The college property and buildings went up for sale and eventually were sold to a real estate investment and development company. Immediately questions about the tavern’s future were raised by the community. Initially there was talk that perhaps the building could be offered to the Haverhill Historical Society to be preserved for future generations, but the tavern is in a highly desirable spot, surrounded by commercial properties. With the tavern gone, the varied financial opportunities of the lot could be furthered by the investment company. In hopes to save the building from being razed, a letter-writing campaign followed and the building was named the second most endangered historic site in Massachusetts.
In speaking with the chairperson of the Haverhill Historical Commission, Tom Pitklere, his affection for the old tavern is immediately apparent. He’ll also tell some fascinating ghost stories about the place. Tom told me that he’s always had a fascination with historic places that were lost to development. Some of the places of his childhood memories have since been redeveloped and now modern structures disguise any shred of what he could recall of the location. Some of what was lost includes a historic church and a park where he played stickball.
Tom had a special connection with the Kimball Tavern and felt he had developed quite a sensitivity to the spirits that inhabited this building. Tom was in the last graduating class at Bradford College and had spent many days at the old tavern on assignments for his professors. Sometimes, alone in the tavern, he felt another presence in the room with him. During one presentation he was doing, he found the projector cord mysteriously unplugged from the wall, though he was certain it had been plugged in. That same night, pictures were taken of Tom while he was conducting his lecture. He later found out that none of the pictures of him had come out. The photographs revealed a shadowy figure between him and the camera, yet he knew that was impossible. He claims one image shows part of the black shadow having an eerie glow. His conclusion was that the spirit was making its presence known that particular night.
Tom explained that for many years, people claimed to see moving figures in the windows late at night, when the building was unoccupied. Tom relayed an incident that happened on a cold winter’s night, on which he and a friend decided to pay a visit to the tavern to take pictures. He said they both looked up into the attic windows and saw the shadowy figures watching them. He took a picture of the attic window, which revealed the shapes of the heads—gathered in the window—peering down at him. When asked who these spectral beings were, Tom answered, “It’s most likely the Kimballs.” He believes that the ghosts are spirits of the Kimballs because the family had nurtured so many generations in the home, and their impression is so strong that they’ve never really left.
Over the years, the building always fascinated children passing by the tavern in their travels to and from school, and it was common knowledge amongst them that it was haunted. Those children have since grown up and some are still wondering if the place really is haunted. Even today they continue to peer in the windows looking for the phantom shadows. Upon looking in the windows, all that is found are a few pieces of dusty unclaimed furniture from the Bradford College auction. Despite the fact that traffic whizzes by the building, the old tavern maintains quite a presence, even when viewed from the town common across the street. The unmistakable character of this seventeenth-century building is most striking.
The Kimball Tavern is one of the most endangered historic buildings in Massachusetts.
Tom told me his story of being the last student on the Bradford College campus after graduation in 2000. He said that he just couldn’t bear to walk away, and he felt he had to be the last person to step off of the property. Keeping that in mind, I can’t help but wonder if the tavern has seen its last visitors and whether the doors will ever be open to the public again. If the building is demolished, what will happen to the ghostly spirits? Some historic buildings hold memories in their walls. The Kimball Tavern certainly does, and its days may be numbered.
Author’s note: As of this writing, efforts are being put forth to save Kimball Tavern. Campaigns are being organized to stop its demolition. However, at this point, nothing is certain.
JOHN STONE TAVERN, ASHLAND
The rural town of Ashland is located right next to the town of Framingham and is twenty-two miles west of Boston, Massachusetts. The original settlement, origially called Unionville, began in the eighteenth century by Europeans, and Ashland was incorporated in 1846. Today it is a well-established community, due in part to the fact that it is about halfway between Boston and Worcester, in an area commonly referred to as Metro-West.
In the busy center of town, you will find a red brick building called the Stone’s Public House, once known as the John Stone Tavern. It was built in 1834 by the affluent Captain John Stone, who believed this was an ideal location for a tavern for passing travelers. After he was given a tip by a Boston politician who told him of the coming of the Boston-Albany Railroad, he purchased the large parcel of land. John was a farmer and a captain in the militia. When the railroad was completed, it passed through his property. It seemed as though he had found the perfect business opportunity. The original name was the “Railroad Boarding House.” For nearly two years, John was the proprietor of the tavern. After that, his son, Napolean Bonaparte Stone, managed it for a time. John Stone then decided to lease it to others. John Stone did live out the rest of his years on the property, and he still spent most of his time in the tavern. Ten years after John died, the property changed hands and the new operator was W.A. Scott. The property, along with its reputation, quickly deteriorated over the next one hundred years. At one point it was called the Ashland Hotel. In 1976, Leonard Fournier purchased the aged tavern and decided to bring it back to life. Not only did he breathe life into the building with a thorough renovation, he also discovered that it was home to several ghostly inhabitants.
The sign at Stone’s Public House features an image of John Stone.
One story tells of a traveling salesman, by the name of Mike McPherson, who was staying at the inn during the days of John Stone. It is said that to pass the time, Mike played a poker game with three locals. Apparently he was having a winning streak that night, much to the other players’ dismay. At the end of the night, the men accused Mike of cheating and an argument ensued. It is said that John Stone hit the salesman in the head with the butt of a gun, intending to knock him unconscious and take his money. However, the assault on the salesman was fatal and he was dead on the spot. Then the players and John Stone made a secret pact to hide the body and tell no one. Supposedly they carried the body down to the basement and buried the salesman there. Now, there are no records to confirm that it was John Stone who struck Mike; nor is there any proof that Mike was buried in the basement. In fact, numerous attempts have been made to find and dig up the body, but up to this point, the body has not been located.
Then there is the very sad tale of Mary Smith, a local ten-year-old girl who was killed in 1862 by one of the trains that zoomed past the tavern. It is said that in the moments after the accident she was brought into the building, where she died of her injuries. Some of the guests had reportedly seen the accident and were quite shaken. A doctor was called to the scene, but there was nothing he could do to save Mary’s life. Another version of the story says that Mary was actually inside the tavern looking out the window. The train went by, shaking the building so much that the glass broke out of the window, and Mary was disfigured by the shards of glass and died a few years later. Toward the end of the nineteenth century, one of the tavern’s regular customers died on the property after a night of overindulging in alcoholic spirits. He had spent so much time at the tavern that some thought it was appropriate that he died there, too.
With all of this bizarre activity at the tavern and inn, it was no wonder that people saw spirits of every description on the property. Many customers have claimed to hear a child’s laughter coming from behind them or from out on the balcony. When they look ou
t to see who it is, a little girl, who appears to be around ten years old, is standing there watching them and laughing. Passersby walking along the sidewalk have seen her inside the building looking out of the windows, laughing. A waitress tells the tale that an old manager of the property took the frame off of the old picture of John Stone. Behind it she found a small nineteenth-century tintype photograph of a little girl, about ten years of age. She fits the description of the girl who has been seen laughing and peering out the windows. No one knows how long the photograph was hidden in the frame, or who the girl is; there are no remarks written on the photo. The photo of John Stone can be seen in the dining room and is identical to the tavern sign.
The railroad tracks played a significant role in the building of the John Stone Tavern.
One of the many haunted rooms at Stone’s Public House.
Some patrons have said that they felt something odd in the downstairs bathroom, and many have claimed that they just didn’t feel alone in there, despite the fact that they truly were the only ones in there at the time.
Fragile items in the tavern have been known to fall to the floor without breaking. Sometimes in the morning when they open up for the day, employees will find that items have been moved around the tavern with no reasoning. Light anomalies and blue orbs have been discovered in photographs taken in the function rooms on the second floor. Some employees have said that as they ascended the staircase by the front door, they felt a hand grabbing at their ankles, but once again there was no one there.
In recent years, construction workers in the basement broke through a wall that revealed a hidden room under the tavern. It was discovered that this was a room for the Underground Railroad during the mid-nineteenth century. Inside the room they found some old artifacts, including a small bed.
With the numerous stories from employees and patrons, the property soon became a destination for psychics and paranormal investigators. Most of them concluded that the place was certainly haunted—by several spirits. Some believed that all of those who were present during that fatal card game are now ghosts haunting the property, forever doomed there because of their secrets.
Throughout the years, some unusual factors contributed to the haunted atmosphere of the location. There is often a “dark art” gallery display up on the second floor, which showcases some ghoulish paintings. When I visited, there were paintings of eerie, textured faces of clergymen on a dark black background. As I walked past the mirror and saw the reflection of the paintings looking back at me, it did feel a little strange, to say the least.
The tavern owners have even taken the scary art to a new level during the Halloween season, with events like the Terror Installation. This strange theater presentation, with ghastly dressed characters, offers a bizarre creep show to those that want to be spooked after dinner. On display are authentic body bags and a real coffin with a costumed actor inside.
Should you decide to belly up to the bar for an alcoholic beverage—perhaps to ease your fears—be sure to try some of the brews with strange names, such as Wychwood’s Hobgoblin Ale and the Monty Python Holy Grail Ale, both imported from England. The terrific atmosphere with cozy corners and interesting architecture will have you planning on a return visit. As for the ghostly inhabitants, I’m sure they’d appreciate you becoming a regular customer as well.
OLD YARMOUTH INN & TAVERN, YARMOUTHPORT
The Old Yarmouth Inn was originally established as a tavern in 1696. The owners claim it is the oldest inn on Cape Cod. You’ll find the large white Colonial inn on Old King’s Highway, Route 6A, in Yarmouthport. The tavern is at the halfway point between Plymouth and Provincetown. While the current owners don’t deny the unexplained activity, they are skeptics. However, it is interesting to note that they also claim the spirits are friendly and “possess a good sense of humor.” Because of a fire at the town hall, the history of the early days at the tavern cannot be documented. They have managed to locate a guest registry from the nineteenth century that contains entries from the travelers who visited the inn during that time.
The legend of the inn comes from Althea Powell, who lived on the property with her father. Her grandfather was a dentist and ran his office out of the first floor. He lived with the family, along with his mistress, who allegedly kept residence there as well. It is said that after everyone was asleep, he went up the back stairs for late-night trysts. The legend further says that the young woman was tragically killed in a fire while she was asleep upstairs. When Althea Powell’s family lived in the inn, it had been converted from a tavern into a boardinghouse for the teachers who taught at the school just down the road. The school is now used as the fire station. Althea was playing in the attic one day and happened upon a hidden door that led to a secret room. The room was allegedly used as part of the Underground Railroad, leading to the theory that perhaps one of the ghosts was a former slave who was escaping to freedom.
Across the street from the Yarmouth Inn & Tavern is the Parnassus Bookstore. Originally known as the Knowles General Store, it was built in the early nineteenth century. The building housed a general store for many years. In 1960, the bookstore opened up. It is a fabulous place to peruse rare and out-of-date books—literally thousands of them. During my visit, I sifted through the stacks of local books and asked the gentleman—who I learned had worked at the bookstore for about twenty-five years—about the ghosts at the inn and tavern across the street. He said that it is definitely haunted and he’s witnessed and heard many of the ghost stories over the years.
The sign for the Old Yarmouth Inn and Tavern beautifully depicts the history of this elegant location.
The bar in the tavern has seen a lot of activity, including glasses sliding around the bar as if guided by some unseen hand. When the bartenders pour drinks, sometimes the glass moves away without any assistance and the poured beverage spills onto the bar, much to the frustration of the bartender. Ashtrays have been known to do the same thing, and on a few occasions they have been seen floating in the air for a few seconds before making it down to the far end of the bar. Some members of the staff have even heard their names being called when there was no one there. Doors in the tavern area have been known to mysteriously swing open, as if some unseen entity was just passing through. Lights have been known to dim almost on cue when people ask the employees about the ghosts. The mixer in the kitchen has been known to turn on at will.
There have been sightings of an apparition in the Quisset Harbor Room, located in the inn. One guest claims to have woken up in the middle of the night to see an older gentleman in nineteenth-century clothing standing at the foot of his bed. He was described as a “jowly individual with big full cheeks and a calm manner.” He vanished into the darkness right before the guest’s eyes. It is said that a few years later, another guest in the room was also awoken by a strange man who proceeded to shake the bed. The guest was so unnerved he stayed awake for the rest of the night.
Even though the owners are self-proclaimed nonbelievers, they decided to hold a séance to see if there was anything to these ghostly tales. They had prepared a room in anticipation of the séance, only to discover that a glass vase located on the stove was split precisely in two. The silk roses were neatly arranged as a fan and the marbles that had been in the vase were neatly arranged. No one has discussed the incident.
Just a few of the rooms in the main house are used for lodging these days and they are available seasonally. It is an elegant fine-dining establishment with great attention to detail, catering to every guest, be it a regular guest or a first-time visitor. There are three rooms for dining, including the Music Room, which is part of the original 1696 structure, accented by a large center fireplace. The tavern is styled after an old English pub, with wood-paneled walls and a cozy fireplace. The owners pride themselves on their acclaimed wine list, which offers between eighteen and twenty-two different wines by the glass. The selection changes every six to eight weeks. The tavern menu also includes a large variety of go
urmet pizzas.
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it is a beautiful property and the hand-carved sign harkens back to its history as an old stagecoach stop. People who have stayed on the property in recent years often chronicle their visit in the writing journals in each room. Some entries are said to have even more ghost stories. It is intriguing to know that there are more ghostly incidents at the Old Yarmouth Inn & Tavern that have yet to be told.
SQUIRE DOANE TAVERN, YARMOUTHPORT
Located on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, the town of Yarmouthport was originally named Mattacheese by the Wampanoag. Incorporated in 1639, the town’s name, Yarmouthport, came from a seaport located in England. Three Englishmen, all farmers, were the first settlers of the village. It was quite a rural community at the time. People lived off the land and farmed in the hills and valleys or fished the abundant waters. Rich with native blackberries and cranberries, a variety of vegetation added to the fruitfulness of the area. At the time, the forests were thick and filled with game for hunting. There were large unspoiled trees, which went to build many abodes for the first families. The town had twenty-two ponds, called kettle holes, that had been carved by melting glaciers from thousands of years ago and were filled with bass and pickerel.
An early Colonial settler named Yelverton Crowe became part of a local legend of the area. It is said that a Native American sachem made a bargain with him for land. The terms of the bargain were an ox chain, a copper kettle and a few trinkets for as much land as Crowe could walk over in one hour. It is said that he must have been quite a fast walker, because he gained quite a large parcel of land that reached past the outer edges of Yarmouthport and bordered much of Cape Cod Bay.
Haunted Pubs of New England Page 4