History & local legend
The Boyertown building later known as Durango’s Saloon began as a private house in 1859, became the William Penn Hotel in 1870 and was renamed the Mansion House in 1884. Pete and Sandy Haberle purchased Durango’s in 2004 and soon had experiences they could not explain.
Pete told writer Charles J. Adams III about one encounter near closing time, when he and Sandy were alone. Looking through an opening behind the bar, he saw a dark, torso-like figure glide through the kitchen. Sandy saw it too. Staff also described sensations like fingers or cobwebs brushing their hair when collecting supplies in the basement.
The property has a connection to the 1908 Boyertown Opera House fire: former proprietor Henry Binder died in that disaster, and the hotel itself sustained damage.
Sources
- Charles J. Adams III, The Boyertown Area Expression, reporting Pete Haberle’s account, the basement and the 1908 fire
- The Boyertown Area Expression, the former Mansion House, Durango’s and the subsequent Ironstone restaurant
- Commercial property listing with street photographs of the former restaurant at 120 East Philadelphia Avenue
