Orton Hotel

I'm not a fan of history class at all, but I love historic places - places filled with many stories that may or may not be true. I wrote this last semester for a feature article assignment. I conducted a brief interview with the owner of this establishment, and he requested that when I was done I send him a copy. I have yet to do this and have chosen to use this assignment as a way to get one last bit of feedback before I send it his way.

Traveling down Front Street back in 1888, pedestrians would hear the clogging and clanging of horse-drawn buggies on the cobblestone streets. Upon arriving at 131 North Front Street, one would be looking at the extravagant and luxurious Orton Hotel.

The only thing one hears now on those same cobblestone streets is the roaring of cars, but unfortunately one will not stumble upon the Orton Hotel, maybe only a few guests who never checked out; the ghosts left hanging around.

The Orton was built in 1888 by Mr. K.M. Murchinson and contained 100 guest rooms. One of the great amenities of this hotel was the private toilets and baths, then a rarity. The hotel also served up other modern conveniences such as telephones, a newspaper stand, spacious parlors, a barbershop, as well as a billiard room and bar room, both of which still exist at that location today.

The hotel was lost in 1949 due to a fire. In addition to the structure, a few hotel guests and employees were lost as well. The only thing to survive the fire was the billiard and bar room, the barbershop, and part of the first floor.

What now stands in the Orton Hotel’s place is Fat Tony’s Italian Pub, and in the original basement, Orton’s Pool Hall and General Longstreet's Irish Pub, all owned and operated by Rich Anderson.

Orton’s Pool Hall houses three of the original pool tables that were installed in the 1940s, one of which is known for being an accessory to Willie Mosconi, who is famous for setting the world record in 1953 for the most pool balls consecutively sank by one person. Orton’s also has the name of “America’s oldest Pool Room.”

There are a few ghosts that are believed to still inhabit this facility. Some believe that there are three ghosts that haunt the remains of the Orton: a sailor, the sailor’s prostitute, and a piano man. According to local legend, each of the ghosts has their own areas where they like to hang out.

The sailor, whose name is William, was a frequent visitor to the hotel. Every time he was in the port he stayed at the Orton. This particular time he signed in under an alias name since a prostitute accompanied him. William is said to haunt the area towards the back of the poolroom near the dartboards. He has been said to strike up conversation with the females, but upon the return of the girl to point him out to friends, he would have disappeared.

Some have claimed to see the apparitions of a female near the front pool table and the jukebox. This female is thought to be the prostitute that was accompanying William to the hotel. According to Paul Blackmore, Orton’s and Longstreet’s bartender, when closing up one night the pages on the jukebox began flipping back and forth on their own. One might say that it could be the prostitute. Both William and the prostitute perished in the hotel fire.

The other ghost is said to be that of the piano man. The piano man played for guests of the hotel and also perished in the hotel. He, supposedly, would step out the back door to smoke cigarettes and some say they have seen him leaning in the doorway with his cigarette.

Longstreet's Irish Pub does not seem to have any one ghost that haunts it but is said to have an evil presence. The dimly lit bar with its dark wood furniture and shadows dancing on stonewalls help create the feeling of a ghostly charisma.

Longstreet's used to be the barbershop located in the Orton. Owner Rich Anderson says that he has two of the original shop chairs, but does not currently have them on display because of the much-needed work to restore them.

Upstairs at Fat Tony’s, one of the hanging lights above the bar sways back and forth frequently. Most of the bartenders and familiar patrons claim that it is William swinging on it. A heating and cooling vent blows directly on the lamp, but the story is a fun one to believe.

All three of the bars are stops on the Haunted Pub Crawl. The tour guide tells its guests of the Orton’s history and those who have remained “guests.” In celebration of the fame received for its ghosts, the three bars offer a “Haunted Pub Brew.”

If you are up for some ghost hunting, post up in one of the three bars with a pint of this eerie brew and see for yourself. Oh, and don’t forget to say hi to William.