily brick, constructed in the rectangular Federal style, "like all National Road taverns" (NRHP), facing and directly adjacent to the National Road. There it offered travelers "lodging, meals at around 12.5 cents each, and stabling for horses in spacious yards typical of roadside inns." (grokipedia)

Beck ran it for only approximately one year, before selling to George Ringland, who would run it until 1840. From that point, a series of owners, many documented by Thomas Searight, ran the business to approximately the end of the century, as the mode of use evolved. 'In a nutshell, The National Road began transporting first wagons and then stagecoaches in the early-to-mid 1800s, and then took a pause when trains became popular, and then enjoyed a revival once the automobile became a thing, in the early 1900s.... the rise of the automobile restored it, and by 1926, most of the original National Road and its extensions were renamed “US Route 40."' (Cole) 

Beck-Ringland Tavern, Scenery Hill, PA 

It transitioned to a private residence probably sometime around the turn of the century, and by the next turn of century had fallen into considerable disrepair. Despite being designated a historic residential landmark and farmstead by the Washington County History & Landmarks Foundation, and being named to the National Register of Historic Places, by the early 21st century not only was the front porch rotting, walls crumbling and roof blown off, but it was threatened to be condemned with the crumbling central brick chimney presenting an ongoing health hazard by randomly sending bricks flying onto the street below.

It was to the great fortune of the place that an ambitious, history-minded local had had his eyes on the place since the 1990s, and was informed by a friend a couple decades later that "Your building is for sale."  Brian and Kathy Allen had not only taken on the prodigious challenge of restoring the old tavern, but would soon find another project as well, having spotted a 200-year-old cabin under multiple layers of subsequent siding and deciding to move it away from the busy highway to his 28-acre farm in Scenery Hill:

'The former field biologist is dissecting the cabin, log by log, and is determined to give it new life on his expanse in North Bethlehem Township. Allen plans to move all of the wood to his property within a month before beginning the rebuild, near a forested area on his land. “I want birds and deer at my front porch, not tanker trucks,” Allen said.'  (Observer-Reporter)

Brian was described as "a hydroponic farmer and much more. He also works with the Greater Washington County Food Bank, and is a baker of bread and cookies, daytime overseer of the kids and a renovator of buildings." (Observer-Reporter). He and Kathy swung a deal in 2014 to take over the old tavern and the hardware store next door. A while many special services needed to be hired during the project, the bulk of the work was done by Allen himself, with help from friends and his "team," of three young sons. Scrolling through tavern's Facebook site history provides some of the details of the immense project that would eventually result in the tavern opening in October of 2023.

The tavern grounds have seen considerable use as a sort of events center through several years preceding the completion of and official tavern opening. Prominently among these, at least for the historically minded, is probably becoming a key stop in the annual National Road Pike Days Festival. The stage and patio out back would seem to provide an especially appealing setting for these arts, musical, and historical events, in addition to the beautifully restored and redecorated rooms inside. He's also creating an even larger venue in the old hardware store next door, now Scenery Hill Brewing.

Beck-Ringland Tavern, Scenery Hill, PA
Owner Brian Allen

Of course due to its historical significance, the tavern was among the highest priorities in my bar to-do list from the moment I learned of it. But frankly I had no idea how great the interior looks now, as you can see from the photos much better than I could ever describe them. On my visit I was lucky enough to catch Brian, who was kind enough to fill in some of the stories and history of the tavern and its restoration. One anecdote I recall was workers finding under some old floorboards an old leather child's shoe between two cat skulls. Brian explained that through early European traditions and into the 1800s in the U.S., these shoes and cat remnants were buried in the walls and floors to ward off evil spirits and bring good fortune to the premises.

Mostly just seeing the place, but also talking to Brian and the bartender that day gave me a number of reasons to be coming back. Of course I need to bring Trista to see it, and it would be fun to swing through during the National Road Festival. In addition, I want to be seated by the fire on a cold winter day, and on the patio with music playing on a warm summer evening. In addition to seeing some of their live music on Saturdays, I'd like to drop in on their Open Mic night on Thursdays, and at some point sample the dinners coming out of their Beck-Ringland Tavern Scratch Kitchen.

Standard hours for the tavern are Thursdays and Fridays 4-10pm and Saturdays 2-10. Highly recommend.

'Sufficient is it for the present subject that the Cumberland Road was the most important "stream of human history" from Atlantic tide-water to the headwaters of the streams of the Mississippi. Its old taverns are, after the remnants of the historic roadbed and ponderous bridges, the most interesting "shells and fossils" cast up by this stream. This old route, chosen first by the buffalo and followed by red men and white men, will ever be the course of travel across the mountains." - Archer Butler Hubert, Historic Highways of America, Vol. 10

2206 E National Pike, Scenery Hill, PA 15360
Est. Oct 20, 2023 (1827 as a tavern) - Building constructed: 1827
Previous bar owners in this location: George Beck 1827, James Ringland (1828-1840), David Railly (1840-), James Noble, John Taylor, Henry Taylor, Jesse Core, William Robinson

Web sites: beckringlandtavern.com - Facebook - Instagram 
Articles: grokipedia - National Register of Historic Places - observer-reporter - observer-reporter - yelp - roadtrippers 

#6494 - Presto Hotel, Collier Township, PA - 3/24/2026

Presto Hotel, Presto, Pennsylvania

Recently a friend posted photos from inside an old hotel/bar not 7 miles from our house which I would have made a very high priority had I not the impression that it was permanently closed (a status that Yelp maintains to this day, which is perfectly fine with the owner, who is not casting out for a wider range of customers). The place was made all the more intriguing by the antique Brunswick bar in Lisa's photos! We made it out there Wednesday night, and had a long chat with the old hotel's interesting owner Linda.

Linda has run the bar and hotel since 2011, when her mother passed away. Her father Stanley A. Holeva Sr. and mother Dolores purchased the hotel in 1959, with Dolores running it by herself after Stanley passed in 1966. Linda is an artist and an actress, who goes way back with Michael Keaton, and who has herself played in a number of stage dramas (the bar includes a photo of her in the role of Honey Bruce, wife of the legendary comedian Lenny) and is perhaps best known for her television role as a member of the Farrell Clan in "Outsiders" from 2016 to 2017. 

Presto Hotel, Presto, PA

Linda's art also graces the bar inside and out, perhaps most strikingly in her version of a painting in a Tombstone Arizona saloon, which covers the central mirror of the Brunswick bar, with the mirror behind sporting a large crack from an errant beer bottle out of the hands of a drunken biker. But her touch also shows up in various paintings throughout the bar, from the bar walls to the bathrooms and even the exterior signs. But as far as my own interests go, some of her most striking work is the job she did in stripping and staining the antique Brunswick. This is a Brunswick model I've identified in a handful of other bars around the country, but never in a condition quite this nice. Linda said there is some oral history that the bar was acquired by Thomas Park, the original builder and owner of the bar, who had it shipped up from the borough of Carnegie.

Various sources have it that the Hotel was first constructed by Park in 1900, and the bar added a couple decades later.  Indeed, I have found Park's applications for liquor licenses for the place in the years from 1920 to 1923 (yes, Pennsylvania saloons kept being granted liquor licenses well into the first few years of federal prohibition, ostensibly to sell only "near beer," 2.5% alcohol or less (wink wink).

However, whatever the actual construction date of the current building, I also found records of liquor licenses for this location, under a string of different owners, from 1895 to 1929. The owner of the liquor license in 1929, a Victor Redinger, died Nov 6, 1920, and Thomas Park had possession of it by the first quarter of that year. I do not know if the information that Park constructed and ran the hotel from 1900 may be inaccurate, or perhaps he owned the hotel but leased the bar business for the first two decades? (And if the construction date is correct, some other building at the same address must have been  treating the tonsils of the miners and other thirsty locals.

I'm sure that I do not have to explain that I always feel a great deal of gratitude to people like Linda, who preserve and keep alive these great historic bars, particularly when they attend so much to the history and maintaining the spirit of the place, even as they add their own unique contributions. Linda strives to maintain the beer and shot spirit of the bar, and as mentioned, she does not regret that Yelp lists her as closed, as she prefers the locals and small number of people who discover the bar in other ways. We were happy to hear that we would be welcome back soon.

5224 Thoms Run Rd, Presto, PA 15142 - (412) 221-9970
Est. 1900? - Building constructed: 1900?
Previous bars in this location: Unknown
Web site:
Articles: link - link - link

#6502 - Chinatown Inn, Pittsburgh, PA - 3/31/2026

Chinatown Inn, Pittsburgh, PA

I finally made it to the Chinatown Inn, the last living vestige of Pittsburgh's Chinatown community, which thrived in this area of town particularly in the period of 1910 to 1940, until the construction of the Boulevard of the Allies and other urban renewal efforts drove out the vast major of residents and tore down many of the buildings.

While the restaurant has been on my to-do list since virtually the day we moved here, I confess that I only recently noticed that it has a small bar at the rear, and that this moved it up my priorities. I do not know how long they have had a bar, but the restaurant opened on Labor Day (Sep 2), 1946. It was founded by Tong Yee, who had worked the transcontinental railroad after immigrating from Taishan in the Guangdong province in the early 1900s, and has remained in the family ever since. In 1948, Tong handed management over to his son Soo Lim Yee, just returned from duty as a U.S. Army truck driver in WWII.  After 40 years at the helm, Soo Lim Yee passed ownership to his stepson Jonathan. In 1988, Soo Lim Yee passed ownership to his stepson Jonathan Yee and his wife Wei, who run it to this day.

At least one account says that "the building itself was constructed by Chinese immigrants in 1933," (nextpittsburgh), but whatever the case it was a center of the Chinese community for many years before that. A March 1930 Post-Gazette article describes the temple there at the time:

"We went there recently with Yee Lee, head man of the On Leongs, who led the way from low-lit Third Avenue up two flights of narrow stairs past the numbered doors of the officers' quarters.... The shrine is a fantastic niche, in the center of which is a painting of the deified General Kwow Kong, to whom joss-sticks are burned morning and night. There is an ornately carved teakwood altar holding beautiful vases of Canton, China, nameless doodads crowned with artificial flowers, and solid lead incense burners inlaid with colorful enamel. Peacock feathers, embroideries framed in ebony inlaid with mother-of-pearl and odd lamps complete the picture. Rococo chairs line the walls, under paintings by Chinese, Italian, and American artists."

And like so many businesses in Pittsburgh, it also served as a speakeasy during prohibition. E.g. on Nov 29 1930, federal agents raided the building and arrested Yee King Lai, the president of the temple of the On Leong tong, and seized a quantity of gum opium and 25 gallons of moonshine whiskey. For those who hear "tong" and think "gang," this was primarily a large association of Chinese Merchants and Businessmen. It is true that, as with the Italian and other communities, in the prohibition and depression eras Pittsburgh witnessed sometimes homicidal clashes between the On Leong tong and the Hip Sing tong. But by about the mid 30s it had become an organization more similar to the Chamber of Commerce.

Today the bar here at the Chinatown is small (4 seats) and plainly secondary, and the food menu remains unapologetically classic Americanized Chinese done well:

'Meat is never frozen. Every cut is done by hand. Soups start with chicken bones and simmer overnight.... Their egg foo young is still hand-poured and pan-fried to order, its crispy edges soaking up a house-made brown gravy. The chow fun features wide, silky rice noodles stir-fried with beef and bean sprouts in a smoking-hot wok. And the chop suey, a dish that is often dismissed as Americanized, is proudly prepared with fresh vegetables and lean cuts of meat, just as it always was. While newer, trendier restaurants have emerged with bold flavors and modern flair, Chinatown Inn has stayed the course. "This is the food people came home to," Jonathan says. "And it’s still what a lot of them come back for."'  (nextpittsburgh)

You can certainly find some more extravagant and/or strictly traditional Chinese in neighborhoods like Shadyside. But the Chinatown Inn remains a solid, dependable place for both meals and history.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Nov 20, 1930
By the 1930s, opium was a social custom confined
to elderly Chinese, while the young preferred whiskey

520 Third Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15219 - (412) 261-1292

Est. 1946 - Building constructed: 1943?

Previous bars in this location: None known
Web site: facebook 

Articles: nextpittsburgh - alexeatstoomuch - nashuproar - verylocal - wikipedia - entertainmentcentral - discovertheburgh - yelp - tripadvisor 

#6446 - Chambers Hotel, Apollo, PA - 1/14/2026

Chambers Hotel, Apollo, PA 

The Chambers House Hotel was constructed in the small Steel-town borough of Apollo, PA in 1889 and opened in 1890. It is doubtful, however, that this included a bar, as by early 1891 there was a local prohibition act in place, which seems most likely to have remained into the years of federal prohibition. I have not yet found any information in primary sources or historical works that would help provide an approximate date for a bar opening in the building (legal or not). But the current bar space certainly has the feel of being in place over quite a few decades.

Chambers Hotel, Apollo, PA - Date unknown
Here includes no longer existing top floor

On this visit I chatted with Jennifer Seniow who, with her fiance Walter, purchased the hotel within a month of their wedding in 2020. Jennifer and Walter had discussed dreams of owning a bar, and as the offer they had on this historical site where Jennifer had worked apparently would not wait for them complete their wedding event before closing a deal. If that wasn't enough of a challenge, after remodeling and upgrades, they opened in November 2020 for about a month before facing covid-related shutdowns mandated by the state.

A letter in the March 22, 1891 edition of the Pittsburgh Dispatch notes that the class of people who oppose the law are "unrepentant and cunning sinners, together with a few victims who are misguided and really the unthinking class of people who look upon every man as honest and no one with suspicion. These latter have merely taken the word of the would-be saloonists that it is for the best interests of the people ..." The same letter does opine that "It now appears that the movement for the repeal of our present law originated at the Chambers House," but adds "Two of the owners, however, were kept in ignorance of the scheme, because they were known to be opposed to it."

Chambers Hotel Bar, Apollo, PA

The Apollo Area Historical Society has a nice web site with a few articles on the hotel's history, including this sequence of events:

"The Chambers Hotel was constructed in 1889 by a citizens group headed by Sheriff James H. Chambers, and was opened to the public in 1890 as the Chambers House.  The elegant hotel was built on the corner of First Street and Warren Avenue in the business center of town. In 1912, the building was bought by Mr. and Mrs. C. A. Hartman who changed the name to the Hartman House.  The name was changed back to the Chambers Hotel  in memory of Private Eugene L. Chambers of Apollo who was killed on December 7, 1941 during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

The Chambers Hotel Milestones

• 1889     The Chambers Hotel was built.
• 1912     Mr. & Mrs. C.A. Hartman bought the building & changed the name to   Hartman House. 
• 1942     Mr. & Mrs. Joseph Maraffi bought the building. 
• 1948     Fire destroys fourth floor.
• 1950     Name changed back to Chambers Hotel by the American Legion to honor Eugene Chambers. 
• 1953     Frank & Mary DeMeno bought the building.
• 1976     Fire again causes much damage to the building. 
• 1987     Jim & Maryanne Minnick bought the building.
• 2020    Walter & Jennifer Seniow bought the building."

Source:  https://apollopahistory.com/apollo-history/places-buildings-structures/the-chambers-hotel/

Footnotes: The 1925 Sanborn Fire Map still refers to the hotel as the "Chambers Hotel," which seems curious for such an important resource of the time, but primary sources do verify that it was officially the Hartman House by 1914, and remained under that name under subsequent owners through at least the late 1940s, although from various sources it may have been known at times as the "Weikert House" (while owned by Earl and Mary Weikart) and/or "Heritage House." Other owners not mentioned in the milestones above include James T. Klugh (from at least 1902 to the 1913 Hartmans purchase) 

As mentioned, the hotel and bar do a nice job of preserving the historic feel even as they add new amenities. While there is a range of food and drink choices, it retains the vibe of an old "beer and shot bar." I was grateful on my visit to have the opportunity to chat with owner Jennifer and patron Shawn. Bless the people who are keeping these great old historical places open and alive.

223 1st St, Apollo, PA, United States, Pennsylvania - (724) 478-3427

Est. 1890 - Building constructed: year
Previous bars in this location:
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