General Wayne Inn
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General Wayne Inn | |
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| Location | Merion, Pennsylvania |
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| Coordinates | 40°0′33″N 75°15′13″W / 40.00917°N 75.25361°WCoordinates: 40°0′33″N 75°15′13″W / 40.00917°N 75.25361°W |
| Built | 1704 |
| Architect | Unknown |
| Architectural style | No Style Listed |
| NRHP Reference # | 76001655[1] |
| Added to NRHP | January 1, 1976 |
The General Wayne Inn located at 625 Montgomery Ave[2] in Merion, Pennsylvania is a tavern on the National Register of Historic Places since 1976. Established in 1704, it was previously named the William Penn Inn, Wayside Inn, Tunis Ordinary, and Streepers Tavern before being renamed in 1793 in honor of General "Mad" Anthony Wayne who had once stayed there.
There is a legend that the building is haunted by numerous ghosts, including a handful of Hessian soldiers. Edgar Allan Poe was a frequent visitor of the inn and carved his initials in one of the windowsills in 1843.
Murder and suicide
Executive chef Jim Webb and his business partner, Guy Sileo, bought the General Wayne in 1995. Webb was found murdered there in his office on 27 December 1996. Felicia Moyse, a 20-year-old assistant chef at the inn and Sileo's girlfriend, committed suicide on 22 February 1997.[3]
Police were able to prove that Sileo had killed Webb for the $650,000 ($981,000 today) life insurance money from their partnership policies, before Webb could end their partnership and shut down the General Wayne.[4] Sileo was convicted in 2001 and sentenced to life in prison.[4]
Moyse had been an alibi witness for Sileo. The night of the murder, she and Sileo left the General Wayne at the same time, driving to dinner in their seperate vehicles.[3] Sileo doubled back, killed Webb using a gun later linked to him by forensic evidence, then rushed to arrive at dinner before Moyse. Police believe that Moyse realized that her boyfriend had set her up as his alibi and had been unable to live with it.[3][5]
Synagogue
In 2005, the building was purchased and renovated by Chabad of the Main Line, and converted into a synagogue and community centre.[2]
Famous people
Famous people who visited here include:
- William Penn
- Anthony Wayne
- George Washington
- Edgar Allan Poe
- Gilbert du Motier, marquis de Lafayette
- Benjamin Franklin
- Julius Irving
References
Sources
- Lake, Matt (2005). "Hessian Mercenaries Haunt General Wayne Inn". Weird Pennsylvania: your travel guide to Pennsylvania's local legends and best kept secrets. Sterling Pub. Co. ISBN 9781402732799.
Notes
- ↑ Staff (2007-01-23). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
- 1 2 "General Wayne Inn". Chabad-Lubavitch of The Main Line.
- 1 2 3 "Murder on the Menu". Forensic Files. 8 February 2006. HLN.
- 1 2 Hessler Jr., Carl (2012-06-01). "General Wayne Inn killer chef sees latest appeal denied". Delaware County Daily Times. Retrieved 2016-04-29.
- ↑ "General Wayne Inn". Famous Haunted Houses and Places. Encyclopedia of the Unusual and Unexplained.
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