Historic Stone Chimneys

Historic Stone Chimneys. Fayette County, Pennsylvania. , The Turner Inn was built in 1925 by Bill Turner and owned by Dr. Leroy C. Waggoner and leased to "Corky" Ruse. In 1937, Mr. Turner commissioned Frank Durigon to build the chimney's. Friends and family knew him as "Poppa Durigon" and would say he was a small man in stature but a large man in heart and talent. As an immigrant from Italy, he worked as a stone mason throughout his life. Once leased to Mr. Ruse, the Turner Inn became a favorite night-spot for locals and young people. It had a miniature zoo attached to it that homed animals like black bears, monkeys and birds that brought a crowd to witness., Early in the morning on January 12, 1952, the fire began in the center of the Inn, near the bar, and quickly spread to both wings of the building. The family living in the Inn, which included "Corky" Ruse, his wife, Helen, their six-year-old son, Ricky and Mrs. Ruse's brother, Paul Kokikn were able to flee from the building with only the clothes they were wearing. Firefighters reported to the scene but were unable to prevent the destruction due to the nearest fire hydrant being a mile and a half away. Water was carried by repeated trips to the hydrant but this effort was not enough to stop the fire from destroying the Turner Inn in an hour and a half. Flames leaped across Route 40, held up traffic for more than an hour and set fire to dry brush and a utility pole. Luckily, firemen were able to save the miniature zoo as well as 25 cases of whiskey from a nearby storage shed., All that now remains are the two historic stone chimneys that serve as a monument to a gifted stone mason.