Check Out Granville’s Haunted Inn
Guests at Granville’s historic and haunted Buxton Inn see ghosts.
Ghosts mingle with guests at the Buxton Inn in Granville, one of Ohio's Oldest Inns.
In 1812, Ohio was 9 years old, and growing fast
Roads were opening the way west, and Orrin Granger built the Inn to serve the stage coach route between Zanesville and Columbus. Originally “The Tavern”, it also served as a mail depot and coach stop. The drovers and stable hands that cooked in the fireplace, and slept on the dirt floor, knew one another, and were leery of strangers. A mis-sized stair step served as an alarm system; the sleeping men would be awakened by the sound of someone tripping on the step, and know that a stranger was in their midst.
Famous Guests stay at the Tavern
The tavern was honored with overnight stays by famous visitors such as Charles Dickens, Abraham Lincoln, William McKinley, Harriet Beecher Stowe, and James Whitcomb Riley. None of these folks haunt the Inn, however. It is believed that the spirits that have been seen in various parts of the building are no other than past owners (and one cat).
The Inn Changes Hands
In 1865 a Major Buxton purchased the Inn, changed its name, and ran it until 1905. After that it went through a series of owners until falling into the hands of Ethel Bounell, an actress and singer who ran the place from 1934 until 1961, when she willed it to her dear friend, Nell Schoeller. Nell ran the Inn with the help of her cat, Major Buxton, until she sold it to its present owners, Orville and Audrey Orr, who spent two years renovating. The Inn consists of the original main building, and 5 additional houses, all furnished in period antiques mixed with modern amenities. Only the main house is haunted.
Ghostly Guests
It was during the renovations that the unregistered guests began making their presence known. Mr. Orr says that his first experience with the unexplained happened just after completing a locking up walk through prior to leaving for the night. He heard the locked front door open, and the sound of someone walking up the stairs, across the second floor balcony, down the back stairs, and out the back door. Calling out, and rechecking the locks brought no logical explanation.
Since that night, staff and visitors alike have seen, heard, smelled, or felt the presence of benevolent spirits, which are believed to be past owners Major Buxton and either wife of original owner Orrin Granger, or Ethel Bounell, otherwise known as "the Lady in Blue". A second Major Buxton also makes an occasional appearance-Major Buxton the cat. Mrs. Orr has lost track of the number of guests who have told her about how much they enjoyed a visit from the hotel cat only to be told the hotel has no cat. The Lady in Blue has appeared in corridors and guest rooms. Major Buxton the man has been seen in a rocking chair by the fireplace, and throughout the main building. Then, there are the sounds and smells; doors opening, footfalls, furniture moved about, a bag of money dropped, and the clinking of coins as they rolled across the plank floors. There's also been the lingering scent of Miss Bounell's gardenia perfume, an invisible hand on a shoulder, an unseen but almost tangible presence... The Buxton Inn is located in Granville, Ohio and known for its fine food and SPIRITS. . . .www.buxtoninn.com
