Thea Lewis - Haunted Inns and Ghostly Getaways of Vermont

Published by Haunted America

A Division of The History Press

Charleston, SC 29403

www.historypress.net

Copyright 2014 by Thea Lewis

All rights reserved

First published 2014

e-book edition 2014

ISBN 978.1.62585.174.1

Library of Congress CIP data applied for.

print edition ISBN 978.1.62619.640.7

Notice: The information in this book is true and complete to the best of our knowledge. It is offered without guarantee on the part of the author or The History Press. The author and The History Press disclaim all liability in connection with the use of this book.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form whatsoever without prior written permission from the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

For my son, Anthony, who knows you cant rewrite history, but you can improve upon it.

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

People are always asking me if I believe in ghosts. Ive gotten over being surprised, but I still think its a little funny. After all, Im a person who has made a career out of telling spooky tales. Even though its common knowledge that I spend much of my time taking people to haunted locations and writing stories about characters who passed from this earth long ago, someone will often ask, after one of my tours or public speaking engagements, whether I think spirits are real.

I do. And if you are reading this book, its a good bet you do, too.

Recently, I posted this message to followers on my Facebook page: Do you live in an older house, or a quirky new one? Heres some homework: Set your alarm for 3 AM. Sit quietly for one hour, and make a mental note of how many noises you hear that cant be explained by your family, pets, clocks, water heater or fridge.

Some fans found it too creepy to consider, but its a great exercise, especially if you suspect your house might have that little something extra. Do objects go missing, only to turn up in the most unexpected places? Do you hear items moving or fallingnot the normal shifting of your precariously stacked crockery in a dish rack after a door slams but someone in the cupboardsmuffled conversation or the creaking of the floor in another room when you know nobody else is awake or around?

If you do, you might have a ghostly guest. Or, better put, you might be guest to someone you cant see. Its a little like the question Which came first, the chicken or the egg? If your house is haunted, did you move into the place with a spirit already in residence, or did you acquire a phantom presence after the fact?

In my hometown of Burlington, Vermont, theres a popular shopping mall. Many apparitions have been sighted inside, but some have been known to show themselves quite a bit more than others. One of these is a young woman who has been spotted so many times in the Burlington Town Center that some employees have taken to calling her the White Lady.

The White Lady is a youngish-looking ghost, in her late teens, perhaps early twenties, assumed to be searching for her child, since the precursor to her appearance is the sound of a crying baby.

I think its fair to say that if youre working in a public place and you see a spirit that you can also see through, arms outstretched, sorrowful face questioning, as though yearning for some lost loved one, its a bit of a shock. Now, imagine if, as happened to one young woman who worked in the mall, you arrived home, had a bite to eat, got ready for bed and turned in for the night only to find the apparition had followed you home. The young woman, who had been employed at the old Filenes department store at the mall, had seen the ghost at work, more than once, in fact. But seeing her in her apartment after she had gotten into her pajamas gave her a terrible start. She told the spirit, I dont mind seeing you when Im workingits your place, too. But this is my place. You dont belong here. So please leave, and dont follow me home again.

It worked. The White Lady never again showed up uninvited.

For every person who is uncomfortable with the idea of having a ghost at home, there is another who doesnt mind at all, who feels quite happy, in fact, with a spirit in his or her midst. Some of these are the folks who open their homes to guests for a living. They are the owners and innkeepers of some of Vermonts most haunted hotels and B&Bs.

If you are not too fearful to read further, Ill make the introductions, offering you an inside look at the haunted inns and Green Mountain getaways as famous for their haunted happenings as they are for their hospitality.

CHAPTER 1

THE RICHMOND VICTORIAN INN

Like Nancy Sinatras, my boots are made for walking. Im constantly on the go because even in the off-season, theres plenty of paranormal stuff to do, like heading off for a ghost investigation at some haunted college, business or B&B with my friends Matt Borden and Gloria DeSousa from Vermont Spirits Detective Agency. Matt and Gloria are Private Eyes for Those Whove Died.

My husband and I own a haunted tour business called Queen City Ghostwalk. Toward the end of our busy 2013 season, I got a call from Matt asking if Id like to join him and Gloria, along with a family theyve done some other investigations with, for a visit to the Richmond Victorian Inn in Richmond, Vermont.

Richmond is a quaint little town, a former railroad stop south of Burlington that boasts one of the areas most iconic images, a popular prop for any visitors New England photo op: the much-loved Old Round Church.

Id been by the Richmond Victorian Inn and marveled at its old-fashioned charm. If it could speak, it would say, Welcome! Do come in and have some tea and scones.

Theres a reason for that. The innkeepers of the sweet Queen Anne Victorian, Frank and Joyce Stewart, make some of the best cream scones this side of the Atlantic. And theres a reason for that, as well. Frank Stewart, the culinary wizard who rules the stove at the Richmond Victorian Inn, is from Glasgow, Scotland. The Scottish make fantastic scones. Its an undisputed fact.

Early Bridge Street, Richmond, Vermont. Photo courtesy of the Richmond Historical Society.

Richmond Victorian Inn in spring. Photo courtesy of Roger Lewis.

Talking with Matt about the visit, I took a look at my calendar. The proposed investigation was in November, when Id be due for a much-deserved break. My husband, Roger, was also invited. What a terrific little breather it would be for us, ghost tours put to bed until the following March, when we would start up again with our Black Shamrock Haunted Pub Tours.

I did some research on the inn. It was first built for A.B. Maynard, a prominent lawyer, and his wife, Julia. Later, it was known as the George Edwards Homestead, after a Vermont state senator. In 1945, the home was purchased by Luke and Mary Harrington, whose family, famous for their companys smoked meats since 1873, moved in and built a smokehouse right across the street. (Harringtons is still located across from the inn today.) In 1968, the widowed Mary Harrington sold the home to Stuart and Jeneva Burroughs, and after a few more go-rounds as a private residence, the inn passed into the hands of Vicki Williamson, the locations first B&B owner.