Detroit's Oldest Continuously Operating Bar · Colonel Philetus W. Norris Heritage · Yellowstone National Park 2nd Superintendent Residence · Village of Norris Origin (1873) · Prohibition Speakeasy
Philetus Walter Norris was born August 17, 1821 and rose to colonel in the Union Army during the Civil War before returning to Michigan and founding the village of Norris on Detroit's then-rural northeast edge in 1873. The building at the corner of what is now Mt Elliott and Nevada existed by 1873, when Norris transferred it to Hanford Holley; the bar traces its establishment to 1876. The building initially served multiple purposes, including general store, post office, hotel, dance hall, and briefly the village jail. Norris lived in the building until he built his adjacent house, the Philetus W. Norris House, which still stands and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
In 1877 Norris was appointed by Secretary of the Interior Carl Schurz as the second superintendent of Yellowstone National Park, where he served until 1882. He directed substantial exploration and mapping of the park; the Norris Geyser Basin in Yellowstone is named for him. Norris died January 14, 1885, and is buried in Detroit's Woodmere Cemetery.
The Two Way Inn continued through multiple ownerships and uses across the late 19th and 20th centuries. During Prohibition it operated as a speakeasy and a dentist's office (a common cover use); era-appropriate bottles have reportedly been discovered behind walls during renovations. The original wood-frame structure remains substantially intact, and the bar has been operated as a working neighborhood saloon throughout the modern era.
The Two Way Inn occupies a corner of the historic Nortown neighborhood. The name 'Two Way Inn' refers to the building's two-front-door layout, originally meant to accommodate both stagecoach traffic on one street and pedestrian/local traffic on the other.
Sources
- https://2wayinn.com/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philetus_Norris
- https://www.nps.gov/people/philetus-norris.htm
- https://historicdetroit.org/buildings/two-way-inn
- https://wdet.org/2025/01/16/curiosid-whats-the-oldest-bar-in-detroit/
- https://www.audacy.com/wwjnewsradio/news/local/the-two-way-inn-detroits-oldest-bar-and-most-haunted-bar
- https://www.audacy.com/wwjnewsradio/news/local/beer-wine-and-spirits-the-oldest-bar-in-detroit-may-also-be-the-citys-most-haunted
- https://www.audacy.com/wwjnewsradio/news/local/beer-wine-and-spirits-the-oldest-bar-in-detroit-may-also-be-the-most-haunted
- https://familydestinationsguide.com/mysterious-dive-bar-michigan/
ApparitionsCowboy figure in wide-brimmed hatLady in whitePhantom dog footstepsGlass movement on bartopsCold spotsHeavy footsteps overhead
Per WWJ Newsradio's coverage, WDET's 2025 CuriosiD feature, and the bar's own marketing, the Two Way Inn's haunted reputation is built on two named entities and a layered atmospheric feel that staff attribute to the building's many previous uses.
The most-cited apparition is 'The Cowboy' — identified as Colonel Philetus W. Norris, the founder, by his distinctive wide-brimmed hat. Patrons, staff, and owners across multiple generations have described seeing a man in a Victorian-era coat and wide hat moving through the barroom or upstairs corridors, sometimes briefly before disappearing through a wall. The attribution to Norris is historically grounded — Norris built and lived in the structure, was photographically documented in the wide hat, and died in 1885.
The second figure is a 'Lady in White,' described in flowing pale 19th-century dress, traditionally identified as one of Norris's daughters. The specific daughter is not consistently named across sources. The figure has been reported on the staircase and along the upstairs hall.
Other reported phenomena include: heavy footsteps and glasses sliding on bartops, attributed informally to lingering Prohibition-era patrons; the impression of a family dog (sometimes nicknamed 'Shadow' in retellings) heard padding across the floors; and cold spots in the upstairs rooms that once served as the jail cells, brothel rooms, or dentist's office. The bar is featured in a chapter of 'Haunted Bars and Pubs of Michigan' and is a regular subject of Detroit haunted-bar journalism.
The staff position — that the building is 'spirited, not haunted,' and that the spirits coexist with the living patrons — is a healthier editorial stance than most haunted-bar lore; readers should treat specific apparition descriptions as long-standing oral tradition rather than as formally documented investigations.
Notable Entities
Colonel Philetus W. Norris ('The Cowboy')Lady in White (Norris daughter)Family dog ('Shadow')
Media Appearances
- WDET CuriosiD — What's the oldest bar in Detroit? (2025)
- WWJ Newsradio 950 — Haunted history of the Two Way Inn
- Hour Detroit / Mickey Lyons coverage
- 99WFMK — Most Haunted Bar in Michigan
