Harper’s Tavern

History & local legend

Harper’s Tavern near Annville has stories of a noisy closet and an unexpected smoker, both recalled by longtime bartender Leah in a 2023 interview with LebTown. Her first account took place around New Year’s in 2009 or 2010, when the upstairs dining room was full.

At one table, a woman had been talking about her fear of loud whistles. As Leah returned upstairs, a corner closet door opened and two loud blasts sounded from within, reminding her of a tugboat. Leah said the diners heard them too. She shut the door, and the tavern never produced that particular sound again.

About five years later, Leah smelled cigarette smoke while preparing the mostly empty bar for the evening. Two women were sitting there. One said a man with large side-whiskers had been smoking and looked as though he worked on a boat. When Leah asked whether he had just left, the customer clarified that she believed he had been dead for a long time. Leah had smelled the smoke but had not seen the man.