The Bell House Tavern - 1890

The Old Bell House near
 West Liberty and Saw Mill Run
The Bell House Tavern in 1890. Note the 42-star United States flag flying next to the building. Washington
joined the Union as the 42nd State on November 11, 1889, followed on July 03, 1890 by Idaho and on
July 10, 1890 by Wyoming. By 1912 the country had grown to include forty-eight United States.

"Ye Old Bell House Tavern" was one of the landmark buildings in Lower St. Clair Township and West Liberty Borough from the pioneer days. Above is a photo of the Bell House Tavern in the summer of 1890. It stood along Warrington Avenue, near the intersection with the Washington Pike (West Liberty Avenue).

The Bell House was built in 1850. The tavern served many purposes it's eighty-nine year history. It was a diner, a saloon, a general store, a hotel, a post office, a voting place, and a stop along the Pittsburgh and Castle Shannon railroad line.

The Old Bell House near West Liberty
 Avenue and Saw Mill Run - Circa 1910
Charles Juergen's Bell House Tavern around 1910, with an addition built to the right of the building.

At the turn of the century, when the trolley line was installed, it was at the Bell House Tavern that the line, switched from a single-track to a double-track line for the trip up West Liberty Avenue to Brookline. The building was one of the most popular locations in the area.

The Old Bell House near West Liberty
Avenue and Saw Mill Run in 1919    The Old Bell House near West Liberty
Avenue and Saw Mill Run in 1925
The Bell House Tavern, at the Car Stop sign, in 1919 (left) and 1925.

The final photo below shows the old Bell House on November 16, 1938, shortly before it was torn down. The picture was taken from the corner of Warrington Avenue and Saw Mill Run Boulevard, looking towards the intersection with West Liberty Avenue and the Liberty Tunnels.

The Bell House is situated on the right of the photo beyond the bridge. The truck on the roadway is passing the tavern on its way towards the tunnel intersection. A white sign on the side of the landmark building reads "Bell House." The surrounding area had really built up by this time, quite a contrast to the photo at the top of the page.

The Old Bell House near West Liberty
 Avenue and Saw Mill Run - November 16, 1938

Click on images for larger photos

* Photos provided by Nate Marini *

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