Beaver County has always been a welcome place for travelers. Whether for business, tourism, or simply in town for a wedding, The need to find a place to stay while here is nothing new, and it continues to be in growing demand as people from far and near look to find lodging while spending time in these parts. In recent days at least a dozen new national chain hotels have been developed in Beaver County, rivaling an era from back before there was Air B N B as far as the county’s room capacity. In today’s edition of Beaver County Memories, We will make a reservation at the front desk and ask the concierge for more information . . . about the hotels of yesterday. It’s the subject of this Beaver County Memory, and like all of them, It is brought to you by St. Barnabas.
Some were big and grand, and others could best be described as functional, and though the hotels, motels and houses with rooms to rent came in all different shapes and sizes, they all provided a much needed place to lay one’s head down at the end of the day. Rochester was called the hub of Beaver County for good reason. It’s strategic location near river and rail transportation gave rise to several memorable Hotels including the Penn Beaver Hotel at the corner of West Washington Street and Brighton Avenue. The Penn Beaver Hotel was truly a grandiose structure and cost around a half million dollars to build in 1927. It had about 60 rooms and hosted some of the finest events in the area back then in its restaurant and banquet room. The Penn Beaver had a very ornate lobby with a granite and marble interior that rivaled the beauty and opulence of any structure, anywhere. Oftentimes, big time entertainers, who would be performing at the numerous nearby theaters, would stay at the Penn Beaver. One such story shared many years ago by a Rochester merchant recalled The Three Stooges prowling Brighton Avenue while in town for a show, and staying at the Penn Beaver Hotel.
In Beaver Falls, There were many hotels that housed weary travelers, temporary workers, and the social elite. In the early 1900’s, several hotels sprang up from the ground in the city including the 7th Avenue Hotel at the corner of 5th Street and 7th Avenue, The Windsor House, which welcomed visitors on 10th Avenue and The PennMark Hotel, which was located along a side street at the lower end of town near Providence Hospital. These “working class” establishments each had their own character and also provided a good watering hole for guests and local patrons to enjoy a cold beverage or two. In all three of those cases, the bar and restaurant aspect of those places continued to exist long after the demand for renting rooms subsided. At the other end of town, and the other end of the socio economic spectrum, Beaver Falls was also home to the General Brodhead Hotel, a lavish facility boasting 110 rooms, five star dining, a handful of different bars and lounges and even an outdoor rooftop dance floor. The Brodhead, with all its flair, opened in 1929 and boasted fresh fruit on its opening nite New Year’s eve dinner menu. In that era, fresh fruit in wintertime was indeed a luxury that only the wealthy experienced. The General Brodhead Hotel continued operations until 1969 at which time it was converted to apartments, and continues to be a very beautiful town landmark to this day.
Beaver County also had a few of the classic mid century “motels” to accommodate it’s guests. The Willows Inn between Midland and Beaver was and continues to exist as an iconic, sprawling motor lodge reminiscent of 1960’s Americana. Though the place has been upgraded and expanded in recent years, the traditional one story room layout with parking available right outside the door, continues to be a very recognizable feature that was common with motels of that era. The Willows also had an outdoor pool and tennis courts. In Big Beaver, there were several classic Motels that seem to harken back to an era where the parking lot would have been filled with wood paneled station wagons accessorized with massive luggage racks, belonging to the registered guests. Conelly’s Best Western, J.J.’s Motel, The Hilltop Motel and The Lark Motel, among a few others provided nice places to stay for travelers getting off the nearby Turnpike exit. Even today, looking at those properties, you can almost imagine the chants of “Are we there yet” from impatient kids in the back seats and the white knuckles gripping the steering wheel and the crossed eyes of frazzled parents riding up front in those heavy laden family chariots as they pulled in off of Route 18 to spend the night.
Even a trip to Bradys Run Park in the old days might mean hitching up the team, unloading the stagecoach, and staying a night at one of the nearby hotels. Luckily enough, there were a couple different places near the park entrance along Route 51 that had great food, nice comfortable rooms, and even entertainment on occasion to make the stay memorable. The Bradys Run Hotel and The Beaver Valley Hotel offered those amenities back then. The Brady’s Run Hotel had a bar and lounge in the front part of the first floor, and a spacious room where ballroom dancing was held in the back portion of the lower level. A few guest rooms populated the upper floor. Both establishments continue to operate in the hospitality business and exist today at some of Beaver County’s more popular restaurants.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to tip the bell hop and check in. As always, this edition of Beaver County Hotel memories has been Presented by St. Barnabas. Tune in to Beaver County Radio every day for another edition of Beaver County Memories. Transcripts of this and other archived Beaver County Memories can be found at Beaver County Radio dot com.
