Historical Note: Stanley's Tavern(s), Pittsburgh, PA

New Stanley's Lounge, Pittsburgh, PA

The New Stanley's Lounge, still operating at 7403 Frankstown Ave, in Pittsburgh's North Homewood neighborhood, was established by Stanley McDonald Williams in the mid 1950s. Sorting out the history of Williams and his bars presented some initial confusion, as not only were there mutiple concurrent Stanley's Taverns in the city, and not only were there both multiple William Stanleys and multiple Stanley Williams in the city, but city guides often listed him as "Wm. Stanley" or "Stanley McWilliams. His name was often listed as "Stanley McD Williams," perhaps as a necessary distinction. Nevertheless, after sorting out the mistakes in these primary sources, it quickly becomes clear that Williams was a remarkable businessman, and while they may not be as large or famous as clubs like the Crawford Grills, for some time his places were some of the most happening joints in the city. 

Stanley's Tavern, Pittsburgh, PA - 1941
Teenie Harris photo via Carnegie Museum

Before he started opening nightclubs soon after the repeal of prohibition, while just in his 20s, Stanley Williams was already a big success in business, and widely respected in the community for his business acumen. He described his background briefly in a 1950 letter to the editor in the Pittsburgh Courier: ""I myself am a native of Barbados, came here for economic advancement and have become a fairly successful businessman in the city of Pittsburgh." A 1926 article in the same paper described the "Patterson and Williams" department store in which he partnered as an immediate success. By 1930, he is hosting an elaborate birthday party for his wife Syvella, whom local papers referred to with terms like "beauteous" and "charming but aggressive," and gifting her a "straight 8 Packard sedan in two-tone brown," while an orchestra played for a large number of guests in their much admired house. 

The original Stanley's Tavern
Teenie Harris photo via the Carnegie Museum

Williams was very involved in a wide range of social events and organizations promoting black businsesses. Among these he was a member of Pittsburgh's "Frog Club," a group with which I am unfamiliar, but which had enough clout to attract Duke Ellington and his orchestra to their annual "Frog Week" activities in 1953. 

 In early 1933 he would open his first nightclub, and his and Syvella's activities would be regularly featured in the news and nightclub gossip columns of the Pittsburgh Courier for the next couple decades (although with a wide variety of spellings of Syvella's name, at least when they strayed from the conventional "Mrs. Stanley Williams"). On April 17th of that year he would open the doors of "Stanley's Inn" to considerable excitement. The Courier called it a "real hotcha spot" with a "floor show, hot and peppery!" and noting "the proprietor is young progressive Stanley Williams whose business acumen is not news to patrons of local race enterprises." 

The 2nd Stanley's Tavern
Teenie Harris photo via Carnegie Museum

For whatever reason, a year and a half later the space would be taken over by Arthur Brown's Ambassador Club. Williams does not seem to appear on the nightlife scene again until May of 1939, when he would host another Grand Opening in the same location, this time with Jesse Owens in attendance. This would become Williams' most renowned club, even while he opened a second location on the opposite end of the same block, managed by his brother Charlie. 

Williams repeatedly closed for remodeling and upgrades of the facility. E.g. in 1941 he added the latest air conditioning system, making it "the only race beer garden in this area with an air-conditioning system."

Stanley's was packed even when there was no music playing, but there's no question the music was an attraction. This was especially true on Wednesday nights, when DJ Mary Dee was in the house. "Mary Dudley (born Mary Elizabeth Goode; April 8, 1912 – March 17, 1964), known as Mary Dee, was an American disc jockey who is widely considered the first African-American woman disc jockey in the United States" and (wikipedia)  The Nov 4, 1950 Pittsburgh Courier reported that "Station WHOD's queen of the platter pushers has kept entertainment moving for two years at Stanley's Lounge on Wednesday celebrity nights.... In two short years Mary Dee has made Wednesday the big night in town, with headquarters at Stanley's. Mary Dee has become a top goodwill ambassador and she's a real gone girl in every way."

Pittsburgh Courier, Oct 27, 1945

In 1952 the Courier would add, "Stanley's Lounge is one of the few places in Pittsburgh featuring live talent nightly in the underground bistro at Fullerton and Wylie. Cozy Harris presides over the piano, while Little Bea and Dannie Cobb take care of the vocal department. Mary Dee of Station WHOD pulls the mob with her talent shows on Wednesdays. Stanley Williams, the genial proprietor of the lounge, is making efforts to keep live talent going in the spot. There is no cover or minimum in the lounge at any time." Cozy Harris, playing piano and solovox, with Billy Climes on guitar would build a reputation for their unusual arrangements and "new sound" sessions. In 1954 columnist George F. Brown would ask "Is Stanley Williams planning something big for his lounge in Pittsburgh? Nice place that is a good showcase for trios and organs and singers. Right in the heart of things, too, and the place features three bars. Honest."

By 1953 Williams would have three clubs, a pool parlor, and a barber shop -- in addition to other business interests -- and employ 27 people. But there were some tragedies along the way. On April 3, 1949, a man named James Cannon, after arguing with Charles Williams in the 61 Fullerton Street club, shot Stanley's brother three times. Charles would die in the hospital on April 22, and the killer remained on the lam for two years before being identified after an arrest in Cleveland. Then in November 1952, another Stanley's night manager named Mario Squire, collapesed after being stuck in the chest with a beer bottle while trying to stop a fight. Finally, Syvella and Stanley would go through what appears to be a rancorous divorce, with Stanley repeatedly going to court to try and reduce his alimony payments as his business profits purportedly declined.

They Wylie block locations would eventually face inevitable extinction via a large, imminent urban redevelopment project, one that would widen streets and add a Civic Arena that would attract an NHL team, but that would also wipe out multiple churches, jazz clubs, restaurants and neighborhoods, ultimately displacing over 8,000 residents and 400 businesses. Williams was rumored to be negotiating a new location in 1954, but when asked about it elided the issue by responding, "The only thing I am interested in is building up my five-cent deal from seven until five every day and introducing Pennsylvania Dutch Beer for five cents less than popular brews. Other than that, you can tell the world, I am not negotiating."

The New Stanley's Lounge, 1958
Teenie Harris photo 

Williams sold the old clubs to the city in 1957 and opened the "New Stanley's Lounge" in its current location in July 1958. He still featured music, such as "The Fabulous Four." He operated the bar until he passed away in 1977. In April 1980 his estate sold the bar to Fred C. Johnson.

Links: blog.historian4hire.net 

#6147 - Penn Brewery, Pittsburgh, PA - 4/6/2025

Penn Brewery, Pittsburgh,PA

They built a brewery here in 1870, when the Eberhardt and Ober families, who dominated Pittsburgh brewing from around mid-century, merged into the Eberhardt & Ober Brewery. In 1899 they merged with Iron City Brewery and 12 other local breweries and renamed the conglomerate Pittsburgh Brewing Company.

The Pittsburgh Brewing Company operated well into the federal prohibition years (as the state of Pennsylvania was in no rush to close breweries or saloons) then restarted after prohibition, finally closing in 1952 after a long dispute over labor contracts. Over the following four decades the building was largely abandoned, hosting a fruit juice company and furnish storage space behind broken windows and fading trims. But then in mid 1989, after lobbying the Pennsylvania state government to modify laws to allow brew pubs, Tom Pastorius revived the structure with the Allegheny Brewery & Pub, which in 1994 would change its name to Penn Brewery. Pastorius' ancestor, Franz Daniel Pastorius, founded Germantown, Pennsylvania in 1683. The new brewery produced lagers and other German style beers, "adhering to the strict quality standards of the 16th-century Bavarian Reinheitsgebot purity laws."

Penn Brewery was thus the first brewpub and craft brewery in the state, and what Pastorius referred to as "the first tied house since prohibition." While the term was primarily used in pre-prohibition days to denote a saloon tied to a particular brewery or distiller, Penn Brewery means it is the first to have a brewery and restaurant in the same location. It is also now the city of Pittsburgh's oldest operating brewery. Pastorius would sell the majority of his operation in 2003, and then retired and sell his remaining 20% in 2008. The brewery would subsequently stumble in both business and quality of beer while owned by a private equity group, and would even close the restaurant and move brewing operations out of town. Partners Sandra well Cindrich, Linda Nyman, and Corey Little would take over in 2009, starting by bringing Pastorius back as as well as much of the former staff, restoring the brewing operation and restaurant, and producing award winning beers and also profitability.

Since August 1, 2022, the brewery has been operated by Austrian Stefan Wolfgang Nitsch, who has said that "It’s the most authentically European beer I’ve had over here. It reminds me of the beers I stole from my grandpa’s basement when I was younger." (pittsburghmagazine)  The brewery and beer garden will often be packed for events these days, but it was very open when we visited right at noon opening time on a rainy Sunday. The buildings are impressive, the beers are quite good, and the restaurant still focuses on traditional German cuisine. But the most striking feature is surely the lagering caves. These caves actually riddle the entire hillside, and were used for keeping beer cold before the days of refrigeration -- which for this brewery arrived in 1885.  You can view and even drink in the first portions of a couple of these tunnels, which didn't seem particularly inviting on a cold wet day (even if they were not adorned with skeletons), but which were still quite interesting to see, and must be particularly nice on a warm summer afternoon.

800 Vinial St, Pittsburgh, PA 15212 - (412) 237-9400
Est. 1994 - Building constructed: 1870
Previous bars in this location: Eberhardt & Ober Brewery, Pittsburgh Brewing Co., Allegheny Brewery & Pub
Web sites: pennbrew.com - facebook - instagram 
Articles: theclio - pittsburghmagazine - wikipedia - phlf - brewersofpa - 150 years of Penn Beers (video) - northsidechronicle - yelp - tripadvisor 

#5739 - Karwoski's Tavern, Pittsburgh, PA - 4/23/2024

Karwoski's Tavern, AKA JCK Tavern
Pittsburgh, PA 

"If you want to sit in an extremely dark bar and feel like your worthless, this is the place to go." - James K, Yelp

Karoski's Tavern, AKA JCK Tavern, is a classic neighborhood dive, a bit off the main drag, in the South Side Flats area of Pittsburgh. When I arrived, well before the posted closing time, the bartender was a bit irked, informing me that he'd turned off the lights and was in the process of closing. I managed to convince him to let me in for one quick beer.  

There has been a licensed bar in this location for at least 150 years, since at least 1884, and it was run by the Karwoski family from when Joseph Karwoski purchased it and took over the liquor license in September 1922, to at least 2017 and I presume to this day.

And before you object that there were no licensed bars in America in 1922, there absolutely were in the state of Pennsylvania, which kept issuing licenses, with most saloons, breweries and distilleries continuing to operate until about 1926 (at which point PA shifted to an underground, speakeasy system, like the rest of the country experienced from 1920 or earlier).

It's smokey and happily dark, even when they're not in the process of closing, and they don't f around with karaoke, or bands, or other promotions. I will be back.

132 S 24th St, Pittsburgh, PA 15203 - (412) 431-3021
Est. 1922  
Previous bars in this location: Bar names unknown, but from 1884 to 1922 saloons here were run by Victor Doser, John N. Johnson, Harry Hartman, John Suttner, and Edwin Hirt
Web site: facebook - instagram 
Reviews: fatherpitt - yelp 

Historic Note: Hook Tavern, Capon Bridge, WV

Remains of Hook Tavern, Capon Bridge, WV
(Photo March 4, 2025)

Of all my posts under the rubric of "Alas, Too Late," there is no more tragic an entry than Hook Tavern. The National Register of Historic Places location, lies 150 miles southeast of the house we moved into in April of 2022, just east of the town of Capon Bridge in the New Hampshire County of West Virginia. I would find upon approaching it with my visiting parents in March of 2025 that it had been burned down by arson just six months after our move to the area. Indeed, I quickly realized that I had passed and even stopped to photograph the striking remains on an earlier trip, having no idea what they were. There is no plaque or outward sign of its history on the property.

From the National Register of Historic Places Registration Form I learned the following:

"It is estimated that the rear ell of the inn was constructed first, c.1765. The interior fireplace in this section, between the kitchen and dining area, is constructed massively with large pintle hooks for pots and pans. The end gable chimneys on the main, front section are exterior stone chimneys, suggesting they were constructed before the nineteenth century when brick chimneys grew in popularity (c.1790). Based on their style, the windows and porches appear to date to the 1840s, likely 1848 when Samuel Hook obtained ownership."

Hook Tavern, Capon Bridge, WV
(Pre-fire photo from the Registration Form
for the National Register of Historic Places)

"The inn is located in an area that George Washington originally surveyed between 1749 and 1752."

"While it is difficult to ascertain precisely when each section was built, the exterior trim indicates that it was fully completed by the 1840s. Shortly thereafter, in 1848, the building was conveyed to Samuel Hook and John B. Sherrard. Hook and Sherrard operated the inn as a full service hotel applying for their first license in 1848. In 1862 Hook reapplied alone for a license to operate the inn."

"Hook’s Tavern operated throughout the Civil War and was briefly used as a Confederate hospital for 80 sick soldiers under the command of J.A. Hunter. Severe weather forced Hunter to commandeer Hook’s Inn and his firewood on February 3, 1862."

"Hook’s Tavern was last refurbished in 1956, and closed a few years after that. The tavern remained in the

Hook family and in use until 1987. It has opened for special events occasionally since then."

It was a sad visit indeed.

Est. 1848 - Building constructed: c.1765

Articles: TheClio - National Register - wikipedia - historicnewhampshire

Historical Note: Lee Tuck Lounge, 134 Steuben, Pittsburgh, PA

Former Lee Tuck Lounge
Pittsburgh, PA

In the early evening of Sunday July 20, 1902, the wife and children of well known local politician, hotelier, and saloon keeper Jacob Haule, in crossing the street to their home, somehow fell into the path of an oncoming streetcar and was crushed beneath its wheels. Haule was one of a handful of persons running a saloon in this building in the West End Village neighborhood of Pittsburgh, originally laid out as the dry community of Temperanceville in 1837, before being annexed by the city of Pittsburgh in 1874.

Constructed by Christ Gundlefinger in 1891, the building some 2,000 feet south of the Ohio River has contained a saloon at least as early as 1892, and most of the time from that point to as recently as 2015, although you would never guess that from the ramshackle state of the building today.

In 1970 the New Steuben Cafe at this location was advertised as "The Only Negro Bar in the West End!" and feature bands like the Sell Thomas Organ Quintet. In October of that year it was purchased by H.C. Pittman and renamed the West End Lounge. The bar featured a "Ladies Night" and a "Hot Pants Night" and on weekends added go go dancers "Doing their thing."

Leona Tucker purchased the property in 1977, and ran what would become the longest running and last bar, and perhaps the last residents, to be hosted there during its 120 year history of serving drinks. (Leona passed away in 2003, and I do not know how long she ran the bar herself.) The property is currently for sale. At least in its latter years the bar featured black exotic dancers. It was the scene of another tragic death not long before it closed. On Oct 24, 2014 Ronnell Smith was shot and killed by Lonnie Monk and Anthony Jetter he was leaving the bar.

Christ Gundlefinger sought a liquor license even before his new building was finished, but it's not clear if he got one. In any case by the following year John Kalb ran the building, and with no other licensed house on the street in 1892, began operating a saloon on the main floor. From 1898 to 1910 he would be followed by saloon keepers Jacob Haule Jr., his wife Lena Haule briefly after Jacob passed away, a Mrs. H. Schinneller, and Leopold Von Hedemann. In October 1910 Hedemann transferred the liquor license to Herman J. Theil, whose long run as owner would last through prohibition and into the mid 1940s, and would tragically include the murder of his son John, killed in the bar during an attempted holdup.

After some 35+ years as the "H.J. Theil Cafe" and the "Herman Theil Tavern," the bar would be operated in the 1950s by Marie Schram as the "New Steuben Cafe" or "New Steuben Restaurant and Bar." In the 1970s it would be known as the West End Lounge, before fairly long run as the Lee Tuck Lounge, which it remained for almost 40 years.

Despite - and largely because of - its current state of disrepair, and due to its presence between two large, empty lots along our main route from our home to downtown Pittsburgh, I've probably passed this building a hundred times in the three years we've lived in the area - each time wondering about its history. Catching up with the parts of that history cited here only makes me wonder all the more about its stories from over the years.

Lee Tuck Lounge flier - Sep 15, 2014

134 Steuben St, Pittsburgh, PA 15220

Est. 1977 - Building constructed: 1891

Previous bars in this location: Herman Theil Tavern, New Steuben Cafe, West End Lounge

#6100 - Shooting Star Saloon, Huntsville, UT - 3/9/2025

Shooting Star Saloon, Huntsville, UT

The Shooting Star Saloon, sitting on the Pineview Reservoir in the Wasatch Mountains about 50 miles north of Salt Lake City, is said to be "Utah's oldest business" and "the Oldest Continuously Operating Saloon West of the Mississippi." How exactly they get to the latter claim, with several California bars dating back a few decades earlier, I am not clear about, but I suspect it hinges on the "continuously operated" phrase, alluding to continuous operation through federal prohibition.

In any case, it is quite old, with the building dating back to a mercantile business constructed around 1850, a bar first established here in 1879, and the name "Shooting Star Saloon," along with the current bar space on the main floor, dating from 1940. It is located in the town of Huntsville, population approx. 608. In the 2000 census there were 649 residents, 98.77% white, 0.15% African American, and 0.31% Native American (if you do the math that's one black person and two Indians). To the north are multiple ski resorts, which contributed to the saloon once being listed by USA Today as one of the top après-ski bars in the country.

Shooting Star Saloon, Huntsville, UT

The bar preserves a fine old saloon vibe, with dark wood walls, various old west gear hanging over the bar, taxidermy and skulls, and a large amount of signed dollar bills (once estimated at around 15,000 of them) hanging from the ceiling.

The menu is aggressively simple, listed on the side of napkin dispensers, and comprising one hot dog and six variations of burgers, served with chips. However, the burgers are renowned, once rated 3rd best in the country by USA Today, and I very much enjoyed my cheeseburger, passing on the more famous "Star Burger," which has two beef patties and a layer of knockwurst.

I've added this cozy, historical spot to my highest recommendations list, and close with a few additional notes from a couple online sources:

"The mercantile switched to a saloon in 1879, originally named Hoken’s Hole for its owner Hoken Olsen. Hoken (1862-1945) was the son of Norwegian immigrants who had converted to Mormonism and moved to Utah in 1876 as part of the “gathering.” He became a citizen of the US in 1902. Hunstville’s early newspapers are filled with accounts of how “Slippery Hoken'' had once more been fined for selling liquor without a license, or sent to jail for the same. His wife Maria Bingham operated the saloon when Hoken was in jail."  (Intermountain Histories)

"During the Prohibition Era in the 1920s, alcoholic drinks and card games were enjoyed in secret and a confectionery shop for children was displayed on the top floor of the saloon. However, Hoken continued to be arrested for selling liquor without a license. In 1929, Hoken sold his property to Ben Wood. In 1940, Huntsville’s Carl Stokes moved the saloon upstairs from the basement and named it the Shooting Star."  (ibid) 

"There have been seven owners of the Shooting Star Saloon in the past 135 years. Leslie Sutter is the current owner. Leslie had to prove to the owners she was legit enough to buy the famous saloon by working there for two years. The Shooting Star requires a good steward of the precious historic relics kept inside."

Utah Stories

"Mounted on the wall of the Shooting Star is Buck. He was the largest measured St.Bernard in Guinness Book of World Records. He held this record for seven years. Buck weighed 298 pounds and stood 41 inches tall. He died in 1957, and has been mounted watching over the saloon ever since." (ibid) 

7350 E 200 S, Huntsville, UT 84317 - (801) 745-2002
Est. 1940 as Shooting Star, 1879 as a bar - Building constructed: c1850
Previous bars in this location: Hoken's Hole
Web site: shootingstarsaloon.co - facebook - instagram 
Ranked articles and reviews: intermountainhistories - utahstories - oldestbarineverystate - today's outdoor adventure (video) - postcard.inc - sltrib - deseret - thetvtraveler - onlyinutah - kutv - 10best.usatoday - bearsbutt - highonadventure - yelp - atlasobscura - menu.com - salt lake city weekly - wayneontheroad - tripadvisor 

#6087 - Red Star Inn, Cumberland Township (Fairdale), PA - 2/26/2025

Serb Krewasky, Red Star Inn, Fairdale, PA

Miljo “Serb” Krewasky opened his bar here on Labor Day 1965 -- almost 60 years before I first set foot in it on this day, with him still working the bar. Serb says it had been the Red Star Inn since 1938. In this case, the nickname is accurate, as Miljo ("My-low") is indeed Serbian, and has hosted a Serbian Christmas celebration each Dec 7 for decades. He told me he served in the Army infantry 1961 to '63, and when he heard them call him "Miljo" instead of "Serb," he knew he was in trouble.

There's a framed, yellowed newspaper hanging over the paint peeling from the wall, with a blaring headline: "Cumberland Twp. Plays Wilmerding for Title." "That's older than you are," says Serb, and I thought he was probably wrong, but as it was about the 1952 squads, he was correct. The local Carmichaels boys (Cumberland Township), including freshman Miljo Krewasky, made it all the way to the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League (WPIAL) B Division Championship that year, having whipped Zelienople 40-14 for their 10th straight win. The "Mighty Mikes" would go on to nip Wilmerding 12-6 to take the title.

Serb was started out as a quarterback and later played linebacker. He is 86 now, but he's not ready to give up the bar. When he does, he says it will be to family only. His hand shakes now as he pours me a shot of Jameson. It was a beer and shot bar when it was full of coal miners, and it's a beer and shot joint today. There's still a framed photo of FDR on the back bar. 

I went from doubting this place was still open to adding it to my list of favorite dive bars in western Pennsylvania. It was an old geezer in an old bar up the road that told me about the place -- "It's even older than this one," he told me. If you're not immediately endeared to a small town working class bar that features a 70-year-old news clip about the local high school team, and with an 86-year-old alumnus pouring you a shot, well, we just have very different tastes.

334 S Vine St, Carmichaels, PA 15320 - (724) 966-9937
Est. 1938 
Articles: greenscenemagazine