Hotel Bethlehem
A Brief History: Located at 437 Main Street in Bethlehem Pennsylvania, sits Historic Hotel Bethlehem. In 1741 Moravian Missionaries built the first house of Bethlehem, which was a log cabin, which was the original structure that sat on the grounds where the hotel stands now. The missionaries lived in the cabin for the next few years while they built up the town of Bethlehem. Within the next 20 years over 50 buildings were developed, and they all are still standing today. In 1794 the log cabin was replaced with a general store, which was around for the next 30 years. Around 1820 the store converted into an elegant inn becoming the Golden Eagle Hotel, which would eventually become Hotel Bethlehem, as we know it today.
Around 1919 the hotel began housing soldiers returning from WWI. In 1921 Charles M. Schwab purchased the hotel and started renovations on it, with a vision in his head of becoming a luxurious hotel with all of the state of the art amenities, such as a barbershop, a shoe shine shop, and a cigar shop, which sold some of the top brand cigars. In 1922 construction was complete and Hotel Bethlehem opened its doors. When the hotel opened up it was considered the most beautiful building in Bethlehem. Through the years there have been many famous people that have stayed at the hotel, which includes; Mark Twain, William Waldorf Astor, Amelia Earhart, Winston Churchill, Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, Shirley Temple, Muhammad Ali, and Jack Nicklaus. The hotel even had quite a few Presidents of the United States stay there such as; President Ulysses S. Grant, President Dwight D. Eisenhower, President John F. Kennedy, President Gerald Ford, and President Bill Clinton.
Today the Hotel Bethlehem is one of Pennsylvania’s top holiday destinations. So if you are ever in Bethlehem Pennsylvania, check out the luxurious hotel and its amazing history.
Haunted History: Hotel Bethlehem with its rich history also has a history of its fair share of ghosts who haunt the hotel. There are quiet a few claims of guests seeing unusual things over many years. One story is of a woman named May Yohe who was born in April of 1866 in the Golden Eagle Hotel. She was a singer and performer. Guests have claimed to have seen her on the 3rd floor in the exercise room and the lobby areas. People have also claimed to have heard a woman singing when the piano suddenly turns on by itself.
Another story is that of Mr. and Mrs. Brong. They were both the former landlords of the Eagle Hotel. In 1833 the hotel owners who were a committee of the Moravian Church, terminated both Mr. and Mrs. Brong after 6 months of being the landlords. Mr. Brong refused to join any guest who requested him to sit with them; instead he would sit at the bar and get completely drunk by himself. As for Mrs. Brong she would show up to work without any shoes or stockings on. When guests would arrive at the hotel, they were shocked because they were greeted by Mrs. Brong half naked. Today guests and staff claim to see a woman in period clothing with no socks or shoes on in the kitchen and restaurant area.
There are also claims of seeing an apparition of a man in the boiler room, which many staff believes it to be Francis Thomas. He was the town guide who loved bringing people into Bethlehem. Throughout his life he had many jobs some dangerous, but this particular job brought him great happiness. People believe he still lingers around the hotel because he loved it here so much.
On the 9th Floor in room 932, hotel guest have reported being woken up by a man standing over their bed saying “what are you doing in my room”. Once they turn the light on they realize that no one is there. Other occurrences that people have reported in that room is papers standing up by themselves or being flung off of the desk, the lights flashing on and off, and the bathroom wallpaper turning a pinkish color. In 2007 a paranormal investigator had the chance to stay in room 932 and they recorded many disembodied voices.
So next time you want to enjoy some amazing history and even get a little spooked out Hotel Bethlehem might be the place for you.