Photos and video courtesy of Ray Labon
Story by Curtis Walsh – Beaver County Radio News Director. Published January 20, 2023 6:20 A.M.

(Rochester Township, PA) The hotspot where bands like G-Force (Granati Bros.), The Iron City Houserockers, The Jaggerz and Donnie Iris , B.E. Taylor, Lawrence Welk and many more used to grace the stage and play, turned into a different kind of hotspot this morning as it burned to the ground overnight. The former abandoned Morrys Speakeasy in Rochester along Junction Stretch went up in flames early Friday morning. We’ve learned that Rochester Fire Department allowed the blaze to continue, due to the condition and location of the abandoned structure. While it has been abandoned for years, the speakeasy used to be one of the biggest rock n’ roll clubs in Western PA. Nestled in the hills along route 65, through a small tunnel under what used to be railroad tracks, the small building brought back memories of a thriving time in Beaver County, Pennsylvania. Sandy Giordano reports Beaver County 9-1-1 says the call came in early Friday morning and the fire was just smoldering as of 7am, and firefighters let it burn itself out. Residents and motorists shouldn’t be alarmed if they see some smoke.
Mike Romigh spoke to Hal Martin, Morry’s son, during “Live Mic” on WBVP & WMBA about memories and the impact of the “rock n’ roll capitol”. Listen Below.

Morry’s Speakeasy free pass. (Curtis Walsh – Beaver County Radio)

Video and photos of the fire (Courtesy of Ray Labon):


The remnants of the speakeasy before the fire (Ray Labon):

Remains of the building post-fire. A light fixture hanging in a tree appears to be the only thing unaffected by the fire. (Curtis Walsh – Beaver County Radio)
Smoke seen still smoldering near the stage as of Sunday afternoon at 1:00 P.M. (Curtis Walsh – Beaver County Radio)