Colliding Continents

Monday, September 15, 2008

Haunted B&Bs

We are approaching the Halloween season and I wanted to get a little head start on researching some ideas. I found a list of haunted B&Bs on bedandbreakfast.com and here are some interesting B&Bs that I read about. Although Halloween is strictly an American cultural activity they had a couple of listings for European B&Bs as well.

UNITED STATES

WEST

Queen Anne Hotel , San Francisco, CA: Built as a girls' finishing school following the Gold Rush, the headmistress apparently hasn't given up her role of tending to the needs of the building's occupants. Dozens of accounts speak of "Miss Mary Lake" appearing briefly in a mirror or being noticed as a hot or cold spot in a room. There's even an odd report of Mary tucking in a napping traveler with the blanket snugly tucked all the way around the bed. The occurrences all happen in what's referred to as "Miss Mary Lake Suite" or "the haunted room" (No. 410). No wonder this is the hotel's most popular room among those seeking a chance at the third dimension. Celebrity psychic Nancy Bradley and Paranormals "Gold Rush Ghosts" have verified that the building is haunted and confirm the ghosts are friendly. It's the first stop on the Pacific Heights Ghost Trek.

Thornewood Castle, Lakewood, WA: So ghostly is this B&B, it served as a set for Stephen King’s mini series Rose Red in 2002. In real life, while no scary hauntings have occurred, guests have reported their share of chills. Invisible presences, the sound of footsteps, and stories of apparitions have been told. The ghost of Chester Thorne has been seen on the grounds and passing through his bedroom. According to lore, if you stay in Thorne's old room and ask for his help with financial matters, he will give you a hand. Thorne's daughter Anna, is often seen sitting at her bedroom windows, looking out. The property has Native American lore — the house is said to sit atop a fairy mound — and fairies are often reported in the gardens. Plenty of orbs have also appeared in guests’ photographs here.

MIDWEST

Hannibal Bed and Breakfast at Rockcliffe Mansion, Hannibal, MO: Built in 1898 and described as the "finest home in Missouri," this mansion was boarded up for 43 years after its owner, John J. Cruikshank Jr., died in 1924. During the years of the vacancy, local children would run through the home, under the dare of making it all the way up to the third floor classroom, tear off a piece of the schoolroom map, and return outside to prove they had made it through Hannibal's most "haunted house." Caretakers who watched over the vacant house would often be forced to leave their living quarters due to the strong smell of cigarette smoke that would sometimes appear at midnight. Now restored as a B&B, the housekeepers at Rockcliffe Mansion have to straighten the bed in the former owner's room, even when no one has been sleeping there, as it mysteriously retains the form of a 5'4" body. Mr. Cruikshank, who stood 5'4" while alive, died in that very bed! From time to time, guests have witnessed Mrs. Cruikshank floating through her grand music room.

SOUTH

Foley House, Savannah, GA: Legend has it that the house was owned in the late 19th century by a widow who rented rooms to travelers and boarders. She was suspicious of one male renter who came and went at odd hours of the night, but decided he was just a loner. One night, the lady was in her room when she heard the front door open and slam shut. She noticed the footsteps did not continue to the next floor but instead stopped outside her bedroom door. The door swung open and the boarder attempted to strangle her. Unable to scream, she grabbed a candlestick from her night stand and beat him over the head. He fell to the floor and the widow ran to another boarder’s room for help. Returning to the bedroom, they discovered the man was dead. Without money for a lawyer and fearful that she would be imprisoned for murder, the lady asked the boarder to help her conceal the body in return for free rent. On her death bed, the she told her friends what happened that fearful night, but never revealed the location of the body. Some have reported hearing the door suddenly open in the guest room where the man was killed followed by a rush of air, even though no one is there.

MID-ATLANTIC

Reynolds Tavern, Annapolis, MD: When you stay at Historic Reynolds Tavern, you may be cared for by the innkeepers, or by Mary Reynolds herself. Mary maintained the tavern until her death in 1785, yet some believe she has never left the building. Employees have heard her sing Christmas carols, experienced her "fixing" the grandfather clock in the dining room, and watched as she showed her dislike of new employees by breaking tea pots and glasses. The Maryland Ghost and Spirit Association confirmed her presence with photographs and temperature readings, and exclaimed that Mary is not alone; they identified a total of five spirits in the house.

NEW ENGLAND

Notchland Inn, Harts Location, NH: A frequently seen apparition is believed to be Nancy Barton, who died on the property in pursuit of her forlorn lover. One guest reported the name "Abigail" was written in the steam on the mirror in their bathroom when no one had taken a shower or bath in that room for several hours. Another guest woke up after an afternoon nap and noticed that someone had brought fresh flowers into the room while he was napping. When he went into the bathroom, he found someone had written "Happy Anniversary" on the mirror in lipstick. He went back into the bedroom, to find the flowers gone. He turned back into the bathroom, and the writing on the mirror had disappeared. Nancy may still be hanging around playing tricks on the men in retribution or could this ghost be Abigail, no one is really sure

EUROPE

The Plough Inn, North Yorkshire, England: A number of interesting occurances have been reported at The Plough Inn over the years, many attributed to the ghosts of Landlady, Mrs Gladys Saxton, and 17 year old maid, Margaret Harrison. Both died in a fire at the inn in March 1945. One couple were woken in the night by someone ‘plumping up’ the pillows on their bed. Another guest found his car key had mysteriously bent in half during the night of his stay. A number of guests, have reported seeing a woman in long black clothes patrolling the upstairs corridor. The young old daughter of one of the inn’s staff refused to enter one of the bedrooms saying “I don’t like it. It doesn’t feel nice. It’s scaring me”. One couple saw ‘orbs’ of light in their room during the early hours.

Le Mesnil de Creances, Creances, France: Dating back to Norman times around 1000 AD, it’s no wonder that stories tell that the inn is haunted. The oven-bottom vault of the staircase tower, and its construction in small flattish stones without thick mortar joints, points to a date around the 12th century. The house was inhabited early in the 19th century by three old ladies, the library by a single man and the kitchen by a family of seven.

Ballygally Castle Hotel, Ballygally, Ireland: According to legend, Lady Shaw was running through the castle trying to escape her husband when she jumped out of a window and fell to her death. She was apparently not quite ready to leave the castle; her ghost has been known to tease guests by knocking on the doors of the rooms then running away.

Castle Leslie, Glaslough, Ireland: This castle outside of Dublin is probably better known as the site of nuptials between Paul McCartney and Heather Mills, but that's not what makes Castle Leslie a little spooky. The castle has been in the Leslie family for over 300 years, and clearly some relatives have hung on to witness the many celebrity weddings that take place here. A number of long time deceased Leslie aunts and uncles have been spotted, and there's even a ghostly dog named Punch that comes to call from time to time.

Dalhousie Castle & Spa, Bonnyrigg, Scotland: Dalhousie Castle's ghost is known to most visitors as The Gray Lady. According to legend, The Gray Lady is the ghost of the mistress for the castle’s original master. She was imprisoned in the castle by his wife and died there. The Grey Lady glides up and down the staircases, making bizarre noises and sends out cold bursts of air. It is said the Grey Lady likes to roam freely throughout the hallways at night.

Written at 12:00 PM by Sebastien.

1 comments links to this post

1 Comments:

thehotelguru said...

There's a good list of haunted places, which include quite a few B+Bs and hotels, here:
http://www.worldreviewer.com/experiences/paranormal/

I particularly like the Gay Ghost of the George hotel...

September 16, 2008 11:03 AM