Ferrell's Diner

Isaac Glenn ‘Dick’ Ferrell (1895-1970) was the son of Erastus David and Arminta Judson Carden Ferrell.  He married Elizabeth Louise Sampson.

In 1933 Dick Ferrell and his brother John Spurgeon Ferrell moved to Princeton looking for a business after losing their Sweet Shoppe in Greenbrier County during the depression.

Spurgeon found a street car which was located in the middle of Mercer Street. Instead of buying the street car he bought the Sweet Shop in Athens across from Concord College (now Concord University). 

Dick Ferrell bought the street car and put it on a leased lot on Mercer Street, eventually buying the lot. At first he only sold hotdogs. Then he started selling plate lunches for 25 cents. Business grew and he added more food to the menu and added a room with booths to one end of the diner. He then added a room on the back and improved the kitchen. His wife Louise worked in the restaurant with him.

He named the restaurant Ferrell’s Diner because of the street car. It was located at 925 Mercer Street, on the same block as G. C. Murphy’s and Spangler Drug Store.

In 1953 there was a fire and the restaurant was remodeled. On August 14, 1954, his wife Louise died. He married Fern Phlegar in 1957 and she became his business partner.

In February 1962 there was a fire that totally destroyed the building. They rebuilt and reopened the restaurant in August of 1962. At that point, the diner was a more upscale restaurant. There were booths on the left side with the kitchen on the right and tables in the back. They served full dinners, steak, seafood, salads and desserts.

Dick remained in the business until his death in 1970.  After his death his wife Fern sold the business to her brother, Harvey Phlager.  He was a resident of Princeton most of his life and a prominent businessman in Mercer County. Ferrell’s Diner continued operations under Harvey Phlager’s ownership until his death in 1975.

---Some information obtained from an article by Ellen Ferrell Hunt, Mercer County History 1984