1730 Stone Building Haunted by a Ghost Named Penelope
544 York Rd, Warminster, PA 18974
Age
All Ages
Cost
$$
Bar and grill pricing.
Access
Limited Access
Historic stone building from 1730 with original floors and stairs
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1730 · Colonial Pennsylvania · Bucks County History
The original stone section of the building at 544 York Road is documented as one of the oldest structures in Warminster Township, constructed in 1730 when its owner petitioned local authorities for the right 'to keep a house of entertainment for travelers and their horses' — the colonial-era equivalent of a tavern license.
For much of its history the building operated as the Warminster Hotel, a designation that persisted through multiple ownership changes. Most recently it was known as Mike's Bar and Grill before operating briefly as Mike's York Street Bar and Grill (a common misnomer — the road is York Road, not York Street). The building closed for approximately a year and reopened in late 2023 under new ownership, with the establishment renamed Mike's York Road Tavern.
The location note in the pipeline data references 'formerly the Warminster Inn,' though historical records refer to it as the Warminster Hotel.
Sources
The ghost of Penelope has been attached to 544 York Road for as long as anyone in the area can clearly remember. The legend places her death in 1791 — described as a murder by rape — and associates her specifically with the building's attic. Accounts say that at midnight on certain occasions, the lights in the attic go out and a presence circles the building.
The story has not been independently documented in newspaper archives or court records, and no historical verification of a Penelope connected to this address in 1791 was located in web research. It fits the pattern of colonial-era victim-ghost folklore common to Bucks County, where a building's age and multiple ownership changes create space for stories to accumulate.
Staff at the current incarnation of the bar have acknowledged the building's haunted reputation. The attic where Penelope is said to dwell is not accessible to patrons.
Drink and eat in what is considered one of the oldest stone buildings in Warminster Township, a structure petitioned in 1730 to 'keep a house of entertainment for travelers and their horses.' The ghost of Penelope, whose legend places her death in 1791, is said to haunt the attic directly above the bar.
Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.
Trumbauersville, PA
The Trum Tavern at 1 East Broad Street in Trumbauersville, Bucks County, Pennsylvania is believed to be the first tavern in the township. In 1752, Elisha Parker applied for and received one of the earliest tavern licenses in the area, establishing what would become a commercial anchor in Trumbauersville for centuries. The building previously served as a courthouse.
Bristol, PA
The King George II Inn in Bristol, Pennsylvania began as the Ferry House in 1681, opened by Samuel Clift to serve travelers using the Bristol–New Jersey ferry crossing. It is considered the oldest continuously operated bar in Pennsylvania and one of the oldest in the United States. George Washington's troops are documented to have stopped at the inn in December 1776, days before crossing the Delaware to attack Hessian forces at Trenton.
Morgantown, PA
The Old Village Inn occupies an early-1800s structure at 3198 Main Street in Morgantown, Pennsylvania, a Berks County village along the original road network connecting Reading and Lancaster. The inn has operated continuously as a tavern and restaurant and has been held by the same family for over seventy years. Sources differ on the exact construction date, with references ranging from 1770 to 1790.