I guess it’s safe to say that the Waynesburg Hotel and Lounge was legendary for those who frequented it on a regular basis. The Hotel was right up there with premier establishments like the Jury Box, the Colonial, Koratich’s Golden Rail, Buddy’s, Albert’s, and the Green Grill…just to name a few.
However, the Hotel had its own unique personality. It was like a friend, someone to “hang-out” with. It was where you went to see anybody who was anybody and maybe even a few nobody’s. Gathering there was less about the drinks and more about the quiet ritual of belonging to a special group. It had its own cast of characters who watched over it like a child and handled any situation that needed tending to.
On any given night, the bar hummed with familiar sounds. Honky-tonk tunes on the Wurlitzer jukebox, the spinning wheels of the poker machines, balls smacking on the pool table, loud conversations and laughter, and unfortunately, an occasional struggle. The Hotel was not a place to start trouble…get “out-of-line” and there was a good chance you went home with a knot on your head.
The regulars usually only nodded to one another in a shorthand of recognition when arriving, while newcomers hovered at the edges, slowly trying to figure out what they had walked into. The bartenders were steady anchors, knowing most by their names, their drink of choice, and usually something more personal like…who had a rough week, who’s celebrating, or who just needs to sit quietly.
At the Hotel, time behaved differently, and it had its own set of rules. Transferring your status from a stranger to friend was not an easy task. Conversations looped from the trivial to the surprisingly profound and many of the world’s problems were solved (some started) behind its heavy metal door. There was comfort in the predictability of it all.
You sat in the same stools, played the same songs, and drank the same beverages. Most of the time it was enough just to show up, take a seat, and be part of the ongoing story, if only for an evening.
The Hotel opened for business on St. Patrick’s Day of 1989. The “Grand Opening” was one for the ages, and it was an all-day affair. To start the day’s activities, a large cannon was rolled out the front door and discharged. Irish music filled the air, and the aroma of corned beef and cabbage swirled beneath the low tin ceiling. One unusual event featured something that most people in the county had never witnessed before. For five dollars you could toss a real-life “leprechaun” wearing a leather harness. The money from this event was always donated to a charity…usually muscular dystrophy.
Over the years, St. Paddy’s Day became more than a holiday for the Hotel. It was more like a reunion or a homecoming, where current and former friends and patrons gathered to relive old stories and create new ones. You literally had to push through the door. There were lots of familiar faces…like an Irish blessing you didn’t know you needed. Somehow, between all of life’s struggles, people would find their way back to that old dive bar.
The familiar Irish songs that bellowed from the jukebox made people shout the lyrics instead of singing them. It was almost like nothing had really been lost to time, just paused for a while. People celebrated with the ones who were there and toasted the ones who couldn’t make it…and for just a while they were exactly who they used to be.
Unfortunately, all stories have an ending. That chapter of the Hotel’s life came to an end when Jim Orum, the very colorful owner/proprietor passed away in 2010.
Orum’s impact on the establishment is forever etched in time with photographs and local recollections that document the hotel during his ownership. Truly knowing Jim was a tough task at best, but if you were in his circle, there was nothing he wouldn’t do for you.
After Orum’s death in 2010, the building eventually underwent a multi-year renovation and creative repurposing. It was transformed into Farley’s Hotel Café, a vibrant mix of coffee bar, ice cream parlor, and community space that celebrates the site’s historic character while offering modern amenities and events.
If the nostalgic effects of the hotel have to be explained…you probably wouldn’t understand it.
No doubt many small town bars have a similar legacy. But for many locals, the Hotel was uniquely special. Every time I drive past the Hotel, I wish I could swing in, see everybody and just say hello. It will always hold a special place in my heart…especially on St. Paddy’s Day.
