History & local legend
Samuel and Jean Lemon opened the Lemon House in 1834 beside the Allegheny Portage Railroad. Travelers stopped there while their boats and freight crossed the mountains by rail, using a system of inclined planes. The ground floor offered food and drink; upstairs rooms housed the family and employees.
A later ghost story grew around the restored tavern. People working in the building reportedly heard doors banging when no one appeared to be moving through them. Windows were also said to fog unexpectedly.
Sources
- The Shadowlands Haunted Places Index, Pennsylvania, “Cressson – Lemon House,” report of banging and closing doors and windows on foggy nights
- National Park Service, Lemon House, layout, family, employees and time spent waiting for the inclines
- National Park Service, Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site, history and archaeology at the surviving Lemon House
- Historical Marker Database, transcription of the National Park Service wayside, railroad opening, main floor tavern and upstairs rooms
