Bannon's Irish Inn
Built by the Scott family in 1890, this building served as a restaurant on the first floor and a hotel on the second and third floors. In approximately 1910, an addition was added which housed a barber shop. This gave the building its unique triangle shape. Over the years, the building has served as a beauty salon, the Greyhound bus depot, and was home to the Virginia Taxi Company. It is alleged that numerous people performing at the Masonic Theater also stayed here. Namely, Chubby Checker, Hank Williams, and Jackie Gleason.
The most recent owner of memory was Judge Newberry. He was the owner of the taxi company and was also a well-liked teacher in the Clifton Forge area. Judge passed this building on to his two sons.
The building remained vacant until 2012, when Richard Bannon purchased it. He noticed the building while having lunch at Jack Mason’s Tavern across the street. He was drawn to its unique gingerbread carvings and stained glass windows. Upon closer inspection, he realized that the first floor had fallen into the basement. After extensive renovations, the first floor opened with the Tea Room restaurant and Celtic 2 Scotch-Irish gift shop in 2012. In March of 2014, the second floor bed and breakfast was opened, featuring two bedrooms. Each bedroom has its own parlor and private bathroom with the original claw-foot tubs. Also, one of the units has a rear porch, complete with seating and a barbecue grill. The rooms are well-appointed with Victorian furnishings and queen sized beds.