Our Story

Written by Hayley Yeager & Rachel Zummo

The Beginning

From a tavern to a hotel, this historical landmark stands proudly in the heart of Honey Brook, PA. The history begins with a two story building named Bull’s Head Tavern. Originally opened in 1735, it housed travelers, teamsters and drovers (i.e. cattle herders). As Honey Brook’s population began to increase, the old tavern needed an upgrade. The Bull’s Head Tavern then became the General Wayne Hotel after a third floor was added. The name came after General “Mad Anthony” Wayne. 

History About Mad Anthony Wayne

Wayne was a United States Army Officer and Statesman, born near Paoli, PA in 1745. From ’74 to ’75, he served as a Pennsylvania legislature until the American Revolution began. Anthony Wayne began to serve as a colonel in the 1776 Battle of Three Rivers in Canada. With his military exploits and fiery personality, he quickly earned a promotion as a brigadier-general. Later, Wayne commanded the Battle of Brandywine at Chadd’s Ford and the Battle of Germantown to which he and his army retreated to Valley Forge after. When summer came, he led the American attacks at the Battle of Monmouth and the Battle of Stony Point. After Stony Point, he was awarded a Gold medal by Washington and congress. Wayne went on to achieve numerous accomplishments in the Carolinas, Georgia, Ohio, Connecticut & Massachusetts. He returned home for a short period of time and then went back to western PA to finish up some national business. While in Presque Isle, he passed away from complications of gout in 1796. Wayne was buried here but was later moved from his resting place to Radnor, PA by his son, Colonel Isaac Wayne.

Rumor has it that as his son moved his bones, some of them fell out of the sacks along the way. Rumor also has it that Mad Anthony’s spirit walks along that route, looking for the rest of his remains. 322 was a lot of the route that Isaac took. You may be wondering, where did “Mad Anthony” come from? At one point during Wayne’s many adventures, he used a spy who became angry with him after he refused to lift his punishment of 29 lashes for his disorderly conduct.

Where We Are Today

Many places have been named after General Anthony Wayne. For example, numerous cities all over Pennsylvania that include, Wayne, PA, Waynesburg, PA and Wayne County. Schools such as the Anthony Wayne School in Philadelphia and General Wayne Elementary in Malvern, PA have been named in his remembrance. Lastly, we can’t forget the beloved General Wayne Hotel. The hotel originally included a dining room on the first floor with a smaller one behind it. The second floor featured a beautiful ballroom and a large public parlor. On the outside, you could see a large wrap around balcony, lined with rocking chairs. The grounds of the hotel included a tennis court, truck patch and a huge meadow with a pond. In 1978, Mr. Lewis Frame purchased the land after it had been vacant for some time & did a complete renovation of it in 1979. Frame had removed the ballroom and parlor on the second floor and added more rooms. At this time, he also turned the dirt floor basement into a large pub. When he reopened the Inn in May 1983, he wasn’t able to use the General Wayne Hotel name as it was taken by another business at the time. To honor the General in small town Honey Brook, the name became Waynebrook Inn. 17 years later, the Inn closed. Shortly after, Lewis Frame Jr. took the Inn and modernized it to suit the needs of guests but kept the original feel of the hotel. It reopened in 2007. The Inn went up for sale in 2014 but remained mostly operational. The restaurant had stayed closed. On November 20th, 2017 the Inn and restaurant opened again under new management.