HauntBound archive · catalog record
Reported phenomena — as catalogued
An 1835 Hollidaysburg tavern where renovation-era workers reported footsteps and a shadowy figure
401 S Juniata St, Hollidaysburg, PA 16648
Research updated June 2026
Age
All Ages
Cost
$$
Restaurant and tavern pricing; no admission fee. See the website for hours and menu.
Access
Limited Access
Historic three-story tavern building with stairs to upper floors
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1835 · Pennsylvania Canal-Era Transportation · One of Hollidaysburg's Oldest Commercial Buildings
The U.S. Hotel stands on South Juniata Street in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania, the seat of Blair County. According to the venue's own history, the building dates to 1835, the era when Hollidaysburg was a busy transfer point on the Pennsylvania canal and portage railroad system that moved freight across the Allegheny Mountains.
The hotel served travelers and freight crews during that boom and is associated in its history with proprietor John Dougherty. As canal traffic gave way to the railroads and the town's role shifted, the building continued in use, eventually settling into its long life as a tavern and restaurant.
The three-story structure is among the older surviving commercial buildings in Hollidaysburg's historic core. It underwent renovations in the 1990s, and it was during that work that the building's ghost stories took their modern shape, as workers reported activity on the upper floors.
Today the U.S. Hotel operates as a full restaurant and bar. The site is experienced through dining rather than any ghost program, with the haunting lore circulating through local storytelling and a paranormal-research listing rather than the venue's own marketing.
Sources
The U.S. Hotel's ghost stories are anchored to its 1990s renovation. According to a paranormal-research account of the building, workers on the project reported hearing footsteps and laughter coming from the empty second floor, and described seeing a woman in white on the upper level.
The most repeated image is of a shadowy male figure said to be carrying an axe. Local lore connects that figure to a patron who, in the tavern's rougher canal-era days, is said to have been mortally wounded during a fight in the barroom. The story is recounted as folklore rather than from a documented record, and no victim is named in the available account.
The building's age and its history as a travelers' tavern give the legends their setting. The reports come mainly from the renovation period and from a paranormal-society write-up rather than from any ongoing investigation or venue program, which is why the site is held for further corroboration.
Notable Entities
The U.S. Hotel operates as a restaurant and tavern in its 1835 building. Dining is the standard way to visit the site tied to the renovation-era ghost reports; the venue is not a ticketed paranormal attraction.
Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.
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