Positively Philadelphia: A Small Hotel in Doylestown, Pa.
By Lauren Lipton
DOYLESTOWN, Pa. (CBS) -- Like so many historic hotels, the Doylestown Inn has gone through many changes since it first opened, on State Street in Doylestown, in 1902.
"It was a hattery, (and) there was a shoe store here," says general manager Cherri Horsman. "There was a cigar shop at one point. It's just been, like, the hub of Doylestown."
It even operated as a speakeasy during prohibition.
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Horsman says the building is now back to being an inn after a group of local people decided to restore it, calling it their "valentine to Doylestown."
"We have eleven rooms right now. They're so quaint and charming, it's just perfectly Bucks County," she says. And she adds that over the Doylestown Inn's long history, a number of famous people have stayed here:
"Legend has it that Oscar Hammerstein stayed here at one point. The rumor is that the lyrics for South Pacific were written here. Henry Fonda, Pearl S. Buck, Dorothy Parker."
And the name of the hotel's restaurant alludes to its rich history.
"The restaurant is called the Hattery Stove and Still. If you go through the restaurant, you'll see a bunch of fun things. There's a bunch of hat lights hanging above one of the bars. There's hats all over, so it's fun," she tells Positively Philadelphia!
And in the lobby, there is a two-story-tall stack of vintage luggage.
"There was a gentleman here two days ago who was joking with me, and said, 'I think that suitcase is mine!' "
And, for this week, that's "Positively Philadelphia!"
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