We have a magnet on our refrigerator that features a picture of the sign that used to hang above the door of Daniel’s, the old bar in Bellefonte’s historic Bush House. I believe that old sign reads, “Daniel’s: Meeting Place and Drinking Place, Est. 1886.”
I cannot be one hundred percent sure that is exactly what is says because the photo is a little worn from time, but “meeting place and drinking place” sounds just about right for that wonderful old bar. The date, 1886, is clear; that was the year the Bush House was completed.
I don’t know that it was always named Daniel’s—after Daniel Bush, who built the old historic building—but that old bar at the Bush House was certainly a big part of the Bellefonte community for many years. Like any good bar, it was a place where friends were made and good times were had.
Just like that picture of that door sign that hangs on my fridge, my memory is a little faded due to the passing of time, but whenever I look at that photo, I remember my own personal history at Daniel’s.
I remember Saint Patrick’s Day nineteen years ago, when my partner, Becky, and I shared our first kiss at that very bar, maybe fueled by a little liquid courage.
Soon after came our first real “date.” We tried to go to a hip, new place in State College, but it was too busy and crowded; we didn’t feel comfortable. We made our way back to the Bush House to have a drink in the comfy confines of Daniel’s and spent the night laughing and talking. The rest, as they say, is history.
Shortly after, Becky moved to Bellefonte, and Daniel’s was just a short walk away from her place. We thought we had the perfect neighborhood bar that would be there as long as we lived there; after all, it was established in 1886.
But for us, it was short lived. We came at the end. It was the next year, in 2006, when flames came pouring out of the old building on a cold February morning. Crews rushed to respond, but the fire was too big. The whole building was destroyed, and just like that we, like all of Bellefonte and Centre County, lost something special, something historic.
After all, Thomas Edison, Charles Lindbergh, and Amelia Earhart were among the hotel guests who might have enjoyed a meal and drink in that old bar room. Our little story was just one of many personal stories that have occurred there over the years. We were a very, very small part of its long history, but it was a big part of ours.
Now, for nineteen years, that land has sat vacant. There have been plans for a new hotel and restaurant to be built on the Bush House waterfront property for a few years now, but no earth has moved as of yet. Hopefully, when and if it comes, the grand new place provides a new place for people to go and make memories.
Until then, I am grateful for that photo on my fridge; it helps take me back to those days and that place we used to go to on Saturday nights.
Yes, every bar has its stories, and the people who were regulars have their memories. Perhaps that is why we are so sad when they go—we remember the good times we had. And while last call usually only means the end of the night, for many other cherished bars, pubs, and taverns that were once landmarks in and around Centre County, the final last call meant the end to the good times that were had there.
Let’s take a look at a few others that have been lost in the past few decades and say cheers to the memories, even if they are a little worn from time.
The All-American Rathskeller
Maybe no other bar mentioned in this story caused a bigger stir than the All-American Rathskeller when it closed in 2018.
When owners Duke and Monica Gastiger announced that the “Skeller” and adjoining Spats Cafe and Speakeasy were being forced to close in December 2017, the State College and Penn State community quickly began to show support for the landmark bar that had been in operation for 85 years. A social media campaign to “Save the Skeller” was started, but to no avail. The support eventually turned to mourning by way of a big close-out party that allowed patrons to say goodbye and have one last good time at the bar.
The Skeller was the quintessential college basement bar, and as Sean Yoder wrote for Town&Gown back in 2018 after the closing was announced, it was beloved for what it was:
“Maybe there’s a little stick to the floor. Those cobwebs could be from the Eisenhower presidency. The ceiling probably wasn’t originally that color. There are some anatomical anomalies drawn in black Sharpie on the Big 10 mural.
“Fans of the All-American Rathskeller wouldn’t have these things any other way.”
Now home to Doggie’s Pub, the location remains a college hotspot with its nice outdoor space, while retaining some of Rathskeller’s original charm. But for some, it will always be the Skeller.
The Darkhorse Tavern
While not as old as the Skeller, the Darkhorse Tavern became a downtown favorite spot during its twenty-plus years in business, and it was a second shock to the bar industry in State College in 2018 after it announced its closing months after its downtown neighbor’s closing.
The Darkhorse’s basement location was known locally for its wings and long L-shaped bar.
“We, at the Darkhorse Tavern, wish to THANK YOU for your support and patronage over the past 20-plus years,” owner Michael Caruso said at the time in a social media post. “Thank you for choosing us as a place to come have a pint, a laugh, or a plate of wings. A place to watch the game or listen to music. Without your support, we would not have these wonderful memories spanning the past two decades. But, as they say, all good things must come to an end.”
Jax Bar and Kitchen took over the location in 2018 and expanded the bar out into the middle of the dining room area.
The Hotel DoDe bar
As is well documented, the Bush House was not the only building to be lost by fire in Bellefonte—there have been many tragic incidents. Back in 2012, the historic Garman Theatre was also destroyed, along with the Hotel DoDe next door.
The Hotel DoDe bar was a long bar, with a six-pack shop on one side and pool tables in the back, and after the fire it was all no more.
The hotel was built in 1889. In 1965, the Centre Daily Times reported that proprietor Clarence Bingaman and his partner renamed the hotel by using the first two letters of their wives’ names—Dorothy and Delores.
The Nittany Inn
This roadside inn served good food and drink out at 1290 Snydertown Road in Walker Township for many years. According to the Lock Haven Express, the original Nittany Inn was built in 1826. In 1839 John Coverly acquired the property and it became known as Coverly Hall. Over the years, the inn mainly operated as a tavern, closing for a few years in the late 1800s and then serving drinks until 2014, when the latest owner, Michael Brookens, passed away. There were plans to turn the location into a bed and breakfast, but in 2015 the property was sold at a public auction and the building was was torn down—except for a small portion of the dance floor area that is used for storage.
Michael’s Tavern
Located at the Y in Zion, Michael’s Tavern was known for its food and its distinct horseshoe bar that jutted out around the main bar room.
Former owners Lee Dorey and Jerry Vonada fashioned the tavern out of an abandoned house.
For many years it was a rowdy bar, operating until the early hours of the morning, but as time wore on things calmed down. The tavern was in operation for thirty-four years before closing in 2016, leaving a void in Zion for a few years.
The void was filled by folks who wanted to brew beer at the location, first by the Old Farmhouse Eatery and Brewery in 2018. Then in 2022, the location got another new owner and look when the Blonde Bistro and Brew Works opened. Things have been running smoothly ever since, but the memories of Michael’s Tavern are etched in the minds of many.
Brenda’s Tavern
Up on the twists and turns of Runville Road in Boggs Township on the way to Snow Shoe, in 2018 owner Brenda Peters closed Brenda’s, the longtime roadhouse tavern, after twenty years of ownership. Pictures of the bar on the wall at the time dated back to the 1930s, and it had many different names throughout the years.
Clint Walker, of Snow Shoe, told this writer a week before closing that he had been coming to the bar since he was a youngster.
“I came in here when I was seven years old with my father. It just has always been here. I don’t come in often, but when I did, it was always good to see Brenda. Now, with Stover’s closing in Milesburg, there aren’t any places to sit down and relax anymore,” Walker said at the time.
Stover’s Tea Room
Back in the day, Stover’s Tea Room used to open at 7 a.m. for those who worked the night shift and wanted to gather together for a drink after work.
Legend has it that the name “Tea Room” harkened back to the Prohibition era of the 1920s. What may be the “last bar” in Milesburg closed in 2017.
The property has since been remodeled and has been home to a few restaurants over the past few years.
The liquor license went to Snappy’s across the street, for carryout beer sales. However, like Walker told this writer back in 2018 while talking about Brenda’s Tavern, bringing a six-pack home is not the same as gathering at the pub, or tea room, with friends.
Those are the times we will remember, at least as best we can. T&G
Vincent Corso writes “Spirits of Happy Valley” for Town&Gown. He enjoys drinking local and meeting new people at central Pennsylvania’s many interesting establishments.
