Haunted Pubs of New England Read online

  The dining areas are quite large and decorated with wonderful pieces of Colonial and Revolutionary artwork. There is a beautiful open-hearth fireplace complete with a musket and powder horn. The “Rules of the Tavern” sign was most amusing.

  Just to name a few of the rules:

  No slap n’ tickle of the wenches.

  No skulking loafers or flea bitten tramps.

  No dogs in the kitchen.

  If you are looking for a full slate of entertainment you’ll find that just up the road from the tavern is the largest tree in Connecticut, the Pinchot Sycamore, which is hundreds of years old and over twenty-two feet around. Once you arrive at the Pettibone you’ll find a tempting menu that includes braised venison potpie and other specialties. Their wine list is also most impressive. If you are just looking to stop in for a few drinks and soak up the atmosphere, or if you are planning an elegant dinner for two, the Pettibone Tavern is a great destination, full of history and charm. After all, the ghosts haven’t left there for nearly two hundred years.

  MAINE

  THE CAPTAIN LINDSEY HOUSE, ROCKLAND

  The coastal city of Rockland is the entry point to Penobscot Bay and is home to Maine’s second-largest harbor, after Portland. In August, Rockland hosts the annual world-famous Maine Lobster Festival, which brings thousands of people to the city to sample the state’s most famous crustacean. In fact, Rockland bills itself as the “Lobster Capital of the World.”

  The settlement was founded in 1769 and originally was part of Thomaston. Rockland was officially chartered in 1854. In the late nineteenth century, Rockland was a leading port for the export of limestone, which was used to make plaster. However, with the advent of wallboard and drywall, the need for limestone ended. Rockland has been a strong maritime community since the city’s beginnings, which were founded on shipbuilding, windjammers and lobster fleets. Protecting Rockland Harbor is a mile-long granite breakwater and the Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse, which has guided mariners into port since 1902. Today the city has evolved as a cultural community. Located downtown is the Farnsworth Museum and Wyeth Center, which is a nationally recognized historic collection of American eighteenth- and nineteenth-century art. There are numerous whimsical shops, delightful restaurants and streets filled with historic homes.

  Located just off of historic Main Street, you will find the beautiful Federal-era Captain Lindsey House. This sophisticated inn is a treasure trove of stories. The inn’s owners can spin a few yarns about their history as sea captains as well. Originally built in 1835 as the Lindsey House and Tavern by a prominent Rockport citizen, Captain George Lindsey, it was Rockland’s first inn. Captain Lindsey’s father, who was a veteran of the French and Indian War, was deeded a large area of Rockland for fourteen British pounds. The bricks of the building were handmade by the captain himself and fired in a kiln that he had built. The tavern proved popular with locals and visitors alike. Discussions of the politics of the day were commonplace and this was the gathering spot for those with opinions. An early advertisement for the inn states that they “make a specialty of catering to theatrical people.” Another ad states that “the table is supplied with the best food, well cooked and appetizingly served, and we feel confident that no one unless he be a ‘chronic grumbler’ will be dissatisfied.” The large three-story inn features numerous rooms on each floor. Rooms were priced at $1.50 per day and included food and drink. At one time the inn hosted twenty-five rooms. The captain took immense pride in his business and had a full staff of nine well-dressed and very attentive employees.

  It is said that Captain Lindsey still greets visitors in Rockland, Maine.

  In the early 1900s the property was purchased by the water company and the building became their headquarters throughout most of the twentieth century. The current innkeepers purchased the property in 1995 and restored it back to the nineteenth-century style, during its time as a tavern and inn. As part of the reconstruction they built a breakfast room in the design of a Scottish “snug.” Snugs were originally designed as secret places for people, especially women, to drink. There were times in early America when women were forbidden from setting foot in the local tavern. However tavern keepers converted storerooms and closets into secret hideaways for the ladies to gather and drink. Typically a snug sat between ten and twelve people and had a secret door to pass drinks through. While this snug is no secret and there is no door, it is very reminiscent of a historic and cozy snug.

  The innkeepers have collected fascinating antiques from their travels around the world. The inn is decorated with everything from gothic metalwork Spanish windows that hang in the parlor to a gorgeous marble nineteenth-century clock in the library that still keeps time. Walking through the common rooms of the inn is like visiting a museum. Each of the fascinating artifacts has its own unique past and history. The feeling in the parlor is warm and most inviting and would certainly please Captain Lindsey. It is in this area, in the two corner chairs, that guests have said that they felt something in the room with them. Some guests have even felt someone sitting down beside them on the couch. I decided to visit the property with a few pieces of ghost equipment in hand. The electromagnetic field (EMF) reader used to detect sources of energy—quite possibly ghosts—wasn’t immediately sensing anything, as I stepped into the parlor, so I left the meter on and placed it on the coffee table. After a couple of minutes I asked out loud, “Is the captain here?” Though the EMF reader had been silent for minutes, within seconds of asking the question it spiked for about forty seconds. When the meter went off, photos were taken of the sitting area. Above the chair to the left of the fireplace, a bright white orb could be seen very clearly in the picture. Two more photos of the chair taken from the same vantage point also reveal an orb, but in each image the orb was in a different position. Eventually the orb moved out of the image in the next series of photos. In this room people have also seen their beverages sliding across the very same coffee table. The room is not on an incline, nor is the coffee table crooked.

  When I took a break from the investigation and set the EMF reader down, it got strange readings. After walking the main hallway there were initially no readings. The device was put on the hall table and left in the on position. Minutes later the meter went off with a strong reading, and a camera was dispatched to the scene. Two pictures were taken, and one image revealed an orb in the hallway, just a few feet from the meter. The EMF readings in the hallway became quiet once again, as if something or someone was just passing through.

  Spirit investigators who had visited the inn previously believed that they made contact with Captain Lindsey and T.B. Severence, who had purchased the property from the captain in 1857. Their conclusion was that these were happy spirits who often liked to greet new visitors, much as they would have done during the times it was a tavern. There is even the theory that some spirited activity may be attached to the beautiful antiques that are located throughout the inn.

  There are many fascinating facets to the building. For example, when the water department remodeled the building, they installed a fireplace in what is now the parlor, and it was never used. In 1995, the current innkeepers were the very first to light a fire in the fireplace. In the main hallway there is a giant wall safe that is about six feet wide and eight feet tall. Although now empty, it is a wonderful conversation piece and it really adds to the character of the inn. Speaking of characters, the innkeepers are the perfect couple to run the inn. Ken and Ellen Barnes were captains of an American landmark, the schooner Stephen Taber, for twenty-five years. The Stephen Taber was built in 1871. Operating the oldest sailing vessel in continuous service in the United States, they have sailed all over the world collecting their own stories. The schooner is now operated by their son, Noah, who grew up on this magnificent vessel. It is available in Rockland for sailing charters. Just next door to the inn is the acclaimed Waterworks pub, also owned by Ken and Ellen Barnes. Ellen has authored a popular cookbook full of delicious recipes. Be sure to pic
k it up at the inn or in the local bookstore. Should you be a guest at the inn you’ll be treated to some of her specialties, such as cranberry-walnut apple pie. If your travels send you seeking Maine lobster and you find yourself in Rockland, be sure to visit the Captain Lindsey Inn. You will find a tradition of proud captains (past and present) who are keeping the legacy of this once-bustling tavern alive and well.

  THE COACH STOP INN, BAR HARBOR

  Part of Maine’s dramatic northern rockbound coast, the Down East region includes New England’s second-largest island, Mount Desert Island. It is a gorgeous location that boasts twenty-six beautiful mountains and four large lakes. The breathtaking Cadillac Mountain is the highest point on the Atlantic coast, rising over 1,500 feet. The winding road to the top of the mountain offers visitors a panoramic view of the Maine coast that is absolutely incredible. The numerous islands, lighthouses and scenic vistas are a delight to the multitudes of tourists who have enjoyed the area for hundreds of years. This truly is a place where the forest meets the ocean.

  In 1604, the great French explorer Samuel Champlain sailed the bays of the coastal area and gave the island the name L’Isle de Monts Deserts (which means “island of barren mountains”). However, it is said that for six thousand years before, Native Americans populated this area and thrived on hunting and fishing in this bountiful region. The original eighteenth-century settlement was called Eden, after Sir Richard Eden, an English statesman, but was changed to Bar Harbor in 1918. The beauty and rugged charm of the area lured the rich and famous from all over the United States. The Astors, Vanderbilts and Rockefellers mingled on the carriage roads. Since Bar Harbor was quickly becoming a popular summer playground for the affluent, extravagant hotels were built throughout the island in the nineteenth century. Some of the more recent famous inhabitants include Katharine Hepburn, Julia Child and Martha Stewart.

  The Coach Stop Inn was originally established as a tavern in 1804 to accommodate the people who were developing and building on the island. Many of the early tavern guests were sailors, as Bar Harbor had established flourishing whaling and shipbuilding industries. At that time it was known as the Halfway Tavern, a true coach stop for those making their way into the wilds of northern Maine. Sailors typically gathered around the tavern tables and shared sea stories and many mugs of ale. Builders of the ostentatious “cottages” and enormous hotels for the visiting elite also enjoyed their brew on what were sometimes rowdy evenings at the tavern.

  The War of 1812 brought difficult times to the islanders. English ships cruised the area, and residents were forced to pay large ransoms to the king or risk the burning and destruction of their properties. Many islanders took matters into their own hands, deciding to fight back in their own covert manner. Some of the local men lurked in the shadows along the ocean shores and shot at the English ships. This made conditions especially difficult and nerve-wracking for local mariners, who may have been coming into port at the time. It must have been quite difficult for them at the end of a harrowing night to get any rest at the tavern after navigating past the patrolling enemy ships and the boisterous locals shooting into the darkness.

  Bar Harbor is home to the beautiful Coach Stop Inn, which was a popular nineteenth-century tavern. Photograph courtesy of Jeff Reynolds.

  Summer visitors built more than 200 summer mansions in the area in the early twentieth century. On an October afternoon in a local cranberry bog, a spark smoldered in the sun and a massive fire followed. The Great Fire of 1947 proved disastrous for Bar Harbor, ravenously consuming 170 year-round homes, 67 of the summer estates, 5 hotels and over seventeen thousand acres of woodland. The fire was so massive that it took five days to control. Luckily, the tavern escaped any damage from this monumental catastrophe.

  In 1996 the historic tavern became a bed-and-breakfast. Today the quaint building is the cozy and inviting Coach Stop Inn. Jeff and Natalie Reynolds are wonderful innkeepers who lovingly care for the property. They are the third family to own the house and have been providing a wonderful retreat to guests since 2005.

  Upon visiting the inn you will find that the Reynolds have done a fine job of restoring the building and combining comfort with authenticity. There are exposed beams throughout the house, two working fireplaces and original wide pine-board flooring. They have redecorated using historic colors. The rooms are bright, airy and comfortable, and some rooms are even named for some of the area locales, such as Somes Sound and Blue Hill Bay. Keeping the inn cool on warm summer afternoons are the two-hundred-year-old apple trees on the property. The breakfast room includes a lovely original mid-nineteenth-century Queen Atlantic woodstove.

  So, are there permanent guests at the tavern-turned-inn? Perhaps. Jeff describes a good-natured and playful spirit at the inn. He said there have been a few instances when guests came downstairs and then went back up only to find their room doors locked. A gentleman who was staying in the Abbe room claimed he brought his clothes into the bathroom while taking a shower. When he stepped out of the shower, he looked around unable to find his clothes anywhere in the bathroom. When he opened the door into his room, he found his clothes neatly laid out on the bed.

  In addition, lights have been known, on occasion, to mysteriously flicker off and on without explanation. There even have been comments about guests hearing children whispering, at times when there were no children around. I’m sure if the walls of the house could talk they would certainly have a lot to say about its fascinating history.

  Should your travels lead you to the Coach Stop Inn, be sure to ask about the Azalea Garden and the Flying Mountain, two great places to explore a little off the beaten path. When you step into the breakfast room in the morning, you will find a delicious treat waiting for you—homemade blueberry fritters, part of a three-course breakfast that will give you plenty of energy for exploring the many curiosities that await you.

  You will still feel the essence of the historic tavern while visiting the Coach Stop Inn. Your hosts are most hospitable and they have tapped into the real spirit of this lovely place. Perhaps there may be spirits of another kind making your room a little bit cozier for your return at the end of the day.

  THE JAMESON TAVERN, FREEPORT

  Freeport, Maine, is located north of Portland and was officially established in 1789. Originally inhabited by several tribes of the Wabanaki, this seaport is very rich in history. The sea and the numerous peninsulas defined this area, part of northern Casco Bay, which made Freeport a desirable location for many settlers. In addition to shipbuilding, Freeport’s early industry included a fish-packing plant that began operations around 1830. It has since been converted into the local yacht club. Freeport is also home to internationally known L.L. Bean, known as the “Merchant of the Maine Woods.” Founded in 1912, the company grew from one small store on Freeport’s Main Street to a world-renowned retailer of outdoor apparel and equipment.

  A Freeport shipyard established in 1782 was home to the famous and very successful privateer ship the Dash, which was launched during the War of 1812. This swift ship made regular coastal runs to the islands of the Caribbean. The ship met its doom during a severe gale. In 1815, the ship and its entire crew of sixty-three were lost off the coast of Maine. The story of the Dash inspired poet John Greenleaf Whittier to write the poem “The Dead Ship of Harpswell” in 1866. His story was written about a ghost ship that would appear on the horizon “as out of a mist” and was an omen of death to all those who came upon it. This phantom ship, with its ghostly crew, always sailed against the tides and often disappeared as quickly as it appeared. This eerie ship has been seen cruising the waters of Casco Bay for over one hundred years.

  Legends from hundreds of years ago are part of the fabric in this quaint but lively town. The Jameson Tavern’s place in Maine’s history has been subject for debate for nearly two hundred years. Local tales state that the papers separating Maine from Massachusetts were signed in the tavern in 1820. Near the entrance to the tavern is a plaque, placed by the
Daughters of the American Revolution in 1915, which declares the location as the official site of the signing. While no one is debating the tavern’s historical connection to politics, old newspaper clippings indicate that the inn was a favorite meeting place for many years during the years that the Province of Maine was seeking independence from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. However, the site of the actual signing of the papers has yet to be confirmed.

  The Jameson Tavern is said to have played an important role in the history of Maine’s statehood.

  Built as a private residence in 1779 by a local doctor, John Anglier Hyde, it was later converted into a tavern under the new ownership of Captain Samuel Jameson. It operated as a tavern until 1828, when Jameson’s widow sold it to Richard Codman and it became known as Codman’s Tavern. It remained so until 1856, when it was purchased by James Cushing. In one of the offices on the second floor of the tavern, said to be where the commissioners had signed the separation papers, you can see the name J.C. Cushing scratched into one of the old panes of glass in the window. The tavern passed from family to family. Finally in 1981, the current owners reopened the building as the Jameson Tavern. Throughout its history, the tavern was visited by many famous people passing through Freeport, from the fourteenth president of the United States, Franklin Pierce, to famous author Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

  A wooden sign hanging in the taproom of the tavern features a quote from Samuel Johnson (1709–1784) that seems very fitting for its surroundings. It says, “There is nothing which has yet been contrived by man by which so much happiness is produced as by a good tavern.” In addition to the taproom, which is located in the old barn, the tavern contains numerous other dining areas, including a beautiful front porch and courtyard dining area. The décor also includes framed gravestone rubbings of the Captain Jameson and John Anglier Hyde tombstones.