General Wayne Inn

The General Wayne Inn building was built on land purchased by William Penn. Originally called The Wayside Inn, this building has been continuously used since 1704, when a Quaker, Robert Jones, went into the Inn/restaurant business, with the idea to serve travelers going to and from Philadelphia and Radner, on the old Lancaster road way. The Wayside Inn became The General Wayne Inn in 1793, when it was renamed after a local Revolutionary hero. Because of its location, near Merion Station, many Revolutionary War battles were fought around the area of the Inn. Thus, this Inn has the distinction of playing host to American Patriots, such as General George Washington and Marquis de la Fayette, and to the British Redcoats and their hired, Hessian soldiers as well.

During the 1800s, many vacationing Philadelphians came to the area, and enjoyed fine dining at The General Wayne Inn, such dishes as Squirrel Ragout and Pigeon Stew. One of the famous guests was Edgar Allen Poe. Until the 1930s , there used to be a glass window that Edgar had scratched his initials on; E.A.P.

Besides being an inn and restaurant, this historical building in the past also has been used as a post office, a general store, and a social center for newly-arrived Welsh Immigrants.

After Mr. Johnson, various owners have run the General Wayne Inn. In 1996, the co-owners, Mr. James E. Webb and Guy Sileo, who were also best friends, were struggling financially. On the day after Christmas, 1996, Guy Sileo supposedly shot to death Webb in one of the third floor offices. (I'm sure the spirits residing there will give their moral support and have welcomed Mr. Webb if he had decided to stay.)

Sileo was convicted of the murder and sentenced to life in prison. Sileo claimed that it was his own hurt mistress, 20 year old Felicia, a chef at the General Wayne Inn, who shot Webb in revenge because Sileo refused to leave his wife for her. Webb had strongly disapproved of the affair between Felicia and Sileo. Felicia later killed herself.

The General Wayne Inn was purchased by Frank Cacciuti in October of 2001. Cacciuti had found great success in running the prosperous Seven Stars Inn, located in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania. As of July 21, 2002, Cacciuti closed the General Wayne Inn because he wasn't making enough money. Business hadn't recovered from the effects of the murder, and the local economy wasn't supporting it.

In 2004, someone else bought the place and made a go of it, as the restaurant was being advertised on the ExperiencePA web site. For some reason this effort didn't work out. When Tom and I visited this building the summer of 2006 during our cross country road trip, the local Jewish synagogue had bought the building, renovated it into a modern building now called Chabad Center for Jewish Life. However, the words, The General Wayne Inn are still displayed proudly on the side of the building, and it is still a historical building as the sign marking it as such still remains.

Paranormal Claims

• The machine behind the bar will sometimes just spit out paper, when it was unplugged.
• At the top of the stairs to the second floor, there is a chandelier with a mind of its own. On occasion, one of the crystals will swing by itself, while the rest will remain still.
• Stools have been heard being moved when the bar is closed.
• The pouring of liquid into class has been heard when the bar is closed.
• An apparition of a Hessian soldier has been seen sitting at the bar when the tavern was closed.
• The head of a Hessian soldier was once seen sitting on a shelf behind the bar.
• A little boy can be heard crying at times since he is looking for his lost mother.
• The apparition of a woman dressed in a long billowing white skirt and long sleeved blouse has been seen in the dinning room.
• Water has been found in the partially opened drawer of the cash register during the opening of the bar.
• The doors of the tavern where found unlocked in the morning.
• Mixer attachments and clean towels have been thrown all over the kitchen.
• The Hessian Soldiers often made their presences known to the living.
• The apparition of a Hessian solder accosted an employee who was sweeping the dining room.
• An apparition of a man called Wilhelm has been seen in the cellar on several occasions.
• Apparitions of German soldiers have been seen in the dining room, at the bar, upstairs and in the private dining rooms.
• Young women sitting at the bar had reported someone blowing on their necks.
• A soldier appeared every night at 2 a.m. asking for his remains to removed from the basement and burried within a cemetary.

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