General Wayne Inn

The General Wayne Inn in Merion, Pennsylvania is a former tavern. It has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1976. Established in 1704, it was previously named the William Penn Inn, Wayside Inn, Tunis Ordinary, and Streepers Tavern before being renamed in 1793 in honor of American Revolutionary War hero General "Mad" Anthony Wayne, who had once stayed there.

General Wayne Inn
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
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Location	625 Montgomery Ave[1] Merion, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Coordinates	40°0′33″N 75°15′13″W
Built	1704
NRHP reference No.	76001655[2]
Added to NRHP	January 1, 1976

Murder and suicide

Executive chef Jim Webb and his business partner Guy Sileo bought the General Wayne in 1995. Webb was found murdered there in his office on December 27, 1996. Felicia Moyse, a 20-year-old assistant chef at the inn and Sileo's girlfriend, committed suicide on February 22, 1997.[3]

Moyse had been an alibi witness for Sileo. On the night of the murder, she and Sileo left the General Wayne at the same time, driving to dinner in their separate vehicles.[3] Sileo doubled back, killed Webb using a gun later linked to him by forensic evidence, then rushed to arrive at dinner before Moyse.

Police believe that Moyse realized her boyfriend had set her up as his alibi, and had been unable to live with it.[3][4]

Police were able to prove that Sileo had killed Webb in order to receive the $650,000 (equivalent to $1,060,000 in 2019) life insurance money from their partnership policies, before Webb could end their partnership and shut down the General Wayne.[5] Sileo was convicted in 2001 and sentenced to life in prison.[5]

Synagogue

In 2005, the building was purchased and renovated by Chabad of the Main Line, and converted into a synagogue and community centre.[1]

Famous people

Famous people who visited the inn include:

• William Penn
• Anthony Wayne
• George Washington
• Edgar Allan Poe
• Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette
• Benjamin Franklin
• Julius Erving

References

Notes

1. "General Wayne Inn". Chabad-Lubavitch of The Main Line. Archived from the original on May 3, 2012.
2. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
3. "Murder on the Menu". Forensic Files. February 8, 2006. HLN.
4. "General Wayne Inn". Famous Haunted Houses and Places. Encyclopedia of the Unusual and Unexplained.
5. Hessler Jr., Carl (June 1, 2012). "General Wayne Inn killer chef sees latest appeal denied". Delaware County Daily Times. Retrieved April 29, 2016.

Further reading

• Lake, Matt (2005). "Hessian Mercenaries Haunt General Wayne Inn". Weird Pennsylvania: Your Travel Guide to Pennsylvania's Local Legends and Best-Kept Secrets. Sterling Publishing Co. ISBN 978-1-4027-3279-9.