The Widows Tavern and Grille
When I was a senior in high school, we did this little experiment in English class. Each person on the far left of the room was given a sheet of paper with a few sentences on it. Those people were instructed to whisper the sentences in to the ear of the person sitting to the right of them. Then, that person was to whisper the same words to the person on the right of them. And so on and so on until it reaches the other end of the room. The last person to hear the sentences was told to write down what they hear and then read it aloud when called on. The story the person on the far right heard was much different than the original. If you don’t remember something, you tend to make something up to fill in the blanks. Ghost Stories are unfortunate victims of this. The story of Marvin at the Widows Tavern and Grille in Stockertown may never be proven true.
Back in the stagecoach days, Widow’s was a brothel. It was during this time Marvin met his demise. How he died is uncertain. Story goes he was the innkeeper who fell in love with one of the “house ladies”. One version states he was jilted, killed the girl and then himself. Another states he was asked to leave, refused to and killed himself or was murdered. Either way Marvin died and now supposedly haunts Widow’s.
During its heyday, the Widows Tavern was known as the Widow Browns. John Nyari and his father owned it a period of time. A white shadow has been seen descending the stairs. Three waitresses working on a Valentine night reported mysterious blood splotches on their uniforms. One employee witnessed a basement door handle turn on its own. A cleaning lady reported seeing an old man in tattered clothes sitting at the bar drinking beer from a stein after hours when all doors were locked. She assumed the manager let him in but after questioning him about the man, she realized who she had seen. Lights go on and off by themselves and doors swing. All believed to be the handiwork of Marvin the ghost.
Back in the stagecoach days, Widow’s was a brothel. It was during this time Marvin met his demise. How he died is uncertain. Story goes he was the innkeeper who fell in love with one of the “house ladies”. One version states he was jilted, killed the girl and then himself. Another states he was asked to leave, refused to and killed himself or was murdered. Either way Marvin died and now supposedly haunts Widow’s.
During its heyday, the Widows Tavern was known as the Widow Browns. John Nyari and his father owned it a period of time. A white shadow has been seen descending the stairs. Three waitresses working on a Valentine night reported mysterious blood splotches on their uniforms. One employee witnessed a basement door handle turn on its own. A cleaning lady reported seeing an old man in tattered clothes sitting at the bar drinking beer from a stein after hours when all doors were locked. She assumed the manager let him in but after questioning him about the man, she realized who she had seen. Lights go on and off by themselves and doors swing. All believed to be the handiwork of Marvin the ghost.
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