Pennsylvania Ghosts
Farnsworth House Restaurant, Gettysburg
Farnsworth House Restaurant offers dining in an authentically restored Civil War atmosphere. The dining rooms have Civil War era art work, paintings and photos in their decor. The menu specializes in period fare, including Game Pie, Pumpkin Fritters, spoon Bread, and Sweet Potato Pie. There is outdoor dining as well, next to a garden and stream.
There is supposed to be a ghost of a confederate soldier in the attic - some think that he is the one who shot a civilian, Jenny Wade, by mistake and that he haunts the house because of his guilt. The spirits at the restaurant include a female ghost, Mary, who wanders the upstairs hallway, sounds of a tune being played coming down from the attic, and guests have felt a pressure on the foot of their beds as if a person had sat down there. The Historic Farnsworth House is at 401 Baltimore St., Gettysburg, PA 17325 Phone: (717)334-8838. The Ghost Walk which had been affiliated with the Farnsworth House has moved out on their own (now the Sleepy Hollow of Gettysburg Candlelight Ghost Tours), and their web page can be linked to via my Ghost Walk page on this site. The ghost walk phone number is 717-337-9322.
Afternote: I have heard from a couple of people who have stayed at the Farnsworth House, and they both experienced paranormal activity. One heard people setting tables and talking in the empty dining room at 2:30am.
The General Wayne Inn, Merion
The General Wayne Inn is just outside Philadelphia. the Inn was built in 1704 and has been open for business as an inn and restaurant almost continually since then. It has recently been taken over by Abilene Restaurant group and it has a Southwest theme. On Friday and Saturday evenings there is live music, ranging from Swing to Blues. The most historic room of the inn is the Franklin Post Office where Benjamin Franklin came in 1763 and set up a post office for Lower Merion Township. It served as the post office for 134 years. It also was used as a stage stop and general store. George Washington and the Marquis deLafayette are said to have stayed a night there in September 1777, as did General Anthony Wayne for whom the inn is named. Edgar Allen Poe dined at the inn on many occasions and supposedly worked on "The Raven" while there.
A seance held in 1972 revealed many ghosts still wandering around the inn. The most witnessed ghost is that of a Hessian soldier, one of a group of German soldiers hired by the British in the Revolutionary War. He is seen most often in the basement, but has been spotted in other areas as well. Two ghosts were identified as women from the mid-eighteenth century. A co-author of Historic Haunted America, Beth Scott, actually witnessed an apparition of a woman float by the owner and her as they sat talking at a table. The General Wayne Inn is at 625 Montgomery Ave., Merion PA. Phone: (610)664-5900. They are closed on Mondays. Web page: www.generalwayneinn.com
link to General Wayne Inn
the Inn at Crier in the Country, Glen Mills
This lovely house was once owned by a woman named Lydia who had to sell it much against her will because she fell on hard times. She loved her home and it pained her terribly to have to let it go. She may, however, have only been parted from it while she was still alive... Many think her spirit has settled back in, and that it is Lydia who makes the chandelier on the first floor swing and sings in the dining room (called Lydia's Room). Tables have been set the night before for events the next day, and when the staff arrive in the morning all the place settings are piled in the center of the table. In the upstairs Men's Room a man saw a reflection of a woman in an old fashioned gown, and when he turned, no one was there. Another ghost has been sensed and seen in the kitchen, and the staff think that this is the ghost of Henry Saulnier, who bought the house from Lydia. The Inn is at 1 Crier in the Country Lane, Glen Mills, PA (610) 358-2411.
Inn at Crier in the Country web site
Logan Inn, New Hope PA
The Logan Inn, in Bucks County, is one of the oldest continually operated inns in the country. It was built in 1722. During the Revolutionary War part of the basement was used as a morgue one winter while the ground was frozen and bodies could not be buried. Although paranormal events have taken place throughout the building, Room 6 in particular is supposed to be quite haunted. There is a large portrait of a former owner’s grandparents on a stair landing. People have smelled the scent of lavender perfume by the painting, and photos taken of it have sometimes shown a filmy image in front of it, so do bring your camera if you go. Staff members have heard someone call them by name when no one is there and objects have been moved around. The inn has 16 guest rooms. Rates vary by room type and season, but basically range from approx. $100-$200. No pets are allowed. The Logan Inn is at 10 West Ferry St., New Hope PA 18938, phone: 215-862-2300.