Gettysburg: Farnsworth House

Farnsworth House

Brigadier General Alton J. Farnsworth who died during the Gettysburg battle built this farmhouse located in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania in 1810.

Today this building is run as a nine-room B&B and is known to have many restless spirits.

Some haunt this house because they died in the bloodiest battle of the Civil War—the Battle of Gettysburg-- others died during different points in time—regardless they all died tragically.

During the Civil War, Confederate sharpshooters used the house to strike down Union soldiers. They shot the enemy through the home’s windows. Later the house was used as a makeshift hospital.

Several of these fallen soldiers, haunt five of the rooms plus the attic in the modern-day Farnsworth Inn.

These sharpshooters are often heard moving about the attic. Juice harp music is heard playing, and a soldier’s footsteps are heard as he carries a dying comrade downstairs to the basement. He is heard softly singing in an attempt to comfort this wounded man.

Especially at night, shadowy figures are seen throughout the house. They are often spotted in the dining room. One soldier is heard pacing up and down the main hallway.

Other ghosts observed at the house that have no connection to this famous battle include a youngster named Jeremy, who one afternoon was playing tag outside with his friends, he was tragically trampled to death by a passing buggy.

His ghost is seen being carried in a blanket by his sobbing father, who brought him into the house after the accident.

Jeremy’s apparition is seen roaming throughout the house. He is known to steal items, leaving his toys in their place. His ghost is seen at nearby homes and a shop as well.

A former resident of the house, a midwife, named Mary died in the Sarah Black room in the Inn. She is often seen in the Catherine Sweeney room. Several guests have observed her sitting on the edge of their beds.

Catherine Sweeney Room

She likes to mess with people’s personal belongings and to touch their hair. One guest who was ill with a cold saw Mary several times—this makes sense since while alive, she often tended to the sick.

The Inn gives ghost tours, and Mary’s ghost is sometimes seen accompanying these tours.

Yet another ghost at the Inn is spotted in the kitchen. This spirit appears first like a black mist and then slowly changes into an older woman, she likes to check out the modern gadgets in this room.

She wears 19^th Century clothing and she vanishes when approached. It is thought this lady must have been employed as a cook in the house at one time.

The Farnsworth Inn also experiences a lot of poltergeist activity. Employees are often touched, their aprons are tugged on, and trays overturn on their own.

One recent incident involving the Civil War ghosts in the house happened on Halloween.

A local radio station was about to broadcast live from the Inn—the crew was all dressed in blue jeans and blue shirts. When one of them called the station to check on their feeds, he addressed a person on the other end who was nicknamed, “Captain.”

A psychic who was part of this broadcast, later that day, reported that the ghosts of the soldiers were in an uproar. Hearing people dressed in blue, reporting to their Captain had given them the idea that they had been discovered by Union troops.

They were convinced they had a spy in their midst.

The psychic tried to convince them the war was over, but they didn’t believe her.

Sweden: The Haunted Vicarage

Old vicarage

There is an old vicarage located in the small village of Borgvattnet *in Jamtland County in Northern Sweden, it is believed to be one of the countries most haunted houses.

* Borgvatten Spokprastgard in Swedish

Several of the vicars that lived at the vicarage over the years experienced strange activity while living there. It is their accounts that have given the old house such a strong reputation for being haunted.

This old vicarage was built in 1876 but it wasn’t until ninety years later in 1927 that the first encounter with a ghost occurred. The chaplain, Nils Hedlund at the time experienced several things he could not explain.

One incident involved his laundry. As he made his way to the attic to gather more of his laundry he saw an unseen force outside tearing down his clothes from the line.

The next priest to reside at the vicarage in the 1930s was Rudolf Tangden. While he was sitting in one room he spotted an old woman wearing grey appear in a nearby room, he got up to ask what she wanted but as he entered the room she just vanished.

Tangden’s successor, Otto Lingren lived in the vicarage in the 1940s. He and his wife heard unexplained sounds and saw objects move. They heard disembodied steps in the hall and also heard music coming from this area.

One female visitor, Inga Flodin that stayed in the guestroom was awakened in the middle of the night with a feeling she was being watched. She saw three old women sitting on a sofa against one wall in the room. They all appeared to be crying.

Guest room

She quickly turned on the light and they were still there but now appeared blurry. When she had gone to bed the sofa had not been in the room and when she awoke the next morning it was not there.

Erik Lindgren, another chaplain assigned to the vicarage in 1945 recorded several unusual experiences including one that occurred as he moved in. Tired from unpacking he sat in a rocking chair and read a book.

Moving rocking chair.

Suddenly, this chair tipped forward and he was thrown out. Lindgren stated that when he sat down again he felt a strong force enter his body.

Today this rocking chair is seen rocking on its own.

In recent years the vicarage has been used as a small Bed and Breakfast, it is also a restaurant and café. Many of the guests that have stayed here report strange activity.

These reports include: shadow people, footsteps on the stairs, a woman screaming, someone crying, knocking sounds, and a Madonna is seen in one mirror.

One couple was making their way down the stairs when an unseen entity grabbed the husband’s arm. He was dragged down the rest of the steps and out into the yard.

This couple refused to reenter the house—they slept in a tent on the lawn instead.

Several guests have reported being awakened to find an unseen cold hand pressed to their foreheads.

Several theories have been put forth as to why the old vicarage is haunted. Many believe it is former vicars that haunt the house others recount stranger stories.

One of these involves a maid who worked at the vicarage. She found herself pregnant and out of desperation she killed and buried her baby next to the house.

Yet another one told involves one priest, Per Hedlund who lived at the vicarage. His wife Marta died while delivering their 11^th child.

Per took her body from the morgue and in a strange twist, the villagers had to convince him to bury her. It is said when he moved away from the vicarage he dug her body up and took it with him.

A strange side note about this story involves Nils Hedlund who was the first vicar to notice paranormal activity in the house, he was one of Marta’s sons.

Today, when people are willing to stay the entire night at the old vicarage—Bed and Breakfast--they receive an “overnight-stay-certificate” to honor their bravery and to prove they did it.

The following video has many interior shots of the vicarage including the mirror and a video of the rocking chair moving.

Lyle and the Groveland Hotel

Groveland Hotel in winter.

This charming Bed and Breakfast offers 17 unique rooms for guests that come to stay in the small Sierra Nevada Mountain town of Groveland California near the entrance to Yosemite Park.

Initially built in 1849 this structure was an adobe trading post. It then was used as a gambling house, saloon, hotel, Ranger Station, business offices and even a Greyhound Bus Stop.

This picture was taken in early 1900.

Peggy and Grover Mosley bought this old run-down building in the 1990s. They spent two years and a million dollars to renovate this structure.

One room in this hotel is always in high demand. Number 15 is where Lyle resides. He is the inn’s ghost. Peggy and her employees enjoy sharing stories about Lyle.

During California’s Gold Rush this building was considered the most elegant house on the hill. So when Lyle, a reclusive miner, struck it rich he took up residence in Room 15.

His new living arrangement was also convenient for he worked the Spring Gulch Mine nearby. Lyle stayed in Room 15 for years.

He was found dead in this room in 1927, underneath him, was a box of dynamite one of the tools of his trade.

Lyle haunts Room 15 and the area that surrounds it. He was known to be obsessively neat and tidy while alive and it appears his ghost is the same.

Lyle's Room 15 today.

Female guests that stay in this room find if they place their cosmetics on Lyle’s dresser he does not like this clutter for when they return their makeup is no longer on the table. They often discover their items placed on the sink instead.

One female guest even watched as her makeup flew off the back of the dresser and landed on the floor.

Lyle’s ghost also likes to mess with the water. Taps are often turned on when no one is around--Peggy and Grover experienced this when they were the only two in the hotel.

Lyle also turns on the water in shower stalls in rooms near Room 15 when no one is around.

Another prank he enjoys is messing with the room door locks near Room 15. Guests return to find their room keys temporarily do not work.

There is also a romantic tale told about Lyle. Peggy states that if his ghost has not been active for a while, it means he is visiting The Hotel Charlotte across the street from the Groveland.

While alive, Lyle had a love affair with the original owner of this hotel--Charlotte.

Hotel Charlotte 

Casper’s Ivy House Inn

Casper Wyoming

Built in 1916 this beautiful Cape Cod style home is located in Casper, Wyoming. Mr. and Mrs. White had their roomy 3-story house built near the Rocky Mountains.

In the 1940’s they had two grand porches added to their home. Mrs. White died in 1995 at the age of 93.

In 1996, Tom and Kathy Johnson bought the home with plans to turn it into a Bed and Breakfast.

Ivy House

Neither believed in ghosts but they quickly changed their minds.

A Strong Presence

Mrs. White was known to be controlling while alive and in death this did not change.

As the Johnson’s renovated the old home Mrs. White let them know when she was unhappy with the changes.

Renovated Ivy House Inn

At one point as Tom was using a power drill it stopped working. He turned around to see the cord hanging in mid air before it dropped to the floor. On another occasion he saw his hammer move on its own out of the room he was working in.

These experiences changed Tom’s outlook on life and he became a paranormal investigator. The Johnson’s have allowed nine different teams to investigate their inn.

Guest Reports

Since the Bed and Breakfast has opened Mrs. White has been active on a regular basis. She particularly does not like guests to smoke or drink in her home.

Her two Siamese cats also haunt the home. Several guests have reported seeing them running throughout the inn. One female guest stated that a cat slept with her on the end of the bed. She reported it purred contentedly the whole night.

Another ghost seen at the inn is a man. He is often seen in the back parking lot. The inn’s alarm goes off repeatedly in this area. The Johnsons wonder if this might be Mr. White.

One guest reported seeing a male figure by her bed. She then heard him say, “Isn’t it funny how people get lost?”

1 of 5 bedrooms at inn.

In one downstairs bedroom guests all report having the same dream. It involves a young man who wanders back and forth between the closet and the sink.

Aromas

But with all this activity it is felt Mrs. White makes the most appearances.

Many guests have reported as they walk though the inn they smelled old-fashioned aromas. These include: old menthol cold medication, the aroma of baking chocolate and the odor of a scouring pad on a skillet.

Mrs. White’s ghost is seen in mirrors, at windows and she is seen walking down a hall and walking through walls.

Guests report they heard someone knocking at their doors but when they went to answer it no one was there. Others report if they took their time answering the door they saw the doorknob twist.

It appears Mrs. White likes attention. Several photographs taken at the inn have an extra figure in them--Mrs. White.

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.

Florida: Cedar Key’s Haunted Hotel

Just off Florida’s Gulf Coast sits a small barrier reef island. Over the years, several
hurricanes and fires have devastated the community of Cedar Key on this island. But this small town has always managed to bounce back. 

1884

One structure in Cedar Key, in particular, survived both natural disasters and human tragedy. This structure’s history has left its mark in the shape of several ghosts that have been seen many times.

Today “The Island Hotel” is one of Florida’s most beautiful Bed and Breakfasts and is on the National Register of Historic Places. This structure formerly housed a general store and post office in 1859. Its walls are 12 inches thick which allowed it to weather many storms. One hurricane that hit Cedar key in 1896 flattened the whole town except for this building.

During the Civil War, the island played a vital role. Confederate Blockade Runners used Cedar Key to export cotton and lumber, and import badly needed food and supplies for their troops. 

As a result, Union troop burned down the town. This structure was the only one to survive. Confederate troops managed to take back the town, and they used this building to billet officers. After the war, the structure was used again as a general store.

One ghost that is spotted from this era is that of a young black boy who did odd jobs in the general store for the manager, after the Civil War. One day the boss spotted this boy putting something in his pocket, assuming he had stolen something he chased him out the back door. The boy was never seen again. 

A year later, when the water cistern located in the basement was being cleaned, workers found a skeleton of a child. The boy had evidently hidden in this large cistern to avoid capture and drowned. This area is accessed by a trap door at the back of the building, and it is stated that this boy’s ghost still haunts this very dark low-beamed room.

Yet another ghost from this era appears quite often at the hotel. A Confederate soldier is seen early in the morning standing at attention just inside the second-floor balcony doors. Once spotted, this apparition disappears quickly.

By the 1880s this building was being used as a boardinghouse and restaurant. It is rumored, President

Grover Cleveland stayed the night. 

In 1914, the building was renovated, and a second-floor balcony was added to the structure. 

A man by the name of Markham re-opened it as the “Bay Hotel.” One of the town’s citizens, Simon Feinberg objected to the fact that Markham had an illegal still in his attic. 

Markham denied its existence and Feinberg mysteriously died of food poisoning. 

A ghost that is spotted fits the description of Simon Feinberg. His apparition is seen mostly at night wandering the halls and rooms. He disappears quickly as well.

Credit: Ebyabe

During the Great Depression, the hotel was run as a speak-easy and brothel. At this time the structure was saved from a fire because several of the town’s firemen were visiting the hotel when this fire broke out. 

A female ghost haunts Room 27 and Room 28 in the hotel. It is said that she was a prostitute that worked in the hotel when it was a speak-easy. 

She was murdered in the hotel. She is known as the” friendly ghost” because guests who stay in these two rooms are awakened when she approaches their beds. She kisses them on the cheek and then disappears in a smoky haze.

By World War ll, the structure was so run down it was basically condemned. But in 1946 a couple, Bessie and Loyal Gibbs bought the building and brought it back to life. 

They renamed it “The Island Hotel” and its first-floor bar became well known. Regular patrons included: Pearl Buck, Vaughan Monroe, Tennessee Ernie Ford, Francis Langford, Myrna Loy, Richard Boone and John MacDonald. 

Yet another hurricane hit Cedar Key in 1950, this time the structure lost its roof, but it was quickly repaired. Since the Gibb’s passing several new owners have made even more improvements to the hotel.

Bessie Gibbs, who lived at the hotel for twenty-six years, until she became too ill to run it, is also often seen. Late at night, she is spotted walking through walls, and she likes to slam doors. 

Others have witnessed the result of her handy work. It is said she likes to move pictures and furniture around the hotel. 

Some state The Island Hotel hosts more than ten ghosts. Other ghosts at the hotel include two Native American Indians, a fisherman and a tall, thin man that has not been identified. 

Bessie’s old room is considered to have a "portal" that brings many ghosts into the hotel.

Bessie Gibbs
Florida State Archives