Haunted Pubs of New England

by Roxie Zwicker

  The former Squire Doane Tavern is a favorite haunt for Cape Cod ghosts.

  In the eighteenth century, the Native Americans sold their lands to European farmers. The tribes had been reduced quickly by disease and in 1763, a smallpox epidemic wiped out the last Native Americans in the town. During the Revolutionary War, about 250 able men from Yarmouth were said to have served the efforts of a growing nation. The nineteenth century brought about the building of sea captains’ houses all along the scenic roads of Cape Cod. A railroad line brought visitors from points north, including Boston and Providence. With all of these travelers, taverns were a necessity and were visited by many who enjoyed Cape Cod for business or pleasure.

  Located on Captain’s Mile in Yarmouthport, there is a wonderful house built by the Reverend Thomas Smith, a pastor in the town, in 1721. In 1754 he sold the house to Captain John Bearse, who converted the property into a tavern. Incidentally, this was the third tavern opened in Yarmouth. His son-in-law was the tavern keeper before that responsibility was passed to his granddaughter, Susannah Bassett. Women were not only forbidden from socializing inside taverns, but it was also a fact that women were not allowed to own any property. The tavern went to her husband, Elisha Doane. The townspeople referred to him as Squire Doane, and the tavern became known as the Squire Doane Tavern. It was a very popular place for Cape Cod travelers. It was even a Pony Express stop. All up and down the East Coast, the tavern’s excellent reputation brought visitors, thanks to Squire Doane. As a matter of fact, the squire actually sold shares in the tavern to the public.

  One of the fascinating features of the tavern is a secret hiding place, used to store alcohol during the temperance movement. Eventually, toward the end of the nineteenth century, the building became the first public library in the town. It was then converted into a private home and sold to the current owner, Claire Gonet, in 2005. Claire’s vision for the property was a beautiful inn with old-world charm and comfort for the Cape Cod travelers of today. She settled in the home and felt a connection to the structure that was the once-famous tavern. Comfortable and at home, she decided to furnish its very empty-looking interior with antiques she was collecting from shops on Cape Cod. These antiques became a bit of ghostly temptation for the spirit in the house.

  Claire purchased a brass thermometer in the shape of a porthole, with an eighteenth-century sailing vessel on the face. She hung it on one of the walls, along with a Cape Cod souvenir plate. She states that they were hung securely about five feet off of the floor in the original hearth room. Upon returning to the home the next day, she found the china plate sitting on the floor—unbroken—as if someone placed it there. But there had been no one in the home in her absence, and the nail was still securely in the wall. After a five-foot fall, why didn’t the plate break? Her thoughts are that this was Captain Bearse’s way of saying hello, and that he liked the tribute to him on the wall.

  Then there was the mysterious candle incident, during which a candle that had been secured in a candle holder was found on the floor—unbroken, away from its holder. One of the most unusual events took place in the kitchen. Claire had a collection of garnet glasses in the kitchen cabinet. One day one of the glasses went missing. After an exhaustive search of the kitchen, the glass didn’t turn up anywhere. A few weeks later, Claire opened a cabinet across from the cabinet that stored the garnet glasses. As soon as she opened the door, the missing garnet glass appeared and flew past her through the air and smashed on the floor. The glass had finally made a reappearance, but in a most surprising way!

  On three visits to the home before Claire moved her belongings in, people asked Claire if she was cooking dinner in the fireplace. Each time, upon examination of the fireplace, there was a small fire ablaze, yet no one had placed any wood in the fireplace, let alone started a fire. Perhaps the spirit of the old home was welcoming Claire to stay and be comfortable with a welcoming fire.

  Even though there have been mysterious occurrences at the home, the inn is charming, with an air of its historical past and the luxury of Claire’s special touches throughout. If you are interested in exploring the area, the inn is a wonderful place to stay to begin your journey back in time. Are spirits of Captain Bearse and Squire Doane still present, or could it be one of the many travelers to the tavern? Claire tends to believe it may be Captain Bearse, with whom she shares a special connection: they were both born on the eighth of May!

  CROCKER TAVERN, BARNSTABLE

  The largest of the fifteen towns on Cape Cod, Barnstable is also the second oldest, founded in 1637. Much like the neighboring communities, the town has a rich Native American history. Reverend John Lothrop is credited as the founder of Barnstable. He was a Congregational minister who fled from England to escape religious persecution and imprisonment. The village began as a farming community, and Barnstable began serving as the county seat in 1685. Maritime trade eventually led the town in a new direction as it evolved into the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.

  The Crocker Tavern, in Barnstable, has roots in the American Revolution.

  At one time it was said that there were over eight hundred sea captains living in Barnstable. One of the most famous captains from Barnstable was Captain “Mad Jack” Percival, who was the captain of the Constitution. One of America’s most famous warships, the Constitution, commonly called “Old Ironsides,” can be visited in nearby Charlestown, Massachusetts. You can visit the grave of the fascinating captain in one of the oldest cemeteries in town, located just off of the Old King’s Highway, Route 6A.

  Just up the road from the old cemetery you will find the Crocker Tavern, built in 1750. This tavern has been called the “Cradle of American Liberty” due to its valuable role in the American Revolution. The tavern was built by Cornelius Crocker, one of the wealthiest men on Cape Cod, and was the original meeting site for the Whigs, also known as the rebels, or the Revolutionary Patriots. The legacy of the tavern is forever linked to the Revolutionary history of the United States. It is easy to imagine all of the discussions that took place there, rumblings of their seething anger toward the Royal Crown and the British Empire. One of the many battle cries of the rebels was “No taxation without representation.” Just down the street was the meeting place for the British Loyalists, also known as the King’s Men, or the Tories. The tension in the air was almost palpable in the village of Barnstable during those turbulent days. Most of the residents of Cape Cod sympathized with the Tories; those who supported the rebels were outnumbered.

  James Otis Jr., a Barnstable native, is said to be one of America’s first patriots, along with the likes of John Hancock and Samuel Adams. A fiery orator of the day, he regularly spent time at the Crocker Tavern “to meet and consult about what is most proper to be done in this day of difficulty.” Every resident was affected, and they all had to make a decision as to which side they were going to support. From the richest and most affluent in the community to the tradesmen, farmers and mariners, the future of the new world was being shaped over continuous candlelight servings of ale in the Crocker Tavern. In fact, when the Cape Cod militia gathered to march to Lexington and Concord, they met at the front door to the Crocker Tavern.

  The Crocker family eventually bequeathed the tavern to the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities in 1927. It was the site of a Colonial museum for nearly thirty years. Eventually, in the 1960s, the property went into the hands of private owners. However, restrictions were established to preserve the integrity of the historic building. Because of the thought and care that was in place for this historic building, it remains as a gorgeous time capsule, true to the eighteenth century.

  The architecture of this fantastic building creates a fabulous backdrop for history—and ghost stories. A woman wearing an eighteenth-century dress has been seen by visitors to the house. She has appeared wandering the house late at night. When some guests saw her, they weren’t sure if they had been dreaming or if they really did see her. However, many times when guests si
t down for breakfast in the morning, several people in the group all see the same exact apparition. This ghostly woman has also been seen peering from the windows by passersby on the street.

  Doors have been known to open and close throughout the home without explanation. One of the canopy beds was said to have started shaking on its own, much to the guest’s surprise. The story says that the bed stopped moving after about an entire minute had passed. Some people tell stories of hearing a female voice speaking in empty rooms when there was no one else in the house but men. It has been suggested that she is the ghost of Lydia Crocker, the tavern keeper’s wife, who may still be checking in on guests.

  There is also the story of a gentleman, alone in the house back in the early 1980s, who had a surprising incident in the middle of the night. He was lying asleep in his bed when he was woken up by the loud sounds of footsteps coming up the staircase. Not knowing how to approach the situation, he jumped out of bed and heard the footsteps coming closer. The door to the bedroom was closed, so he turned on the lights and made his way to the door, not knowing what he would find. He opened the door and yelled out, “Who’s there?” There was no response. He spent the next few minutes searching the house for the source of the sounds, but after checking every room, he found that there was no one there but him. After the encounter he returned to his room and tried to fall back to sleep, putting thoughts of the ghostly specter out of his mind.

  Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the old tavern is now a seasonal rental and can be leased to accommodate anywhere from fourteen to eighteen people. Located on three beautiful acres—complete with a meeting space and a barn that can be used for recreation—the location is tranquil and boasts a lush garden. The house is a fantastic example of eighteenth-century Georgian architecture and is most impressive from any vantage point. On the property you will also notice an authentic eighteenth-century granite marker used by stagecoaches to designate mileage from the location of the tavern. These are often referred to as milestones. Engraved on the marker you can read that Plymouth is 30.5 miles, Boston, 79.5 and Provincetown, 43 miles from the tavern.

  There are seven impeccably appointed bedrooms that radiate the Colonial past of the building. The built-in window seats, raised wood paneling and numerous fireplaces combined with the history make for a very unique experience. Some of the rooms are even named after notable people in the tavern’s history, from the Crocker family to James Otis Jr. The Crocker Tavern was an active location during the American Revolution, and today it is active with its very spirited past.

  Wellfleet is home to an eclectic tavern with musical ghosts.

  THE DUCK CREEKE TAVERN, WELLFLEET

  Journey to the outer reaches of Cape Cod and you will find what the locals call the “old Cape”—not necessarily because the history is older, but because modern-day development has been slower and more sparse than some of the more settled areas of Cape Cod, such as in Hyannis and Falmouth. Here you will find the towns of Truro, Provincetown and Wellfleet. The natural landscape of sandy dunes, tidal inlets and short, stubby pine trees is offset by the rich blue Atlantic, which can been seen from nearly every vantage point.

  Wellfleet was originally established as Billingsgate in the mid-seventeenth century. The plentiful fishing and the harvesting of oysters provided the early settlers the means to begin growing a community. The dawn of the eighteenth century ushered in the whaling industry as ships were being built to sail all over the world. This location became a home for a large fleet of whaling vessels and the town thrived. In 1763, the town was renamed Wellfleet. However as the American Revolution approached, the fleet didn’t fare very well. A British blockade prevented the ships from leaving the harbor and the whaling industry was dealt a fatal blow.

  After the Revolution, the town resumed its role as a fishing community and prospered until the twentieth century. Shell fishing became a strong facet of Wellfleet’s trade. Quahogs, clams and scallops were harvested and shipped all over the northeast. Completed in the 1950s, the Mid-Cape Highway brought tourism to the far reaches of Cape Cod. Many of the tourists built vacation homes, while others brought about the building of small hotels and inns. In 1961, the Cape Cod National Seashore was established. This established the preservation of nearly two-thirds of the land in Wellfleet and is composed of over thirteen thousand acres. Today, the preserved lands are accented with bicycle and walking trails so that the area can be appreciated in its natural state.

  The oldest operating tavern in Wellfleet isn’t exactly in a natural state. It’s in what one might call an eclectic state. This self-proclaimed “hodgepodge” is a combination of late-eighteenth-century and nineteenth-century buildings, along with a twentieth-century entrance. During the 1930s, Joseph and Eulalia Price converted the original home into a guesthouse. Apparently they had a penchant for antique buildings, no matter the size or type, and they gathered a collection of curious structures. Taking sections from buildings like the town jail and firehouse, along with a tea warehouse owned by the East India Trading Company, it seemed as though they were building their own little city. Darkness descended upon their property in an often-told story about the night that Joseph went crazy with a machete. It was said that with wild eyes he chased Eulalia across the grounds of their home with every intention of killing her. Frightened, Eulalia felt forced to commit Joe to an insane asylum.

  Guests and employees alike have seen the spectral form of the lady of the house on many occasions. Visions of Eulalia are often seen in the kitchen, floating above the floor in a long dress that’s been described as being nearly transparent. She is said to be responsible for opening and closing the doors at will. The staff became so baffled by the mysterious happenings that they tried to catch the spirit’s footprints by putting flour down on staircases. Still the doors were unlatched and the flour remained undisturbed.

  The tavern has been a location for some of the more unusual episodes of paranormal activity. Throughout the summer the tavern is filled with live jazz music, which draws tourists and locals alike—not to mention ghosts. Many performers say they’ve felt someone touching their hair from behind while they’ve been onstage—oftentimes while they were alone onstage. At the end of one performance, puzzled patrons tried to figure out where the sound of a flute was coming from. During the music set, someone was playing the flute, although none of the performers had a flute. Was this a ghost who enjoyed an impromptu music session? On another occasion, chamber music was heard coming from the basement on a quiet afternoon and when a group of people went to investigate they found no source for the music, yet they had all heard it.

  All of this spirited activity piqued the interest of the innkeepers and a dark night in October seemed the perfect backdrop for a séance. The lights were turned off and a candle was lit—and the spirits arrived. The woman in the dress is said to have made an appearance at the table. Then, moving in from the shadows, several figures emerged and then vanished. Somewhere along the line, the realm of time seemed to blur, as what the participants thought was an hour was really three hours when they looked at the clock.

  The dark, exposed wood in the tavern, along with the brick fireplace, contributes to the old feel of the tavern. Views of the scenic pond out the back windows are better than any artwork that could be hung upon the walls. The bar in the tavern is quite unique. It is covered with marine charts and maps and makes for a great gathering spot. With a wide selection of brews on tap, you’ll be delighted. You may end up wondering what to order for dinner. Check the specials board and hopefully they will be serving their famous beef-and-ale pie along with their signature peach-and-cranberry cobbler. While you are listening to the music, see if you can detect the sounds of an instrument that you do not see being used. Maybe the ghosts at the tavern will join in the performance to make themselves heard, but not seen.

  NEW HAMPSHIRE

  THE FIREHALL PUB, DERRY

  Derry, New Hampshire, is a working-class community and was first s
ettled in 1719 by Reverend Macgregor, of Londonderry, Northern Ireland. The original settlement was called Nutfield. It was not officially incorporated until 1827. Many of the original settlers were from Scotland and Ireland, and as a matter of fact, the name Derry came from its location in Londonderry, Northern Ireland. Local legends claim that the very first potato grown in the United States was planted in Derry.

  Before fire departments were established, the townspeople were rallied by the ringing of church bells to put fires out. Given the lack of equipment at the time, firefighting was a monumental task in the early days. People stood in lines forming bucket brigades to put out the fires. The buckets weren’t terribly large either; they held about a gallon of water each.

  At a town meeting in 1882, residents decided to establish a formal fire department. A recent devastating fire on Broadway was enough to spur the finalization of a plan. The town purchased a used hand water pumper. A small, wooden engine house was built on Manning Street to house the apparatus. The Industrial Revolution brought about the building of sprawling shoe factories and hundreds of homes for the workers. In 1898, the town settled on building its first formal fire station, Station One, which cost $5,500 to construct. On March 14, 1899, the fire station opened to much fanfare from the townspeople. There were speeches, a full orchestra and, of course, a prayer. A horse-drawn hook and ladder cart and hose carriage were stored on the first floor. The second floor contained a firemen’s meeting hall. Up above the building was a lookout tower and fire signal bell. The horses were kept in a neighboring stable, and their harnesses were suspended from hooks so that they could be readied in less than a minute when the bell rang.