Sise Inn’s Playful Ghosts

Portsmouth, NH

This Bed and Breakfast is located in the quaint seaside town of Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

John Sise, a wealthy businessman, built this Queen Anne style home on land formerly owned by his wife’s family in 1881. He and his wife Lucy, and their daughter Mabel lived happily on the property for years. When Mabel married, she and her husband inherited the home.

In the 1930s the property was sold and then used as business and doctor’s offices. It later was a beauty salon and then was converted into apartments. By the 1950s the home was being used as a halfway house for the mentally ill.

It was at this time the haunting was first noticed by several patients. 

Sise Inn today.

In 1986 the home was renovated and became the Sise Inn. This inn has a charming Victorian Era atmosphere. Every room has antiques, and the butter wood paneling adds to the overall warmth of this 3-story building.

At the time the inn opened a modern light-filled atrium was added to the building.

With guests coming and going the ghostly activity became more pronounced.

Some feel there are two ghosts at the inn, one being male and the other female. Both are very mischievous--especially the male spirit who appears to be the more active of the two.

Ghosts tend to be fascinated by doors, and these two are no different. They like to open and shut doors, but they take this a step further and lock and unlock doors.

Haunted Suite 204

One couple staying at the inn returned late one night to find their room key would not open their suite’s door. The desk clerk and the manager tried with their passkeys, but they couldn’t unlock the door. At 4:00 a.m., a locksmith was called, and this man tried the couple’s key, and the door opened easily.

Maids at the inn have also reported having trouble unlocking doors--they feel cold spots each time this happens.

These two ghosts seem to be obsessed by the inn’s elevator--it often goes up and down, and the door opens and closes without human assistance.

They are also fascinated by the inn’s second-floor ice machine. One evening the desk clerk heard a commotion upstairs when no guests were staying on the second floor. This staff member found ice strewn around the hall and stacks of cubes melting on the floor in various guest rooms.

Another time a maid saw ice cubes being thrown across a room.

These two also enjoy moving objects. One noted incident involved a large potted plant that was seen levitating off a coffee table by a guest staying in a suite. This man demanded a new room.

A rocking chair that is near the front desk is seen rocking on its own.

In this same area one evening the desk clerk stepped away from the counter briefly and returned to find a pair of scissors on top of the counter--moments before these scissors were in a box where they are usually stored beneath this shelf.

The male ghost has gained a reputation as an amorous ladies' man. Female guests often report having their bottoms grabbed. One female visitor reported seeing this ghost lie down on the bed with her.

Maids have also reported his cheeky behavior. One stated this ghost approached her from behind and placed his hands on her hips.

So why is the ill haunted?

What is unusual is the two ghosts in this building have no apparent connection to the home’s history. Most haunted houses have former owners, servants, or someone that stayed on the property while living, then they return after death.

One favorite backstory or legend that is circulated about the home states a butler of Sise’s fell in love with a housemaid, but when their relationship went sour, the butler killed the maid and then hung himself. But there is no evidence this actually happened.

Most feel since these two ghosts are playful that it is doubtful they experienced violent or tragic deaths.

Who these two might be remains a mystery.