Description
The first thing I noticed when I pulled up to the Parker House Hotel is the sprawling front porch and matching second story balcony which is supported by seven large, white, wooden columns. There are bench seats that could seat 10 people and a porch swing that comfortably seats 3. Half of the first floor windows display brightly lit neon beer signs. The first floor is split into 2 areas. To the left is the bar and kitchen. To the right is the restaurant and a large all purpose room. The bar has an old wooden floor with nail heads that have worked their way up over the years. Wooden walls, chairs and tables line the perimeter of the bar and surround a heavily used pool table. There are beer signs, antique tobacco advertisements and sports memorabilia covering the walls and ceiling. The original bar has in-lay mirrors and the old used wood sets the tone for the entire room. I can imagine the bar was beautiful in its former glory. The second story of the building has 9 rooms for rent with a shared bathroom at the end of each of the two hallways. The entire front of the second story is an apartment that the owners and their family use. The apartment opens to the private balcony that spans the entire width of the building and offers beautiful views of the Allegheny River and nearby mountain tops. The view of the river valley and the feeling of history is what makes me love this place. The people are genuine working class people that enjoy a cold drink and to cut loose a bit after a hard days work. I enjoy sharing a smoke with friends on the porch swing and watching the ice break up and flow down the river in the winter or canoes and kayaks floating in the summer.