Here are three photos showing "Ye Old Bell House Tavern", one of the landmark buildings from the olden days. Above is a photo of the old Bell House Tavern in the summer of 1890. The building stood close to the present entrance to the Liberty Tunnels, near intersection of the Washington Pike (West Liberty Avenue) and Saw Mill Run. Located on the south side of Saw Mill Run between West Liberty and Warrington Avenues, it and was one of the first buildings constructed in the area.

The Bell House was constructed around 1850, and it served many purposes over its nearly 100 years. It was a diner, a saloon, a general store, a post office, a voting place, and a major stop along the old trolley line. It was near the Bell House, in later years, that electric trolley line coming down from Warrington Avenue switched from a single-track line to the double-track line for the trip up West Liberty to Brookline. The building was one of the more popular spots in the area at the turn of the century.

Note the 42-star United States flag adorning the building in the photos above. The 42nd State (Washington) joined the Union on November 11, 1889, followed on July 03, 1890 by Idaho and on July 10, 1890 by Wyoming. By 1912 the country had grown to 48 States.

The second photo shows the Bell House sometime shortly after the turn of the century. An addition had been added to the right of the building. It was then called Charles Juergens' Bell House Tavern. Electric lighting had not yet been installed, as the photo depicts the gas lanterns popular at the time. Cars were not very popular yet either and the front of the building was still adorned with posts to hitch up the horses that were the main form of transportation.

The final photo shows the Bell House on November 16, 1938, shortly before it was torn down. The picture was taken from the corner of Warrington Avenue and Saw Mill Run Boulevard, looking towards the intersection with West Liberty Avenue and the entrance to the Liberty Tunnels. The Bell House is situated on the right of the photo beyond the bridge. The bus on the roadway is passing the tavern on its way toward the tunnel intersection. The surrounding area had surely built up by this time, and motorized transportation was now the only way to travel. The Sunoco station is selling gas for 15 cents a gallon, so the price was right! The white sign on the side of the landmark building states "Bell House."

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* Photos provided by Nate Marini *