Country Inn Roadhouse

photo courtesy of MOHAI

Roadhouses were popular meeting places around the turn of the last century and Georgetown had plenty of roadhouses. With the Meadows racetrack a short walk away from these rough and tumble waterholes it is no wonder the popularity.

Usually found in two story buildings immediately fronting the sidewalk, patrons would find gambling, drinking and dancing on the main floor while rooms for rent were found upstairs. Often "working girls" would continue to entertain overnight guests.

In 1911, Prosper Casteran and his wife Mary moved into the old roadhouse and opened the Carleton Avenue Grocery. It seems Casteran already owned the building and may have lived in a residence which stood on the northeast corner of the property. The 1908 Polk directory lists his address at 807 Monroe (now known as Warsaw). That building is now gone, but the foundation can still be found on the property.

A few reminders of the past have been found in the old roadhouse, an electrical inspection certificate dated 1906, a small stencil set, and an old Rainier beer bottle. After taking the old carpet out of the main living area in one of the upstairs apartments, the original floor plan was uncovered. You can clearly see where the old hallway would have shuttle patrons to the rooms and into the waiting arms of one of the "working girls".

The Country Inn Roadhouse saw plenty of action over the few short years her doors stood open (1904-1909). Today, she is the last remaining example of a roadhouse from the early years of Georgetown.