General Wayne Inn
The General Wayne Inn in Montgomery County has a fascinating history. The Inn operated continuously for many years. And for a very long time, it was declared to be haunted.
Edward Rees originally purchased the property from William Penn. Rees later sold it to Robert Jones, a Quaker. Jones opened an inn on the premises that was first known as the Wayside Inn. Anthony Tunis bought it in 1746 and renamed the inn as the Tunis Ordinary. In 1776, ownership passed to Abraham Streeper. Streeper’s Tavern was the new name and he added an addition on to the rear of the building. It also served as the Post Office for the area and Benjamin Franklin served as postmaster there for a time during the Colonial period. Finally, in 1795, the name became the General Wayne Inn , to celebrate the General’s triumph at Fallen Timbers.
Control of the property passed briefly into Hessian hands during the Revolution. Old legends claim the Revolutionaries built a secret tunnel leading from the cellar to a nearby field, unbeknownst to the Hessians. Although accounts differ, one version holds that a young Hessian soldier went to the cellar to procure wine for the victory celebration. The patriots hiding in the tunnel ambushed the young Hessian and killed him. They promptly buried his body in the tunnel so that it would not give them away. Locals residing in the area believe that the ghost of the Hessian soldier still haunts the General Wayne Inn.
The Inn has also had its fair share of famous visitors in its early historAmong these are George Washington, Ben Franklin, the Marquis de Lafayette and Edgar Allan Poe.
In 1978, Barton Johnson owned of the General Wayne. A professional medium contacted Johnson to conduct a seance in the Inn. She had heard that there was a great deal of “energy” there. During the seance, a total of 17 different personalities spoke up, led by Wilhelm, the Hessian soldier mentioned above.
A Modern Murder
Over the years, there have been many stories of unusual incidents at the General Wayne Inn, but in 1996, it became the scene of a real-life murder! In 1996, the co-owners, Mr. James E. Webb and Guy Sileo, who were also best friends, were struggling financially. On the day after Christmas, 1996, Guy Sileo supposedly shot Webb to death in one of the third floor offices. The authorities convicted Sileo of the murder and sentenced him to life in prison. Sileo claimed that his own hurt mistress, 20 year old Felicia, a chef at the General Wayne Inn, shot Webb in revenge because Sileo refused to leave his wife for her. Webb had strongly disapproved of the affair between Felicia and Sileo. Felicia later killed herself.
In October of 2001, Frank Cacciuti purchsed the General Wayne Inn. Cacciuti had found great success in running the prosperous Seven Stars Inn, located in Phoenixville, PA. As of July 21, 2002, Cacciuti closed the General Wayne Inn because he wasn’t making enough money. Business hadn’t recovered from the effects of the murder, and the local economy wasn’t supporting it. The present owner of the Inn is Rabbi Shraga Sherman, who has plans to turn it onto a synagogue and upscale kosher restaurant.