History
The historic eatery originally called The Mansion House, now known as the Pickering
Creek Inn, was first opened in 1842 as an inn for food, drink and lodging for travelers or
townspeople. It's across the tracks from the banks of the Schuylkill River by French
Creek, at the end of Bridge Street's Restaurant Row.
The Pickering Creek Inn was a stop on the Underground RR and housed such illustrious
guests as the Sundance Kid aka Harry Longabaugh, who had a home in nearby Mont
Clare. It was also a departure point for Union soldiers during the Civil War, and one of
them, Jeremy, is still there and stars as its' most famous spook. He was allegedly shot to
death at the inn. The long-haired soldier is best known for his trick of spinning a single
rose that sits in a vase, and he's also been known to have conversations with the
guests. And he's not alone.
But perhaps the most intriguing part of the Pickering Creek Inn are the two sealed
rooms discovered by workmen renovating the building in 2003 after a fire caused severe
damage. The couple of sealed rooms, closed off before electricity was run into the
House, filled with antiques and the smell of smoke from a long-ago fire (There have been
several at the Pickering Creek Inn over its history). A couple of the old things discovered
in the dusty rooms may have been ghosts upset at being disturbed for the first time in
over a century. Some workers refused to continue on the job after knick-knacks flew off
the shelves at them, the scents of cinnamon and perfume filled a room when the rest of
the place reeked of smoke, and ghostly hands stroked their hair. The owner could hear
the front door opening and people entering the restaurant - but no one was there. The
staff has stories of spooky going-ons in the sub basement and its dirt tunnel,
presumably where the runaway slaves hid before being transferred to freedom.
The historic eatery originally called The Mansion House, now known as the Pickering
Creek Inn, was first opened in 1842 as an inn for food, drink and lodging for travelers or
townspeople. It's across the tracks from the banks of the Schuylkill River by French
Creek, at the end of Bridge Street's Restaurant Row.
The Pickering Creek Inn was a stop on the Underground RR and housed such illustrious
guests as the Sundance Kid aka Harry Longabaugh, who had a home in nearby Mont
Clare. It was also a departure point for Union soldiers during the Civil War, and one of
them, Jeremy, is still there and stars as its' most famous spook. He was allegedly shot to
death at the inn. The long-haired soldier is best known for his trick of spinning a single
rose that sits in a vase, and he's also been known to have conversations with the
guests. And he's not alone.
But perhaps the most intriguing part of the Pickering Creek Inn are the two sealed
rooms discovered by workmen renovating the building in 2003 after a fire caused severe
damage. The couple of sealed rooms, closed off before electricity was run into the
House, filled with antiques and the smell of smoke from a long-ago fire (There have been
several at the Pickering Creek Inn over its history). A couple of the old things discovered
in the dusty rooms may have been ghosts upset at being disturbed for the first time in
over a century. Some workers refused to continue on the job after knick-knacks flew off
the shelves at them, the scents of cinnamon and perfume filled a room when the rest of
the place reeked of smoke, and ghostly hands stroked their hair. The owner could hear
the front door opening and people entering the restaurant - but no one was there. The
staff has stories of spooky going-ons in the sub basement and its dirt tunnel,
presumably where the runaway slaves hid before being transferred to freedom.
| All rights reserved The Pickering Creek Inn 2010. |
Pickering Creek Inn
| Where Fine Food and Drink Prevail |
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