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The Blue Bell Tavern
This site is registered as an official historical site, and with good reason! It was built in 1766 as a tavern to serve the traffic going to and from Philadelphia on the south side of the city. In the early 1800s an addition (which has since been demolished) was added to the "Bell" providing overnight accommodation for travelers. In 1909, Blue Bell Tavern was purchased by the City. George Washington was first welcomed to Philadelphia here, and it is also the site of his farewell speech. The grounds around the inn were the site of skirmishes during the British occupation of Philadelphia .(1777 - 1778) One of these skirmishes is the source for the ghost story. The skirmish took place in November of 1777, in front of the inn. Five colonial soldiers were killed, and one British soldier fell, dying, in the road. As he died, he reportedly uttered something to the effect of, "Now I will never leave here." According to previous rsidents, he has kept his word! The ghost enjoys tinkering with electronic appliances and moves small objects and later returns them. One resident reported seeing trousers and boots, with the rest of the figure in a mist. After suffering a fire and many floods, the building is being restored . | ||
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